System and method for determining freight container locations

• US 7,075,481 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freight Tracking Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Huston, Daryl Cornish
• Inventors: Huston, Charles, Cornish, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.14, 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 342/357.17, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.48
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning

Abstract

A system and method for determining the locations of freight containers in a freight yard is described. A remote unit that includes a GPS receiver is attached to the freight containers. The remote receivers have an independent power supply—a battery. Intermittently, either by a timer or by a motion detector, the remote receivers are operated. During operation, the remote receivers receive signals from the global positioning satellite system and at an allotted time, transmit the GPS data to a base station before shutting down to conserve power. The base station processes the GPS data to determine a position in the freight yard of each freight container. When a particular freight container or contents is desired, a data base in the base station can be consulted and the contents and location of a particular freight container located. The freight yard is typically outside with a view of the GPS constellation, such as a rail yard, airport baggage area, ship yard, truck park, etc. An alternative is described for use where the freight yard is a warehouse and the satellite view is obstructed. The alternative uses psuedolites or repeaters to track freight containers within the warehouse.

Claims

1. A system for determining locations in a building comprising:

two or more pseudolites located proximate to the building, operable for receiving a global positioning satellite system signal, and operable for transmitting positioning signals within the building;

one or more remote receivers positionable within the building for receiving said positioning signals from a pseudolite;

a base station;

each remote receiver including a transmitter for communicating positioning data between said remote receiver and said base station; and

the base station including a receiver for receiving positioning data from a remote receiver and a display for displaying the location of said remote receiver in said building.

2. The system of claim 1, the base station including a graphic display for graphically displaying the location of said remote receiver in said building.

3. A system for determining locations of objects in a building comprising:

one or more pseudolites located in or near the building which operate to transmit GPS positioning signals within the building;

one or more remote receivers accompanying said objects within the building for receiving the GPS positioning signals from the one or more pseudolites and each receiver operable for formulating positioning data indicative of receiver location within the building using said GPS positioning signals;

a base station having a receiver for receiving said positioning data from a remote receiver; and

a display for indicating the location of the remote receiver in said building.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said pseudolites transmit GPS signals within the building.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said GPS signals comprise a pseudo random code.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said pseudolites rebroadcast within said building a GPS signal received from a GPS satellite.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said objects are freight containers and said building is a warehouse.

8. A method of determining locations within a building comprising the steps of:

providing one or more remote receivers which receive GPS signals within the building;

transmitting a GPS signal within the building;

receiving said GPS signals at said remote receiver and formulating positioning data indicative of receiver location within the building;

transmitting said positioning data from said receiver to a base station; and

displaying the location within the building of the remote receiver using said positioning data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the positioning data is the location of the receiver within the building.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the positioning data is a rebroadcast of at least a portion of the GPS signal from which the receiver location may be determined.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said GPS signal transmitted within the building emanates from a pseudolite and comprises a pseudo random code.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said GPS signals transmitted within the building comprise a spread spectrum signal.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said GPS signals transmitted within the building comprise a pulsed signal.

14. The method of claim 8, including the steps of transmitting a positioning signal within the building, receiving the positioning signal at the remote receiver, and formulating said positioning data indicative of receiver location within the building using said positioning signal.

15. The method of claim 14, including generating said positioning signal using a pseudolite.