Method and system for time difference of arrival (TDOA) location services

• US 20050073459A1
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recon Dynamics LLC (Tricon Sales LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum5, Inc.
• Inventors: Dobson, W. Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 6,943,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/387
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Abstract

A method and system for determining the location of a mobile transmitting device that uses three dimensional location coordinates to triangulate the location using a time difference of arrival method, with diminishing errors, error correction and which takes advantage of global positioning systems without the requirement of highly accurate clocks in the mobile transmitting device and the base stations.

Claims

1. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, comprising:

(A) a first base station, said first base station further comprising;

(1) an antenna system;

(2) a global positioning system receiver in communication with said antenna system;

(3) a processor in communication with said global positioning system receiver;

(4) an altitude sensor in communication with said processor and

(5) a reference clock in communication with said processor; and

(B) a program executing on said processor, said program determining the relative time of arrival of said device transmission to said first base station.

2. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second base station.

3. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 2, further comprising a third base station.

4. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 3, further comprising a fourth base station.

5. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 4, wherein said program executing on said processor, further comprises a time difference of arrival technique receiving time of arrival information from said base stations and calculating the range differences from said transmitting device to said base stations.

6. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 5, wherein said time difference of arrival technique further comprises a Euclidian calculation of said range differences.

7. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 5, wherein said time difference of arrival technique calculates three-dimensional ranges.

8. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 1, wherein said global positioning system synchronizes said base stations to a clock standard.

9. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 1, further comprising an error correcting processes.

10. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitting device is mobile.

11. A system for the determination of the relative time of arrival of a device transmission, as recited in claim 5, wherein said time difference of arrival technique further comprises a triangulation of a location for said transmitting device from three or more relative times of arrival from said transmitting device to said three or more base stations.

12. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, comprising:

(A) receiving a signal from said transmitting device to a plurality of base stations;

(B) determining the number of said plurality of base stations, which received, said signal;

(C) triangulating the location of said transmitting device from a plurality of distances between said transmitting device and said plurality of base stations.

13. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 12, wherein said plurality of base stations further comprise:

(1) a GPS receiver;

(2) a processor in communication with said GPS receiver;

(3) an altitude sensor in communication with said processor; and

(4) a reference clock in communication with said processor.

14. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 12, wherein said triangulating further comprises calculating the time distance of arrival of said transmitted signal to said plurality of base stations.

15. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 14, wherein said calculating of the time difference of arrival further comprises calculating a Euclidian distance from said base stations to said transmitting device.

16. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 14, wherein said calculating of the time difference of arrival further comprises accounting for noise in the system.

17. A method for the determination of a mobile, transmitting device, as recited in claim 14, wherein said calculating of the time difference of arrival further comprises calculating a Euclidian distance between said transmitting device and said base stations.

18. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 17, wherein said calculating of the time difference of arrival further comprises triangulating a location of said transmitting device from a plurality of distances between said transmitting device and said plurality of base stations.

19. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 14, wherein said calculating of the time difference of arrival further comprises correcting for errors.

20. A method for the determination of a mobile transmitting device, as recited in claim 17, wherein said Euclidian distances are three dimensional distances.