Real-time locating system

A real-time locating system comprising at least one radio frequency tag (2) disposed in a mobile element to be located in real time, and at least one locating station (4),

• wherein the at least one locating station (4) comprises:
• a processing and control unit (7);
• a plurality of transceivers (6) connected to the processing and control unit (7) and configured to remain in a listening or receiving state by default;
• a plurality of antennas (5) connected to the transceivers (6);
• means for determining a relative position of the antennas (5) with respect to one another, and/or between the transceivers (6) and;
• a synchronisation unit (8) configured to send one same clock signal to all the transceivers (6) of the at least one locating station (4);
• wherein the at least one tag (2) comprises:
• a transceiver (6);
• an antenna (5) connected to the transceiver (6), and;
• a control unit (10);
• wherein the at least one tag (2) is configured to periodically emit a presence signal associated with an identifier of said at least one tag (2);
• wherein the at least one locating station (4) is configured so that, through at least one first antenna (5) associated with a first transceiver (6) and through at least one second antenna (5) associated with the first transceiver (6) or with a second transceiver (6), the first transceiver (6) and, optionally, also the second transceiver (6) receive said presence signal associated with the identifier of the at least one tag (2) and send to the processing and control unit (7) the identifier of the tag (2), as well as a reception time, marked by the clock signal, of the presence signal in the at least one first antenna (5) and in the at least one second antenna (5);
• wherein the processing and control unit (7) is configured to calculate the position of the at least one tag (2) based on the difference in the reception time of the presence signal of the at least one tag (2) between the at least one first antenna (5) and the at least one second antenna (5);
• wherein:
• the locating station (4) and/or the at least one tag (2) comprises a plurality of sensors (9) configured to calculate the position of the at least one tag (2);
• and
• the means for determining a relative position of the antennas (5) of the locating station (4) with respect to one another comprises the sensors (9) of the locating station (4) and/or the sensors (9) of the at least one tag (2).