Synchronization of a real-time UWB locating system
First Claim
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1. A UWB tag reader comprising:
- a receiving module configured to receive UWB pulses,a memory storing a quantity representative of a distance between the UWB tag reader and a master UWB reader, and a master UWB reader unique identifier,a clock providing a reference clock signal that drives a UWB communication activity, the activity being based on a periodic transmission of a plurality of UWB pulses encoding a piece of information, each UWB pulse of the plurality of UWB pulses having a predetermined pulse period (Tp), anda clock adjuster that adjusts the reference clock signal until the UWB tag reader receives from the master UWB reader each UWB pulse of a sequence of UWB pulses transmitted by the master UWB reader, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses having the predetermined pulse period (Tp), the sequence of UWB pulses encoding the master UWB reader unique identifier, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses being received at an expected time slot within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot being related to the distance between the UWB tag reader and the master UWB reader.
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Abstract
In a UWB real time locating system, UWB readers (12) are synchronized by adjusting a clock of a UWB slave reader (12) until the UWB reader (12) receives each UWB pulse (34) of a sequence of UWB pulses (34) having a predetermined pulse period (Tp) and encoding a master UWB reader unique identifier at an expected time slot (35) within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot (35) being related to the distance between the UWB tag reader (12) and a master UWB reader (12).
45 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A UWB tag reader comprising:
a receiving module configured to receive UWB pulses, a memory storing a quantity representative of a distance between the UWB tag reader and a master UWB reader, and a master UWB reader unique identifier, a clock providing a reference clock signal that drives a UWB communication activity, the activity being based on a periodic transmission of a plurality of UWB pulses encoding a piece of information, each UWB pulse of the plurality of UWB pulses having a predetermined pulse period (Tp), and a clock adjuster that adjusts the reference clock signal until the UWB tag reader receives from the master UWB reader each UWB pulse of a sequence of UWB pulses transmitted by the master UWB reader, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses having the predetermined pulse period (Tp), the sequence of UWB pulses encoding the master UWB reader unique identifier, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses being received at an expected time slot within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot being related to the distance between the UWB tag reader and the master UWB reader. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A UWB real-time locating system synchronization method comprising the steps of:
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cyclically transmitting from a master UWB reader a sequence of UWB pulses encoding a master UWB reader unique identifier, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses having a predetermined pulse period (Tp), receiving at a slave UWB reader UWB pulses, providing at the slave UWB reader a reference clock signal that drives a UWB communication activity, the activity being based on a periodic transmission of a plurality of pulses encoding a piece of information, each UWB pulse of the plurality of UWB pulses having a predetermined pulse period (Tp), and adjusting the reference clock signal at the slave UWB reader until the slave UWB reader receives each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses, transmitted from a master UWB reader, each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses having the predetermined pulse period (Tp), each UWB pulse of the sequence of UWB pulses being received at an expected time slot within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot being related to a distance between the slave UWB reader and a master UWB reader. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operating a real-time UWB locating system comprising a plurality of UWB readers and a plurality of tags, comprising the steps of:
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providing to at least one UWB reader of the system a master UWB reader unique identifier and a quantity representative of a distance between the UWB reader and the master UWB reader, periodically transmitting a tag interrogation signal from each UWB reader of the system, the tag interrogation signal comprising a predetermined number of pulses transmitted with a predetermined pulse period (Tp) and encoding a UWB reader'"'"'s unique code, receiving at each UWB reader a sequence of said predetermined number of UWB pulses having the predetermined pulse period (Tp), checking whether the received sequence encodes a master UWB reader unique identifier, and in the affirmative case adjusting a clock signal of the receiving UWB reader so that each UWB pulse of the received sequence is received at an expected time slot within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot being related to a distance between the UWB reader and the master UWB reader. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification