Methods and systems for synchronized ultrasonic real time location

• US 9,622,030 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Inventors: Amir, Israel, Annamalai, Karuppiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US14/549,876
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a location and an identity of a portable device are provided. The system includes apparatus for transmitting timing synchronization information, a plurality of stationary ultrasonic base stations and a plurality of portable devices. Each ultrasonic base station is configured to receive the timing synchronization information and to transmit a corresponding ultrasonic location code in a time period based on the received timing synchronization information. Each portable device is configured to: 1) receive the timing synchronization information, 2) detect the ultrasonic location codes from the ultrasonic base stations and 3) transmit an output signal including a portable device ID representative of the portable device and the detected ultrasonic location code. Each portable device is synchronized to detect the ultrasonic location code in the time period based on the received timing synchronization information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server;

one or more portable devices, each portable device having a respective portable device ID;

one or more ultrasonic base stations;

a plurality of RF base stations coupled to a backbone network, at least a first RF base station of the plurality of RF base stations configured to transmit timing synchronization information (TSI) to the one or more ultrasonic base stations, wherein;

one ultrasonic base station of the one or more ultrasonic base stations is configured to receive the TSI and to transmit an ultrasonic signal including an ultrasonic base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, the ultrasonic base station ID being associated with a location of the one ultrasonic base station;

the portable device is configured;

     1) to detect the ultrasonic base station ID from the received ultrasonic signal,

     2) to store the ultrasonic base station ID as a digital value, and

     3) to transmit an RF output signal including the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID to a second RF base station of the plurality of RF base stations;

the second RF base station is configured to

     1) receive the signal from portable device, and

     2) send the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID to the server; and

the server is configured to receive the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID from the second RF base station and to associate the portable device having the portable device ID with the location of the ultrasonic base station having the base station ID.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first RF base station transmits the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations in response to a request from the one or more ultrasonic base stations.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the first RF base station periodically transmits the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the first RF base station is different from the second RF base station and the second RF base station is configured to send the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID to the server as the signal received by the second RF base station from the portable device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the first RF base station is different from the second RF base station and the second RF base station is configured to decode the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID from the signal received from the portable device and to send the decoded portable device ID and the decoded ultrasonic base station ID to the server.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to obtain timing information from the received ultrasonic signal, the timing information including a delay to a next ultrasonic transmission by the one ultrasonic base station.

2. A system comprising:

A server;

first and second transceiver base stations;

a plurality of location base stations having a respective plurality of location base station IDs, each location base station ID being associated with a respective location; and

a plurality of portable tags having a respective plurality of tag IDs;

wherein;

the first transceiver base station is configured to transmit timing synchronization information (TSI) via a first type of communication technology to one or more of the plurality of location base stations;

one location base station of the one or more location base stations is configured to receive the TSI via the first type of communication technology, and to transmit a signal including its respective location base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, via a second type of communication technology, different from the first type of communication technology;

at least one portable tag of the plurality of portable tags is configured;

     1) to receive the signal corresponding to the second type of communication technology,

     2) to detect timing information and the location base station ID from the received signal,

     3) to store the detected location base station ID, and

     4) to transmit, via the first type of communication technology and at a time determined from the timing information, a communication signal including the stored base station ID and the tag ID to the second transceiver base station; and

the second transceiver base station is configured;

     1) to receive the communication signal from the portable tag,

     2) to transmit the tag ID and the location base station ID in the received communication signal to the server, and

the server is configured to associate the portable tag with the respective location associated with the location base station ID.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first type of communication technology is Wi-Fi communication technology and the second type of communication technology is infrared communication technology.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first type of communication technology is RF transceiver communication technology and the second type of communication technology is infrared communication technology.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first type of communication technology is Wi-Fi communication technology and the second type of communication technology is ultrasonic communication technology.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first type of communication technology is RF transceiver communication technology and the second type of communication technology is ultrasonic communication technology.

26. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver base station transmits the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations in response to a request from the one or more location base stations.

27. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver base station periodically transmits the TSI to the one or more location base stations.

28. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver base station is different from the second transceiver base station and the second transceiver base station is configured to send the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID to the server as the signal received by the second transceiver base station from the at least one portable tag.

29. The system of claim 2, wherein the first RF base station is different from the second RF base station and the second RF base station is configured to decode the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID from the signal received from the at least one portable tag and to send the decoded portable device ID and the decoded ultrasonic base station ID to the server.

30. The system of claim 2, wherein the timing information detected by the at least one portable tag includes a delay until a next transmission by the one location base station.

