System and method for person or object position location utilizing impulse radio

• US 8,149,107 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDC Acquisition Holdings, Inc (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Richards, James L., Fullerton, Larry W., Meigs, David C., Welch, William D. Jr., Kelly, Donald A., Payment, Timothy T., Finn, James S., Tucker, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/907,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.16, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/573.4, 340/568.1, 340/993, 340/903, 340/539, 342/22, 342/33, 342/375, 342/450, 342/457, 375/295, 737/53
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/76 wherein pulse-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

A System and Method for Person or Object Position Location Utilizing Impulse Radio, comprising a plurality of reference impulse radios; an object or person to be tracked having a mobile impulse radio associated therewith; an architecture with an associated positioning algorithm associated with said plurality of impulse radio reference radios and said mobile impulse radio; and display means for displaying the position of the person or object whose position is to be determined.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an ultra wideband (UWB) device, said system comprising:

a non-UWB device comprising a sensor that generates a sensed signal, and

an interface between said non-UWB device and said UWB device, said non-UWB device conveying control signals related to the sensed signal across said interface that are used to control said UWB device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said interface comprises at least one of wired communications or wireless communications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said control signals are used for at least one of to activate said UWB device, to synchronize said UWB device with at least one other UWB device, to control the duty cycle of said UWB device, or to control the data rate of said UWB device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said UWB device transmits an UWB signal, wherein said UWB signal comprises low duty cycle pulses, wherein each of said low duty cycle pulses approaches one cycle per pulse.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said UWB device transmits an UWB signal, wherein said UWB signal comprises low duty cycle pulses, wherein each of said low duty cycle pulses comprises a burst of cycles.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said UWB device comprises at least one of a transmit-only tag, a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, or a fixed device having a known location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said UWB device is used to determine the position of an object, asset, person, or animal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said non-UWB device is a position determination device and said control signals comprise positional information used to augment position determination capabilities of the UWB device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said UWB device is used to monitor an object, asset, person, or animal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises at least one of a global positioning system receiver, an inertial navigation system device, an activation device, a synchronization device, an electro-optical navigation system, a long range navigation (LORAN) device, a laser device, a Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, a radar device, a specific absorption rate (SAR) device, a VHF omni-directional Radio Range (VOR) device, a distance measuring equipment (DME) device, or a magnetic compass.

11. A method for controlling an ultra wideband (UWB) device, said method comprising the steps of:

conveying control signals related to a sensed signal from a non-UWB device comprising a sensor that generates the sensed signal across an interface to said UWB device, and

using said control signals to control said UWB device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said interface comprises at least one of wired communications or wireless communications.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said control signals are used for at least one of to activate said UWB device, to synchronize said UWB device with at least one other UWB device, to control the duty cycle of said UWB device, or to control the data rate of said UWB device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said UWB device transmits an UWB signal comprising low duty cycle pulses, wherein each of said low duty cycle pulses approaches one cycle per pulse.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said UWB device transmits an UWB signal comprising low duty cycle pulses, wherein each of said low duty cycle pulses comprises a burst of cycles.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using said UWB device to determine the position of an object, asset, person, or animal.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensor is a position determination device and said control signals comprise positional information used to augment position determination capabilities of the UWB device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said UWB device is used to monitor an object, asset, person, or animal.

19. A system comprising:

an ultra wideband (UWB) device operable to communicate in an UWB spectrum;

a non-UWB device comprising a sensor that generates a sensed signal, and

an interface between said non-UWB device and said UWB device, said non-UWB device operable to convey control signals related to the sensed signal across said interface that are used to control said UWB device,

the control signals used for at least one of;

activating said UWB device,

synchronizing said UWB device with at least one other UWB device,

controlling the duty cycle of said UWB device, or

controlling the data rate of said UWB device.

20. A system comprising:

an ultra wideband (UWB) device operable to communicate in an UWB spectrum and provide position determination capability,

a non-UWB device comprising a position determination device that generates a sensed signal, and

an interface between said non-UWB device and said UWB device, said non-UWB device operable to convey control signals related to the sensed signal across said interface that are used to control said UWB device, the control signals comprising positional information used to augment the position determination capability of the UWB device.