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Methods and systems for synchronized ultrasonic real time location

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

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