Method and apparatus for precise location of objects and subjects, and application to improving airport and aircraft safety
First Claim
1. ) A system for pinpointing the precise three-dimensional location and identification of single or multiple, moving or stationary objects in a predefined area, comprising:
- a transmitter and antenna within or attached to each object, and two or more pairs of receiving antennas dispersed around the perimeter of the predefined area.
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Abstract
This application describes a method and apparatus for precisely pinpointing and locating moving or stationary objects, with application to the real time monitoring of the precise position of airplanes and other vehicles on runways and other portions of airports. The invention is also capable of locating and monitoring equipment for servicing aircraft and the efficient allocation and coordination of the equipment. Additional capabilities of the invention include remote disabling of location sensing for particular objects, automatic generation of alarm conditions when objects are in danger of collision, and automatic broadcast of alarm conditions to occupants of located vehicles or aircraft Additional applications include location and pinpointing of balls, game equipment, players, and officials in sports; prisoners in prisons; children in childcare facilities; pets in and around homes, apartments or any living areas; animals in farms or zoological gardens (zoo); and more generally subjects in any area with predetermined boundaries. The method employs a continuous wave or pulse transmitter in the object to be located, and requires no high-speed or precision timing circuitry. By incorporating a receiver also in the object, control of the object is also possible.
49 Citations
22 Claims
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1. ) A system for pinpointing the precise three-dimensional location and identification of single or multiple, moving or stationary objects in a predefined area, comprising:
- a transmitter and antenna within or attached to each object, and two or more pairs of receiving antennas dispersed around the perimeter of the predefined area.
- View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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2. ) The implementation of a system as claimed in (1), through the use of the following elements:
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(a) Four or more antennas, arranged in two or more closely spaced pairs dispersed in or around the area to be covered, (b) Downconvertors or receivers attached to each of the antennas, with the local oscillators of the downconvertors in all the receivers derived from a single reference;
(c) Phase locked loops to stabilize and reject noise in the downconverted signals;
(d) Phase detectors to determine the phase difference between the received signal in each pair of antennas;
(e) Phase detectors to determine the phase difference between the received signal in antennas not in the same pair.
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Specification