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US 11,714,159 B2Granted
Cooperative target positioning system
OwnerDonald M. Mackayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system provides a way to determine angle of bearing to a target receiver/transmitter relative to plural beacon stations with rotating directional radiation patterns. The target is “cooperative” in that it transmits a “report” message when the target receives maximum signal strength from a beacon station. Triangulation from multiple beacon transmitter sites can be used to determine the target's position.
Claims13
A method of detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- (a) sweeping the target with a first directional beacon signal emanating from a first beacon position;
- (b) sweeping the target with a second directional beacon signal emanating from a second beacon position different from the first beacon position;
- wherein the sweeping (a), (b) are each performed by continuously rotating a directional antenna while transmitting radio frequency signals;
- (c) detecting reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- (d) calculating a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports.
3 more elements
A method of detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- (a) sweeping the target with a first directional beacon signal emanating from a first beacon position;
- (b) sweeping the target with a second directional beacon signal emanating from a second beacon position different from the first beacon position;
- (c) detecting reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- (d) calculating a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the sweeping (a), (b) each includes rotating a directional antenna while determining a direction of a major lobe of the directional antenna, and the calculating (d) comprises triangulating based on the determined directions.
3 more elements
A method of detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- (a) sweeping the target with a first directional beacon signal emanating from a first beacon position;
- (b) sweeping the target with a second directional beacon signal emanating from a second beacon position different from the first beacon position;
- (c) detecting reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- (d) calculating a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the sweeping (a), (b) comprises beamforming.
3 more elements
A method of detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- (a) sweeping the target with a first directional beacon signal emanating from a first beacon position;
- (b) sweeping the target with a second directional beacon signal emanating from a second beacon position different from the first beacon position;
- (c) detecting reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- (d) calculating a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the target is configured to employ a CSMA (Carrier-Sense Multiple Access) technique, and to compute a random reporting delay and re-send a report when that delay expires, the amount of delay being contained in the report.
3 more elements
A method of detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- (a) sweeping the target with a first directional beacon signal emanating from a first beacon position;
- (b) sweeping the target with a second directional beacon signal emanating from a second beacon position different from the first beacon position;
- (c) detecting reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- (d) calculating a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- further including the second beacon position reporting to the first beacon position, the antenna bearing corresponding to the moment the second beacon position received a report from the target.
3 more elements
A system for detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- a first transmitter disposed at a first beacon position, the first transmitter configured to sweep the target with a first directional beacon signal;
- a second transmitter disposed at a second beacon position different from the first beacon position, the second transmitter configured to sweep the target with a second directional beacon signal;
- at least one receiver configured to detect reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- at least one processor connected to the at least one receiver, the at least one processor configured to calculate a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the sweeping (a), (b) comprises beamforming.
3 more elements
A system for detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- a first transmitter disposed at a first beacon position, the first transmitter configured to sweep the target with a first directional beacon signal;
- a second transmitter disposed at a second beacon position different from the first beacon position, the second transmitter configured to sweep the target with a second directional beacon signal;
- at least one receiver configured to detect reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- at least one processor connected to the at least one receiver, the at least one processor configured to calculate a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the first and second transmitters each include a rotating directional antenna that determines a direction of an emanated major lobe therefrom, and the at least one processor is configured to triangulate based on the determine directions.
3 more elements
A system of for detecting a position of a cooperative target comprising:
- a first transmitter disposed at a first beacon position, the first transmitter configured to sweep the target with a first directional beacon signal;
- a second transmitter disposed at a second beacon position different from the first beacon position, the second transmitter configured to sweep the target with a second directional beacon signal;
- at least one receiver configured to detect reports the target emits in response to the first and second swept beacon signals;
- and
- at least one processor connected to the at least one receiver, the at least one processor configured to calculate a triangulated position of the target in response to the detected reports,
- wherein the first and second transmitters each comprise a continually rotating directional RF antenna, and a shaft encoder that detects the rotational direction of the continually rotating directional RF antenna.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.