# US 10,455,537 B2 · Method for calculating a position of a transponder within an area of interest > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,537 B2 - Document ID: US10455537B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/007,360 - Filed: 2018-06-13 - Published: 2018-12-13 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-13 - Assignees: Swiss Timing Ltd; Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg - Applicants: Swiss Timing Ltd; Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg - Inventors: Thomas Kautz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455537B2 ## CPC - H04W 64/003: {locating network equipment} - G01S 5/0215: {Interference} - G01S 5/0294: {Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering} - G01S 5/06: Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/12 takes precedence) - G01S 13/75: using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders {, or using passive reflectors} - G01S 13/878: {Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence)} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract The invention relates to method for calculating a position of a transponder within an area of interest, by means of a local positioning system comprising a set of directive antennae located in the vicinity of the area of interest, each antenna having a coverage area, the method comprising the following steps: assessing an approximate position of the transponder selecting at least one antenna of the set of antennae that is such that the transponder is within range but not in the effective coverage area of said antenna, according to the approximated position of the transponder and the positions and orientations of the antennae redirecting the focus of the selected antenna so that the transponder is in the effective coverage area of said antenna, according to the approximated position of the transponder performing time-of-arrival or time-difference-of-arrival measurements with respect to the transponder, by the set of antennae calculating the effective position of the transponder by using said timing measurements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for calculating a position of a transponder within an area of interest, based on a local positioning system including a set of directive antennae located in the area of interest, each of the set of directive antennae having an effective coverage area, the method comprising: assessing a position of the transponder; selecting at least one antenna of the set of directive antennae based on the position of the transponder and positions and orientations of the set of directive antennae, the transponder not being in the effective coverage area of the selected antenna; locating the transponder in the effective coverage area of the selected antenna by redirecting a focus of the selected antenna based on the position of the transponder; performing timing measurements with respect to the transponder by the set of directive antennae, the timing measurements including time-of-arrival or time-difference-of-arrival measurements; and calculating an effective position of the transponder based on the timing measurements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected antenna is configured to point a direction of the transponder by redirecting the focus of the selected antenna based on the position of said transponder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, after the redirecting of the focus of the selected antenna and before the performing of the timing measurements, the method further comprising: selecting all antennae of the set of directive antennae based on the position of the transponder and the positions and orientations of the set of directive antennae, the transponder not being in the effective coverage area of the selected all antennae; and locating the transponder in the effective coverage area of the selected all antennae by redirecting the focus of said selected all antennae. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the selected all antennae are configured to point a direction of the transponder by redirecting the focus of the selected all antennae based on the position of said transponder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, after the redirecting of the focus of the selected antenna and before the performing of the timing measurements, the method further comprising: redirecting the focus of all antennae of the set of directive antennae based on the position of the transponder, the selected all antennae being configured to point a direction of the transponder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessing includes performing the timing measurements with respect to the transponder by the set of directive antennae, redirecting the focus of at least one antenna of the set of antennae, repeating the performing of the assessing and the redirecting of the assessing, and calculating the position of the transponder when a number of the timing measurements is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessing is based on a motion model and a previous position of the transponder in the area of interest. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessing includes manually providing a position by an operator.