Navigation and tracking system
First Claim
1. A navigation and tracking system for receiving signals transmitted by at least one transmission source (A, B, C) equal in number at least to the number of dimensions in which the movement of a roving object is to be monitored, the system comprising:
- a pair of receiving stations (D, E), the first of the receiving stations (D) being at a known position and the second (E) being located on the roving object, each receiving station having;
a reference oscillator;
means for deriving from the reference oscillator a local reference signal; and
means for generating a signal representative of the difference in frequency and hence the difference in phase between the local reference signal and the signal received from each of the transmission sources;
means (F) for passing, as a link signal from one of the receiving stations to the other receiving station, said receiving station-generated signal representative of the phase difference between the derived local reference signal and the signal received from at least a single one of the transmission sources; and
means (R, S, T, U) at said other receiving station for comparing the information received from said one receiving station with the representative signal generated at said other receiving station and for determining the phase difference or time delay between the received signals, and hence the change in phase difference or time delay of the signals, in order to determine the position or change in position of the roving object.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns a navigation and tracking system, for monitoring the movement of a roving object which carries one of a pair of receiving stations (D, E) the other receiving station being at a known position. Signals are transmitted by a number of independent transmission sources (A, B, C) equal at least to the number of dimensions in which movement is to be monitored. A link (F) passes a representation of the signal or signals received at one of the receiving stations (E) to the other receiving station (D) and means (R, S, T, U) at the other receiving station compares the signal representations and determines the phase difference or time delay between the received signals and hence the change in phase difference or time delay of the signals as the object moves. The movement of the object relative to the transmission source or sources and hence its position can thus be determined.
248 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A navigation and tracking system for receiving signals transmitted by at least one transmission source (A, B, C) equal in number at least to the number of dimensions in which the movement of a roving object is to be monitored, the system comprising:
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a pair of receiving stations (D, E), the first of the receiving stations (D) being at a known position and the second (E) being located on the roving object, each receiving station having; a reference oscillator; means for deriving from the reference oscillator a local reference signal; and means for generating a signal representative of the difference in frequency and hence the difference in phase between the local reference signal and the signal received from each of the transmission sources; means (F) for passing, as a link signal from one of the receiving stations to the other receiving station, said receiving station-generated signal representative of the phase difference between the derived local reference signal and the signal received from at least a single one of the transmission sources; and means (R, S, T, U) at said other receiving station for comparing the information received from said one receiving station with the representative signal generated at said other receiving station and for determining the phase difference or time delay between the received signals, and hence the change in phase difference or time delay of the signals, in order to determine the position or change in position of the roving object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification