Space-time calibration system and method
AssigneeDigimarc Corporation
InventorGeoffrey B. Rhoads
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A space-time calibration system and method implement space-time solutions, in which, in one preferred embodiment, a single node determines its own space-time solutions based on other network nodes with which the single node communicates. In other preferred embodiments, space-time solutions for the node can be generated using other resources in the network. The disclosed system and method enable reliable, precise object positioning particularly for environments where the Global Positioning System (GPS) is blocked or subject to interference such as within the urban core.
Claims19
A space-time calibration method of determining position and timing information relating to one or more nodes of multiple nodes occupying locations in a spatial region and communicating with one another, comprising:
- establishing wireless communication among multiple nodes in a spatial region, including transmitting nodes and receiving nodes, the transmitting nodes transmitting ping events with transmit count stamps and the receiving nodes receiving and associating receive count stamps to the transmitted ping events, the transmit and receive count stamps based on independent clocks operating in the transmitting and receiving nodes and characterized by clock rate differences;
- developing pung signals representing a record of the ping events during a data recording time interval, the record including the transmit and receive count stamps corresponding to the ping events between transmitting nodes and receiving nodes that are recorded during the data recording time interval;
- and
- processing the pung signals to determine, for a moving node of the multiple nodes, location information corresponding to a location occupied by the moving node in the spatial region, the location information being derived from the transmit and receive count stamps recorded in the data recording time interval from independent clocks in the transmitting nodes and the receiving nodes.
A device, comprising:
- an input configured to receive count-stamped information signals propagating through a medium from multiple nodes occupying a spatial region, the multiple nodes including transmitting and receiving nodes operating with independent clocks characterized by clock rate differences, and the count-stamped information signals carrying information relating to transmit and receive events of the transmitting and receiving nodes;
- and
- a processor configured to record ping events during a data recording time interval, the record including transmit and receive count stamps corresponding to the ping events between transmitting nodes and receiving nodes during the data recording time interval, and determining from the transmit and receive count stamps of the data recording time interval, for a moving node of the multiple nodes, location information corresponding to a location occupied by the moving node in the spatial region, the transmit and receive count stamps being captured from independent clocks in the transmitting and receiving nodes, and the independent clocks having a clock rate difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.