Location measurments using a mesh of wireless tags

• US 9,390,302 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixie Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pixie Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Bassan-Eskenazi, Amir, Sharir, Naftaly, Friedman, Ofer
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US14/085,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A method for determining a location of a group of wireless tags, the method may include receiving first information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; tracking a first movement of a certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide first movement information; receiving, after the performing of the first movement, second information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information and the first movement information.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of a group of wireless tags, the method comprising:

receiving first information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

wherein the group of wireless tags includes, when receiving the first information, only tags without pre-known location;

tracking a first movement of a certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide first movement information;

wherein the certain tag is attached to a user or to a user device carried by the user;

receiving, after the performing of the first movement, second information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

determining, by the user device, locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information and the first movement information.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

tracking a second movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide second movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the second movement, third information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, the first movement information and the second movement information.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising instructing the user to perform the first movement and the second movement at directions that are oriented in relation to each other.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

tracking a third movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide third movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the third movement, fourth information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, fourth information, the first movement information, the second movement information and the third movement information.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising receiving orientation information relating to an orientation of some of the tags of the group of tags;

and wherein the determining of the locations of the wireless tags of the group is responsive to the first information, second information, the first movement information and the orientation information.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises displaying, on a display of the user device, a location of the user in relation to the locations of other tags of the group of tags.

7. A method for determining a location of a user device, the method comprising:

receiving by the user device a map of relative positions of a group of wireless tags;

wherein the user device differs from the wireless tags of the group;

wherein each one of the wireless tags of the group is not physically connected to the user device;

wherein the user device is carried by the user; and

estimating, by the user device, the location of the user device based upon the map and an exchange of signals between some tags of the group and the user device; and

wherein the map is calculated by exchanging signals between the tags of the wireless group.

8. A device for determining a location of a group of wireless tags, the device comprising:

an interface for receiving;

first information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

wherein the group of wireless tags includes, when receiving the first information, only tags without pre-known location;

first movement information indicative of a first movement of a certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group;

wherein the certain tag is attached to the user or to the device; and

second information, received after the first movement, indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

a processor that is arranged to determine locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information and the first movement information;

wherein the device is a user device carried by a user.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the interface is arranged to receive second movement information about a second movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags, and to receive, after the performing of the second movement, third information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

and wherein the processor is arranged to determine locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, the first movement information and the second movement information.

10. The device according to claim 9, that is arranged to instruct the user to perform the first movement and the second movement at directions that are oriented in relation to each other.

11. The device according to claim 8 wherein the interface is arranged to receive third movement information about a third movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group, and to receive, after the performing of the third movement, fourth information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

and wherein the processor is arranged to determine locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, fourth information, the first movement information, the second movement information and the third movement information.

12. The device according to claim 8 wherein the interface is arranged to receive orientation information relating to an orientation of some of the tags of the group of tags;

and wherein the processor is arranged to determine of the locations of the wireless tags of the group is responsive to the first information, second information, the first movement information and the orientation information.

13. The device according to claim 8 wherein the device is a user device, wherein the user device further comprises a display for displaying, to the user, a location of the user in relation to the locations of other tags of the group of tags.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute the stages of:

receiving first information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

wherein the certain tag is attached to a user or to a user device carried by the user;

wherein the group of wireless tags includes, when receiving the first information, only tags without pre-known location;

tracking a first movement of a certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide first movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the first movement, second information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

determining, by the user device, locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information and the first movement information.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 14 that stores instructions for receiving orientation information relating to an orientation of some of the tags of the group of tags;

and determining of the locations of the wireless tags of the group is responsive to the first information, second information, the first movement information and the orientation information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 14;

wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for displaying a location of the user in relation to the locations of other tags of the group of tags.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 14 that stores instructions for tracking a second movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide second movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the second movement, third information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group; and

determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, the first movement information and the second movement information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 that stores instructions for receiving third movement information about a third movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group, receiving, after the performing of the third movement, fourth information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

and determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, fourth information, the first movement information, the second movement information and the third movement information.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute the stages of:

receiving first information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

wherein the certain tag is attached to a user or to a user device carried by the user;

instructing the user to preform a first movement;

tracking the first movement of the certain tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide first movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the first movement, second information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

instructing the user to preform a second movement at a direction that is oriented to a direction of the first movement;

tracking the second movement of the certain tag of the group of wireless tag in relation to other wireless tags of the group to provide second movement information;

receiving, after the performing of the second movement, third information indicative of distances between each wireless tag of the group and between at least three other wireless tags of the group;

determining locations of the wireless tags of the group in response to the first information, second information, third information, the first movement information and the second movement information.