System and method for person or object position location utilizing impulse radio

• US 20030144011A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plus Location Systems Pty. Limited
• Original Assignee: David C. Meigs, Donald A. Kelly, James L. Richards, James S. Finn, Larry W. Fullerton, Timothy T. Payment, William D. Welch Jr, William J. Tucker
• Inventors: Payment, Timothy T., Richards, James L., Fullerton, Larry W., Welch, William D. Jr., Tucker, William J., Kelly, Donald A., Finn, James S., Meigs, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/76 wherein pulse-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

A System and Method for Person or Object Position Location Utilizing Impulse Radio, comprising a plurality of reference impulse radios; an object or person to be tracked having a mobile impulse radio associated therewith; an architecture with an associated positioning algorithm associated with said plurality of impulse radio reference radios and said mobile impulse radio; and display means for displaying the position of the person or object whose position is to be determined.

Claims

1. A method of position location utilizing impulse radio means, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an impulse radio signal; and

receiving said transmitted impulse radio signal, whereby the position of said received signal is determined.

2. System for position location utilizing impulse radio means, comprising:

at least one reference impulse radio means; and

at least one mobile impulse radio means in communication with said at least one reference radio means, whereby position information of said mobile impulse radio means relative to said at least one reference impulse radio means is provided.

3. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 2, further comprising display means in communication with said at least one reference radio for displaying position information of said at least one mobile impulse radio relative to said at least one reference impulse radio.

4. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 2, further comprising display means in communication with said at least one mobile impulse radio for displaying position information of said at least one mobile impulse radio relative to said at least one reference impulse radio.

5. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 3, wherein said display means displays said position information of said at least one mobile radio relative to said at least one reference impulse radio on an overlay of a depiction of the environment in which the reference impulse radio and the mobile impulse radio are located.

6. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 4, wherein said display means displays said position information of said at least one mobile radio relative to said at least one reference impulse radio on an overlay of a depiction of the environment in which the reference impulse radio and the mobile impulse radio are located.

7. System for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio, comprising:

a plurality of reference impulse radios;

at least one mobile impulse radio in communication with available said plurality of reference impulse radios, said communication providing position information of said mobile impulse radio relative to said plurality of said reference impulse radios.

8. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, further comprising a display means, said display means displaying the position of said at least one mobile impulse radio relative to said plurality of said reference impulse radios.

9. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are transceivers and in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver in duplex communication with said plurality of said reference impulse radios or with another at least one mobile impulse radio.

10. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are transceivers and not in communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver in duplex communication with each reference impulse radio available.

11. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios direct simplex communication to one reference impulse radio and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transmitter transmitting simplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.

12. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is at least one impulse radio receiver receiving simplex communications from each reference impulse radio available.

13. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transmitter transmitting simplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.

14. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver transmitting duplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.

15. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio receiver receiving simplex communications from each reference impulse radio available.

16. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is at least two impulse radio receivers receiving simplex communications from distinct reference impulse radios.

17. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is a combination of mobile impulse radio transceivers, transmitters or receivers in simplex or duplex communication with any available said reference impulse radios as their transmission abilities dictate.

18. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and using steerable null antennae and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver transmitting duplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.

19. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver using steerable null antennae to transmit duplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.

20. The system for person or object position location utilizing Impulse Radio of claim 7, wherein said plurality of reference impulse radios are impulse radio transceivers in duplex communication with each other and using difference antennae and said at least one mobile impulse radio is an at least one impulse radio transceiver transmitting duplex communications to each reference impulse radio available.