Hybrid height and location estimation in RTLS
AssigneeCenTrak, Inc.
InventorIsrael Amir
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A position location system and method, the system including: an infrared (IR) transmitter, a first and a second ultrasound (US) transmitter, the first and a second US transmitters arranged at respective predetermined distances from a reference plane, an IR receiver configured to receive an IR signal from the IR transmitter, a US receiver configured to receive a first US signal from the first US transmitter and a second US signal from the second US transmitter; and a processor coupled to a memory and further coupled to the IR receiver and the US receiver, the processor configured to detect: a time of flight (ToF) of the first US signal from the first US transmitter to the US receiver; and a ToF of the second US signal from the second US transmitter to the US receiver.
Claims22
A position location system to measure a height of a portable device above a floor, the system comprising:
- an infrared (IR) transmitter;
- a first and a second ultrasound (US) transmitters, the first and the second US transmitters arranged at respective predetermined distances from the floor, the floor comprising a first reference plane;
- an IR receiver in the portable device, the IR receiver configured to receive an IR signal from the IR transmitter;
- a US receiver in the portable device, the US receiver configured to receive a first US signal from the first US transmitter and a second US signal from the second US transmitter;
- and
- a processor in the portable device, the processor coupled to a memory and further coupled to the IR receiver and the US receiver,
- wherein the processor is configured to detect:
- a time of flight (ToF) of the first US signal from the first US transmitter to the US receiver;
- and
- a ToF of the second US signal from the second US transmitter to the US receiver, and
- wherein the height of the portable device above the floor is measured based upon a detected time difference in ToF between the first and second US signals.
A position location system comprising:
- a plurality of base stations, each base station comprising a respective infrared transmitter and ultrasound (US) transmitter, wherein each of the base stations is separate from the portable device;
- and
- a receiver in the portable device, the receiver comprising:
- an infrared (IR) receiver configured to receive IR signals from at least one IR transmitter;
- and a US receiver configured to receive US signals from at least one US transmitter.
A position location system to measure a position of a portable device relative to emitters, the system comprising:
- a first ultrasound (US) transmitter located at a first predetermined location separate from the portable device and configured to transmit a first periodic burst signal;
- a second US transmitter located at a second predetermined location separate from the portable device, the second predetermined location different than the first predetermined location and configured to transmit a second periodic burst signal, the second periodic burst signal having a predetermined timing offset from the first periodic burst signal;
- a US receiver in the portable device, the US receiver configured to receive a first US signal from the first US transmitter and a second US signal from the second US transmitter;
- and
- a processor coupled to a memory and further coupled to the US receiver,
- wherein a closer of the first US transmitter and the second US transmitter is detected based upon a time difference between the reception times of the first US transmitter and second US transmitter.
A method to determine a position location of a portable device relative to emitters, the method comprising:
- receiving a periodic infrared (IR) signal from an IR emitter located at a predetermined location separate from the portable device;
- receiving a first ultrasound (US) signal from a first US emitter located at a first predetermined location separate from the portable device;
- receiving a second US signal from a second US emitter located at a second predetermined location separate from the portable device;
- determining, by a processor in the portable device, a first time of flight (ToF) of the first US signal to the US receiver;
- determining, by the processor, a second ToF of the second US signal to the US receiver;
- and
- determining a location of the portable device relative to the emitters based upon the first ToF and the second ToF.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.