Location and Tracking System, Method and Device Using Wireless Technology

• US 20100134276A1
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Zaruba, Gergely V., Huber, Manfred, Kamangar, Farhad A., Levine, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0258 by combining or switching between measurements derived from different systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards

Abstract

A system, method, and devices for locating an object, in which the system includes objects having location tags for projecting data about the object, a processing unit for receiving data about the object, and an algorithm for processing the data. Typically, the location tag includes at least one mobility sensor that projects sensory data about the object, a wireless transceiver that projects received signal strength indication data about the object and a microprocessor. The processing unit receiving the sensory data and the received signal strength indication data about the object. The algorithm processes the data, provides a location estimate about the object and thereby locates the object.

Claims

1. A system for locating objects comprising:

an object having a location tag, the location tag comprising a mobility sensor, a processing unit, a wireless transceiver unit that can provide received signal strength indication, and algorithms for processing the sensory data and the RSSI data to provide a location estimate about the object and thereby locate the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a wireless communications system or network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility sensor is an accelerometer, angular rate sensor, gyroscope, or gravimeter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor, single-chip microcomputer, or embedded computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver provides the received signal strength indication.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communications system includes a wireless transceiver and a wireless local area network, wireless metropolitan area network, or wireless personal area network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is associated with the location tag.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is associated with a node at a fixed location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is associated with a central node at a fixed location.

10. A method for locating an object, comprising:

obtaining received signal strength indication data from fixed or mobile objects;

wherein the received signal strength indication data is projected from a wireless transceiver associated with the object;

obtaining sensory data about the object, wherein the sensory data is projected from a mobility sensor associated with the object;

receiving the sensory data and received signal strength indication data about the object by a processing unit;

processing the sensory data and received signal strength indication data about the object in an algorithm that provides a location estimate about the object and thereby locates the object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensory data is obtained from a device capable of detecting a change in motion of the object as a linear or rotational value.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is a microcontroller.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the received signal strength indication data about the object and sensory data about the object are transmitted as raw data to the processing unit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the received signal strength indication data is obtained from a wireless device that transmits electromagnetic signals.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the algorithm samples received signal strength indication data and combines it with cumulative sensory data about object movement to estimate displacement and location of the object.

16. A method to calibrate a set of mobility sensors so their output is modified to provide readings in a normalized ego-centric mobility coordinate system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an offline algorithm is used to derive a un-wrap matrix that can be applied to raw sensory data.

18. A method to compensate for the gravitational force of the earth in mobility sensor readings.