Ultrasonic position detection system
AssigneeFidelity Technologies Corporation
InventorsSTANLEY JOSEPH CHAYKA, Eric Alan HUBER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tracking systems have been successfully applied to immersive simulation systems and virtual environment training in which portable devices (i.e., hand-held military equipment) within the immersive simulation system are tracked using time-of-fright recordings to triangulate each devices position. Until now, tracking systems have not used differential calculations to track these portable devices. The invention uses a single array of sensors mounted above the simulation area to communicate with small transmitters and emitters mounted on each portable device to generate position offsets for each portable device.
Claims21
An immersive simulation environment, comprising system for tracking the location of a portable device, comprising:
- a portable device comprising an ultrasonic transmitter and a detector;
- a stationary sensor array comprising at least three ultrasonic sensors in communication with a sensor array processor;
- and
- at least one emitter;
- wherein the at least one emitter is configured to send a signal to the portable device;
- wherein the portable device is configured to emit an ultrasonic tone when the detector receives the signal;
- wherein the at least three ultrasonic sensors are configured to receive the ultrasonic tone;
- and
- wherein the sensor array processor is configured to calculate differentials and the order in which the at least three ultrasonic sensors receive the ultrasonic tone to calculate the x-position and the y-position of the portable device through a phase angle calculation;
- wherein the immersive simulation environment is in the shape of a dome.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method for tracking the position of a portable device comprising an ultrasonic transmitter and a detector in an immersive simulation system comprising a stationary sensor array comprising at least three ultrasonic sensors in communication with a sensor array processor, and at least one emitter;
- the process comprising:
- sending a signal from the at least one emitter to the portable device;
- emitting an ultrasonic tone from the portable device when the detector receives the signal;
- receiving at the at least three ultrasonic sensors the ultrasonic tone;
- and
- calculating in the sensor array processor phase differentials and the order in which the at least three ultrasonic sensors receive the ultrasonic tone to determine the x-position and the y-position of the portable device through a phase angle calculation;
- wherein the immersive simulation system is in a dome, wherein the stationary sensor array is mounted at the top center of the dome, and the portable device is located inside of the dome.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.