Operating GPS receivers in GPS-adverse environment

• US 7,733,944 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Twitchell, Jr., Robert W., Smith, Delia J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US12/346,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 375/149, 375/130, 375/134, 375/137
• US Class Current: 375/149
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/20 Integrity monitoring, fault detection or fault isolation of space segment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/215 issues related to spoofing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

A system for operating a GPS receiver in a GPS-adverse environment includes a plurality of GPS receivers, a plurality of remote sensor interfaces (RSIs), and a computer management system. The GPS receivers are adapted to determine positional parameters based on the GPS satellite signals. A first set of GPS receivers is able to accurately determine its positional parameters and a second set of GPS receivers is unable to do so. Each RSI is associated with a respective GPS receiver. The RSIs are communication nodes in an ad hoc wireless network. The computer management system identifies a GPS receiver that is not accurately determining its positional parameters, and in response, causes GPS information to be provided from one of the first set of GPS receivers to the identified GPS receiver. The identified GPS receiver then determines its positional parameters accurately using the provided GPS information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one asset tracking device, the asset tracking device including a communications module, a processing and storage module coupled to the communications module, and a location module coupled to the processing and storage module;

a network access point, wirelessly coupled to the at least one asset tracking device; and

a local positioning system comprising a plurality of reference tags, each of the reference tags having its known position coordinates stored therein, the reference tags wirelessly coupled to receive signals transmitted from the at least one asset tracking device, and to transmit signals to the at least one asset tracking device;

wherein the at least one asset tracking device is operable to determine that its location module is unable to determine position coordinates from GPS signals, is further operable to search for one or more reference tags of the local positioning system, to communicate with the local positioning system so as to gather the information necessary to compute its position coordinates; and

wherein the at least one asset tracking device is an RFID tag attached to an item to be tracked; and

wherein the at least one asset tracking device further includes a GPS jammer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked is a military asset.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked is a movable asset.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the item to be tracked is a drone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a node in a wireless ad hoc class based network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a remote sensor interface.

7. A system, comprising:

an asset tracking device including a transceiver for sending and receiving communications, a processor and memory coupled to the transceiver for wireless communications, and a GPS receiver coupled to the processor and memory for computing position coordinates of the asset tracking device;

a network access point wirelessly coupled to the asset tracking device; and

a plurality of wireless devices, each wireless device having its known position coordinates stored therein, the wireless devices wirelessly coupled to receive signals transmitted from the asset tracking device, and to transmit signals to the asset tracking device;

wherein the asset tracking device is operable to determine that its GPS receiver is unable to determine position coordinates from GPS signals, is further operable to search for one or more of wireless devices, to communicate with the wireless devices so as to gather information necessary to compute its position coordinates;

wherein the asset tracking device includes a radio frequency identification for an item to be tracked, with which item the asset tracking device is associated; and

wherein the asset tracking device further includes a GPS jammer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the item to be tracked is a military asset.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the item to be tracked is a movable asset.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the item to be tracked is a drone.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a node in a wireless ad hoc class based network.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a remote sensor interface.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a remote sensor interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the item to be tracked is a military asset.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the item to be tracked is a movable asset.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the item to be tracked is a drone.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a node in a wireless ad hoc class based network.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the asset tracking device comprises a remote sensor interface (RSI).

19. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of wireless devices comprises a remote sensor interface.

20. A system, comprising:

an asset tracking device including a transceiver for sending and receiving communications, a processor and memory coupled to the transceiver for wireless communications, and a GPS receiver coupled to the processor and memory for computing position coordinates of the asset tracking device;

a network access point wirelessly coupled to the asset tracking device; and

a plurality of wireless devices, each wireless device wirelessly coupled to receive signals transmitted from the asset tracking device, and to transmit signals to the asset tracking device;

wherein the asset tracking device is operable, when the asset tracking device is unable to determine its position coordinates from GPS signals, to communicate with one or more of the wireless devices so as to gather information necessary to compute its position coordinates, such information including the respective position coordinates of the one or more wireless devices;

wherein the asset tracking device includes a radio frequency identification for an item to be tracked, with which item the asset tracking device is associated; and

wherein the asset tracking device further includes a GPS jammer.