Reverse locator
First Claim
1. A remote locator device that is tagged to an object, wherein the remote locator device is arranged to communicate with a portable transponder device that is operated by a user such that the user can determine a relative direction and at least a distance to the object from the portable transponder device, the remote locator device comprising:
- a time control circuit that is arranged to provide timing control signals according to an internal clock of the remote locator device;
a transmitter means that is arranged to transmit a structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device when activated such that the structured multi-frame transmission has a transmit cadence and frequency that is determined by the internal clock of the remote locator device, wherein the structured multi-frame transmission is coded with an identifier recognized by the portable transponder device;
a receiver means that is arranged to capture samples when activated with an array of capture buffers;
a circular correlator that is arranged to identify a correlation and a correlation phase in response to captured samples from the receiver means;
a processor means that is arranged in cooperation with the time control circuit, the transmitter means, the receiver means and the circular correlator, wherein the processor means is arranged to initialize the remote locator device in a slow ping mode, wherein in the slow ping mode the processor means is arranged for;
initiating the transmission of a first structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device at a first time;
capturing samples with the array of capture buffers and the receiver means over a first predetermined time interval that is sufficient to accumulate values for multiple transmissions of a first sequence from the portable transponder device;
detecting a first reply from the portable transponder device at a second time when the captured samples in the array of capture buffers correlates with an expected first reply transmission for the first sequence from the portable transponder device;
calculating a distance between the remote locator device and the portable transponder device based on a difference between the second time and the first time;
encoding the calculated distance between the remote locator device and the portable transponder device in a second structured multi-frame transmission; and
initiating the transmission of the second structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device at a third time such that the portable transponder device can extract the encoded calculated distance from the second structured multi-frame transmission upon receipt.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote locator (RL) continuously transmits multi-frame pings in a slow ping mode. The user activates a transponder/micro-transponder (MT) to receive at least a portion of the multi-frame ping and transmits a reply to the RL. The RL calculates a distance between the RL and the MT using the time-of-flight between the transmission of the ping and the receipt of the corresponding reply. The RL continues to send pings to the MT, where the ping includes distance measurements encoded therein. The user initiates sending a message from the MT to the RL to change to a fast ping mode, where the RL transmits pings at an increased rate. The MT includes a compass to capture readings while receiving and replying to pings. The MT determines a directional location for the RL with the collected measurements and received information and can provide a distance and directional readout to the user.
80 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A remote locator device that is tagged to an object, wherein the remote locator device is arranged to communicate with a portable transponder device that is operated by a user such that the user can determine a relative direction and at least a distance to the object from the portable transponder device, the remote locator device comprising:
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a time control circuit that is arranged to provide timing control signals according to an internal clock of the remote locator device; a transmitter means that is arranged to transmit a structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device when activated such that the structured multi-frame transmission has a transmit cadence and frequency that is determined by the internal clock of the remote locator device, wherein the structured multi-frame transmission is coded with an identifier recognized by the portable transponder device; a receiver means that is arranged to capture samples when activated with an array of capture buffers; a circular correlator that is arranged to identify a correlation and a correlation phase in response to captured samples from the receiver means; a processor means that is arranged in cooperation with the time control circuit, the transmitter means, the receiver means and the circular correlator, wherein the processor means is arranged to initialize the remote locator device in a slow ping mode, wherein in the slow ping mode the processor means is arranged for; initiating the transmission of a first structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device at a first time; capturing samples with the array of capture buffers and the receiver means over a first predetermined time interval that is sufficient to accumulate values for multiple transmissions of a first sequence from the portable transponder device; detecting a first reply from the portable transponder device at a second time when the captured samples in the array of capture buffers correlates with an expected first reply transmission for the first sequence from the portable transponder device; calculating a distance between the remote locator device and the portable transponder device based on a difference between the second time and the first time; encoding the calculated distance between the remote locator device and the portable transponder device in a second structured multi-frame transmission; and initiating the transmission of the second structured multi-frame transmission to the portable transponder device at a third time such that the portable transponder device can extract the encoded calculated distance from the second structured multi-frame transmission upon receipt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A portable transponder device that is operated by a user and arranged to communicate with a remote locator device that is tagged to an object such that the user can determine at least a relative direction and distance to the object from the portable transponder device, the portable transponder device comprising:
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an input device that is arranged to accept user initiated input; a time control circuit that is arranged to provide timing control signals from a high speed internal clock, wherein the time control circuit is arranged to deactivate the high speed internal clock when the portable transponder device is in a low power sleep mode, and enable the high speed internal clock when a wake-up is initiated; an indication means that is arranged to report information to the user; a transmitter means that is arranged to transmit a structured multi-frame reply transmission to the remote locator device when activated such that the structured multi-frame transmission has a transmit cadence and frequency that is determined by the internal clock and the structured multi-frame transmission is coded with an identifier recognized as from the portable transponder device; a receiver means that is arranged to capture samples when activated; a correlator that is arranged to identify a correlation and a correlation phase in response to captured samples from the receiver means; a processor means that is arranged in cooperation with the input device, the time control circuit, the indication means, the transmitter means, the receiver means and the correlator, wherein the processor means is arranged for; initializing the portable transponder device in a low power sleep mode; detecting user initiated inputs; activating a slow ping mode when the user initiates a wake-up, wherein in the slow ping mode the processor is arranged for; capturing samples with the receiver means over a first predetermined time interval sufficient to capture a first expected transmission of a first sequence from the remote locator device; detecting a first ping from the remote locator device at a first time when the captured samples correlate with the expected first transmission from the remote locator device; initiating the transmission of a first structured multi-frame reply transmission to the remote locator device at a second time, capturing samples with the receiver means over a second predetermined time interval sufficient to capture a second expected transmission of a second sequence from the remote locator device; detecting a second ping from the remote locator device at a third time when the captured samples from the second predetermined time interval correlate to the second expected transmission from the remote locator device; and extracting the distance to the object from the detected second ping. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification