System and method for person or object position location utilizing impulse radio

A system for monitoring a person within an environment, comprising:

• a mobile ultra wideband impulse radio associated with said person, said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio transmitting ultra wideband signals;
• a plurality of reference ultra wideb and impulse radios positioned about said environments, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios defining a coordinate system corresponding to said environment, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios in communication with said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio using ultra wideband impulse radio communications techniques;
• and
• a computer interfaced with at least one of said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios;
• wherein said computer is programmed to determine a position of said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio relative to said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios using said ultra wideband signals and impulse radio positioning techniques, said position having a defined coordinate within said coordinate system, and to determine a location of said person within said environment based on said position.

A method of monitoring a person within an environment, comprising:

• associating a first ultra wideband impulse radio with said person said first ultra wideband impulse radio transmitting ultra wideband sianals;
• determining a position of said first ultra wideband impulse radio relative to a plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios using said ultra wideband signals and ultra wideband impulse radio positioning techniques, said plurality of reference ultra wideband impulse radios defining a coordinate system corresponding to said environment, said position having a defined coordinate within said coordinate system;
• determining a location of said person within said environment based on said position of said first ultra wideband impulse radio;
• sensing information about one of said person and said environment using a sensor interfaced with said mobile ultra wideband impulse radio;
• and
• communicating said information to a second ultra wideband impulse radio located outside said environment using ultra wideband impulse radio communications techniques.