System and method for determining relative positioning in ad-hoc networks

• US 20040082341A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeshNetworks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stanforth, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/808 using transducers spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for improving the ability of a portable voice and data wireless communications network to provide position information regarding mobile nodes located within a network. The system and method employs mobile access points, wireless routers, and mobile nodes, which each contain at least one transceiver, and are mounted or dispersed at a geographic location. Access points can be connected to mobile vehicles, or connected to a network management system, and wireless routers can be mounted to portable stands for easy deployment. Mobile nodes can be attached to equipment or personnel for tracking purposes, and each node includes technology which may determine an absolute node location containing latitude, longitude and altitude of a node, or a relative node location containing the distance and angle between nodes, or a combination of both absolute and relative location data.

Claims

1. A method for displaying node location information in an ad-hoc communications network, said network including a plurality of nodes being adapted to transmit and receive signals to and from other nodes in said network, the method comprising:

distributing a plurality of nodes at a deployment area and calculating a position of at least one node of said plurality based on at least one distance measurement calculated by said plurality, and controlling said plurality to communicate said position to a first node of said plurality; and

controlling said first node of said plurality to calculate and to display at least one of an absolute position of said at least one node, a relative position of said at least one node and a first path of said at least one node.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of nodes includes at least one of a mobile node, wireless router node, access point node and network manager node.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said distributing said plurality of nodes at said deployment area establishes at least one communication route between each node of said plurality.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said distributing said plurality of nodes at said deployment area establishes at least one communication route between each node of said plurality and said first node.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said calculating said position of said at least one node is based on at least one of a global positioning system, a differential navigation system and a triangulation system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said first node to calculate and display said absolute position of said at least one node including at least one of a latitude, a longitude and an altitude position.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said first node to calculate and display said relative position of said at least one node including at least one of a distance and an angle between said first node and said at least one node.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said first node to calculate and display said relative position of said at least one node including at least one of a distance and an angle between said at least one node and a second node of said plurality.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said first node to calculate and display said first path, comprising a series of calculated positions based on at least one calculated position of said at least one node determined at an equal time interval over a time period wherein said at least one node travels from an origination position to a destination position.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

controlling said first node to display said series of calculated positions in a reverse order, said reversed order illustrating said first path from said destination position to said origination position.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

controlling said first node to display said series of calculated positions in a forward order, said forward order illustrating said first path from said origination position to said destination position.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said first node to calculate and display a second path between said first node and said at least one node, comprising a series of calculated positions between said first node and said at least one node.

13. A system for displaying node location information in an ad-hoc communications network, said network including a plurality of nodes being adapted to transmit and receive signals to and from other nodes in said network, the system comprising:

a plurality of nodes, adapted to deploy and to occupy a deployment area and in response, to calculate a position of at least one node of said plurality based on at least one distance measurement calculated by said plurality, and to communicate said position to a first node of said plurality; and

said first node, adapted to calculate and to display at least one of an absolute position of said at least one node, a relative position of said at least one node and a first path of said at least one node.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said plurality of nodes includes at least one of a mobile node, wireless router node, access point node and network manager node.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said plurality of nodes is adapted to deploy and to occupy a deployment area to establish at least one communication route between each node of said plurality.

16. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said plurality of nodes is adapted to deploy and to occupy a deployment area to establish at least one communication route between each node of said plurality and said first node.

17. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said plurality of nodes is adapted to calculate said position of said at least one node based on at least one of a global positioning system, a differential navigation system and a triangulation system.

18. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first node is adapted to calculate and display said absolute position of said at least one node including at least one of a latitude, a longitude and an altitude position.

19. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first node is adapted to calculate and display said relative position of said at least one node including at least one of a distance and an angle between said first node and said at least one node.

20. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first node is adapted to calculate and display said relative position of said at least one node including at least one of a distance and an angle between said at least one node and a second node of said plurality.

21. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first node is adapted to calculate and display said first path, comprising a series of calculated positions based on at least one calculated position of said at least one node determined at an equal time interval over a time period wherein said at least one node travels from an origination position to a destination position.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

said first node is adapted to display said series of calculated positions in a reverse order, said reversed order illustrating said first path from said destination position to said origination position.

23. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

said first node is adapted to display said series of calculated positions in a forward order, said forward order illustrating said first path from said origination position to said destination position.

24. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first node is adapted to calculate and display a second path between said first node and said at least one node, comprising a series of calculated positions between said first node and said at least one node.

25. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

at least one node of said plurality of nodes includes a variable gain transceiver adapted to operate at a first and second gain level, said second gain level greater than or equal to said first gain level.