IR/RF locator

A system for generating a signal representative of the location and identity of a device or person in an enclosure, comprising:

• a plurality of portable infrared transmitters distributed in the enclosure, each of said infrared transmitters including means for generating a PIN signal representative of the person or device with which the portable infrared transmitter is associated so that the infrared transmitter produces an infrared PIN code signal indicative thereof in common IR carrier frequency bursts;
• a plurality of stationary transceivers distributed in various zones within the enclosure, each transceiver being formed of an infrared receiver to detect an infrared PIN code signal from a portable infrared transmitter, means for measuring and storing the signal strength of each such received IR carrier frequency bursts, means for generating a location code signal representative of the zone in which the associated stationary transceiver is located within the enclosure, and an RF transmitter to generate RF output signal bursts and representative of the detected infrared PIN signal from an infrared transmitter and the location code signal for detection by a remote RF receiver.

A system for providing a signal representative of the location and identity of a device or person in an enclosure to a central processor, comprising:

• a plurality of stationary infrared transmitters distributed in the enclosure, each of said transmitters including means for repeatedly generating an infrared location code signal which is FM modulated onto an IR carrier and is representative of the location of the associated transmitter within the enclosure;
• a plurality of portable transceivers each being formed of an infrared receiver having an FM receiver section so as to detect an infrared location code signal from a stationary infrared transmitter, means for generating a PIN signal representative of the person or device with which the portable transceivers are associated, means for repeatedly producing a modulation signal representative of said infrared code and said PIN signal, and an RF transmitter having means for generating an RF carrier signal and means for applying said modulation signal to modulate said RF carrier for detection by a remote RF receiver of said infrared code and said PIN signal, whereby location and identification information is remotely collected with infrared communication and transferred via RF to the central processor.

A system for providing a signal representative of the location and identity of a device or person in an enclosed area to a central processor, comprising:

• a plurality of portable infrared transmitters distributed in the enclosure, each of said infrared transmitters including a PIN signal generator representative of the person or device with which the portable transmitter is associated so that the infrared transmitter produces an infrared PIN code signal indicative thereof;
• a plurality of stationary selectively placed transceivers, each being formed of an infrared receiver responsive to detect an infrared PIN code signal from a portable infrared transmitter, means for generating a location code signal representative of the location of the associated stationary transceiver and an RF transmitter having means for generating an RF carrier signal, means for producing a modulation signal representative of the detected infrared PIN signal from an infrared transmitter and the location code signal, and means for modulating the RF carrier signal with the modulation signal for detection by a remote RF receiver, whereby location and identification information is remotely collected with infrared communication and transferred via RF to the central processor.