Detection system for determining positional information about objects
AssigneeAT&T Laboratories-Cambridge Ltd.
InventorsAlan Henry Jones, Andrew Martin Robert Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system which enables the position of each plurality of mobile labelled objects in a specified environment to be determined from the transit times to fixed receivers of ultrasound energy transmitted by object mounted transponders which are triggered by radio energy, wherein the specified environment is divided into cells each have a radio transmitter transmitting the radio triggered signals, these radio transmissions being multiplexed in accordance with identifying characteristics of the respective cells, no two cells with the same identifying characteristics overlapping one another.
Claims15
A system which enables the position of each of a plurality of mobile labelled objects in a specified environment to be determined by determining the transit time of slowly propagating energy from a transmitter on each labelled object to a plurality of receivers positioned at fixed points within or around the specified environment, and computing therefrom the distances of the transmitter from the receiver, wherein the specified environment is spatially divided into overlapping cells each having a master transmitter for transmitting a burst of high speed propagating energy for detection by object mounted receivers associated with the object mounted transmitters within the compass of the cell (this transmitter/receiver combination hereafter being referred to as a transponder) and wherein each cell is allotted an identifying characteristic, the high speed energy transmissions by the different master transmitters are multiplexed in accordance with the identifying characteristics of the of the respective cells, and no two cells having the same identifying characteristic spatially overlap one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.