Method and apparatus for ranging finding, orienting, and/or positioning of single and/or multiple devices
First Claim
1. A device configured to convey a signal for determining a distance travelled by the signal between the device and a receiver, the device comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a series of pulses having a varying pulse strength that varies across the series of pulses in accordance with a designated pulse strength profile, wherein the series of pulses comprises a series of body pulses, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a train of pulses including a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength, and the series of body pulses, and a signal processor configured to process the body pulses received by the receiver, and to output a value according to a number of said body pulses above a designated threshold value, representative of the distance travelled.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for ranging finding of signal transmitting devices is provided. The method of signal reception is digitally based only and does not require receivers that are analog measurement devices. Ranging can be achieved using a single pulse emitting device operating in range spaced relation with a minimum of a single signal transmitter and a single digital receiver and processing circuitry. In general a plurality of transmitting pulsed emitters may be ranged and positioned virtually simultaneously in 3-dimensions (XYZ coordinates) using a configuration of a plurality of digital receivers arranged in any fixed 3-dimensional configuration. Applications may involve at least one single transmitter to receiver design to determine range, or at least one transmitted reflecting signal off from an object to determine range.
62 Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A device configured to convey a signal for determining a distance travelled by the signal between the device and a receiver, the device comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a series of pulses having a varying pulse strength that varies across the series of pulses in accordance with a designated pulse strength profile, wherein the series of pulses comprises a series of body pulses, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a train of pulses including a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength, and the series of body pulses, and a signal processor configured to process the body pulses received by the receiver, and to output a value according to a number of said body pulses above a designated threshold value, representative of the distance travelled.
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11. A system comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a signal formed at least in part by a train of pulses including a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength, and a series of body pulses having a pulse strength that varies across said series of body pulses in accordance with a designated pulse strength profile; a receiver to receive at least a subset of the series of body pulses above a designated threshold value; and a signal processor operatively coupled to said receiver, said signal processor configured to output a range value according to a number of said body pulses above the designated threshold value, the range value representative of a distance travelled by the train of pulses between said transmitter and said receiver. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- 16. A signal processor configured to operatively couple to one or more receivers for processing a transmitted signal received thereby to identify a distance travelled by the transmitted signal, the transmitted signal comprising a train of pulses including a series of body pulses having a transmitted pulse strength that varies across the series in accordance with a designated pulse strength profile, and a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength and encoding a transmitter identifier, the signal processor configured to output a range value according to a number of said body pulses above a designated threshold value, the range value representative of the distance travelled by the transmitted signal.
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20. A method for identifying a distance travelled by a signal between an emitter and a receiver, comprising:
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generating a signal formed at least in part by a series of pulses having a pulse strength that varies across said series in accordance with a designated transmission pulse strength profile; transmitting said signal via the emitter; receiving, at the receiver, at least a subset of said series of pulses with a pulse strength profile and above a designated pulse strength threshold; implementing a count associated with the subset of received pulses above the designated pulse strength threshold, correlating the count with a distance travelled by the signal between the emitter and the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification