US 5,912,644 AGranted

Spread spectrum position determination, ranging and communication system

OwnerJames J. M. Wanginventor

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Abstract

The spread spectrum wireless position determinator, ranging, and communication system is disclosed in this invention. The system consists of handheld or otherwise mobile apparatus which can be hand-carried or installed in the carts or vehicles, fixed-position reference stations deployed throughout the vicinity of the operating region of interests, and a central reference station. The mobile apparatus includes a spread spectrum transceiver, an input unit, and an output unit, which supports four functions: 1). accurately determines its position within the operating region and distance to pre-defined features within the region, 2). provides a voice communications with another mobile apparatus or central reference station within the region, 3). transmits or receives data message which can be routed via the reference stations to the central station, or other mobile apparatus within the region, 4). displays various information or stores information entered by the operator. The central reference station also has a spread spectrum radio transceiver which can transmit and receive voice or data massage to and from any mobile apparatuses or reference stations within the region and a computer which collects and processes the radio data, maintains the databases for the operation of the system, or provides a man-machine interface for the system. The reference stations are deployed in strategic locations through the region such that the mobile apparatuses in any accessible location can communicate with one or more reference stations. All reference stations contain a spread spectrum transceiver, which supports the radiolocationing function initiated by the mobile apparatuses and relays any received data packets to other reference stations, central station, or mobile apparatuses.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A system for determining the position and distance between a first point in a geographical region and at least one feature in the geographical region comprising:

a plurality of fixed reference stations located within or in proximity to the geographical region, each of said reference stations provided with a transceiver for receiving and transmitting time division duplex (TDD) spread spectrum RF signals modulated by a pseudo-noise (PN) coded sequence, each of said fixed reference stations also including a memory device and processor in communication with its respective transceiver;
at least two portable apparatuses each provided with an input device and a transceiver capable of transmitting signals, and receiving time division duplex (TDD) spread spectrum RF signals modulated by pseudo-noise (PN) coded sequence, said mobile apparatus also provided with a memory device and processor in communication with said mobile transceiver, said processor in said mobile apparatus determining the distance measurement between said mobile apparatus and at least three of said fixed reference stations and the position coordinates of said mobile processor based upon the time differences of said TDD spectrum signals transmitted and received between said mobile apparatus and said at least three of said fixed stations, said TDD spread spectrum signals transmitted by said fixed reference station also including the positive coordinates of the fixed reference station as well as the position coordinates of a selected feature in the geographical region, the selected feature chosen by said input device, the distance between said mobile apparatus and said selected feature calculated by said processor in said mobile apparatus based upon said position coordinates of said selected feature and the calculated position coordinate of said mobile apparatus, at least two of said mobile apparatus each further provided with a microphone, a speaker and a means for converting audio information into a digital format and converting digital information into audio information, thereby allowing voice information to be received and transmitted by said mobile apparatuses;
and
output device in communication with said mobile apparatus for outputting the distance between said mobile apparatus and the selected feature.

1 more element

A method for determining the position and distance between a first point in a geographical region and at least one selected feature in the geographical region, comprising the steps of:

installing a plurality of fixed reference stations located within or in proximity to the geographical region;
determining the coordinates of each of said fixed reference stations and each of the selected features with respect to a reference point, each of said fixed reference station provided with their individual coordinates and the coordinates of the selected feature;
providing a time division duplex (TDD) spread spectrum pseudo-noise (PN) coded sequence for each of said fixed reference stations;
equipping at least two mobile apparatuses with the PN coded sequences of each of said fixed reference stations, at least two of said mobile apparatuses each provided with a microphone, a speaker and a means for converting audio information into a digital format and converting digital information into audio information, thereby allowing voice information to be received and transmitted by said mobile apparatuses;
initiating a distance request from said mobile apparatus to at least two of said fixed reference stations for determining the distance between said mobile apparatus and one of the selected features by transmitting a first TDD spread spectrum PN coded sequence as unique to at least two of said reference stations;
receiving said TDD spread spectrum PN coded sequence at one of said fixed reference stations;
transmitting a second TDD spread spectrum PN coded signal to said mobile apparatus including the coordinates of said fixed reference station and the coordinates of the selected feature;
determining the position of the mobile apparatus utilizing an algorithm provided in said mobile apparatus based upon the time differentials of the epochs of each of the fixed reference stations and said mobile apparatus;
computing the distance between said mobile apparatus and the selected feature;
and
providing an output indicating the distance between said mobile apparatus and the selected feature.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/906,092Filed 5 Aug 1997
Granted: 15 Jun 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01S 5/14
Using radio waves: determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
A63B 2102/32
Application of clubs, bats, rackets or the like to the sporting activity ; particular sports involving the use of balls and clubs, bats,…
A63B 2220/13
Positions: relative positions
A63B 2220/14
Positions: geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location