7. A system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of portable devices, each portable device having a respective portable device ID;

one or more ultrasonic base stations;

a plurality of RF base stations coupled to a backbone network, at least a first RF base station of the plurality of RF base stations configured to receive timing synchronization information (TSI) from a time server and to transmit the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations, wherein;

at least one ultrasonic base station of the one or more ultrasonic base stations is configured to receive the TSI and to transmit an ultrasonic signal including a corresponding ultrasonic base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, the ultrasonic base station ID being associated with a location of the one ultrasonic base station;

at least one portable device of the plurality of portable devices is configured;

     1) to receive the ultrasonic signal,

     2) to detect timing information and the ultrasonic base station ID from the received ultrasonic signal,

     3) to store the detected ultrasonic base station ID as a digital value, and

     4) to transmit an RF output signal including the stored ultrasonic base station ID and the respective portable device ID to a second RF base station of the plurality of RF base stations at a time determined from the timing information; and

the second RF base station is configured;

     1) to receive the RF output signal including the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID, and

     2) to send the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID to the server;

the server, responsive to receiving the ultrasonic base station ID and the portable device ID is configured to associate the portable device with the location of the one ultrasonic base station.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second RF base station is configured to detect the portable device ID and the ultrasonic base station ID in the received RF signal and to send the detected portable device ID and ultrasonic base station ID to the server.

31. The system of claim 7, wherein the first RF base station transmits the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations in response to a request from the one or more ultrasonic base stations.

32. The system of claim 7, wherein the first RF base station periodically transmits the TSI to the one or more ultrasonic base stations.

33. The system of claim 7, wherein the timing information includes a delay to the next transmission of the one ultrasonic base station.

9. A system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of transceiver base stations;

one or more location base stations, each location base station having a respective location base station ID and being associated with a respective location; and

a portable tag having a tag ID;

wherein;

a first transceiver base station of the plurality of transceiver base stations is configured to transmit timing synchronization information (TSI) in a first frequency band to the one or more location base stations;

at least one location base station of the one or more location base stations is configured to receive the TSI in the first frequency band, and to transmit a signal including its respective location base station ID at a time determined from the received TSI, in a second frequency band, different from the first frequency band;

the portable tag is configured;

     1) to receive a signal in the second frequency band,

     2) to detect timing information and the location base station ID from the received signal in the second frequency band,

     3) to store the detected location base station ID,

     4) to transmit, in the first frequency band, a communication signal including the stored location base station ID and the stored tag ID to a second transceiver base station of the plurality of transceiver base stations; and

the second transceiver base station is configured;

     1) to receive the communication signal, in the first frequency band from the portable tag, and

     2) to send the tag ID and the location base station ID to the server;

the server is configured to receive the tag ID and the location base station ID from the second transceiver base station and to associate the portable tag with the respective location associated with the detected location base station ID.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable tag transmits the communication signal in the first frequency band, to the transceiver base station at multiple times determined from the timing information received from the location base station.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band includes Wi-Fi communication signals and the second frequency band includes infrared communication signals.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band includes RF communication signals and the second frequency band includes infrared communication signals.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band includes Wi-Fi communication signals and the second frequency band includes ultrasonic communication signals.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band includes RF communication signals and the second communication band includes ultrasonic communication signals.

15. A system comprising:

a plurality of RF base stations coupled to a backbone network, wherein a master RF base station, from the plurality of RF base stations, is configured to receive timing synchronization information (TSI) from a timing server, wherein;

the master RF base station is configured to;

transmit, to the other RF base stations including a first RF base station, (i) the TSI that includes a time of origin and, (ii) a master ID identifying the master RF base station; and

wherein,

the first RF base station is configured to;

receive the TSI and the master ID;

transmit, to the other RF base stations including the master RF base station (i) the TSI and a time offset relative to the time of origin received from the master base station, and (ii) a first ID identifying the first RF base station.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the master RF station is configured to transmit the TSI at multiple times to the other RF base stations.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first RF base station is configured to transmit the TSI at a time determined from the time of origin and the time offset.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the time of origin and the time offset are defined by the timing server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the master RF station is configured to transmit the TSI at multiple times to the other RF base stations in a predetermined master frequency band.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first RF base station is configured to transmit the TSI in the predetermined master frequency band.

34. The system of claim 16, wherein the master RF station is configured to periodically transmit the TSI to the other RF base stations.

35. The system of claim 16, wherein the master RF station is configured to transmit the TSI to the other RF base stations in response to respective multiple requests for the TSI information from the other RF base stations.