Method and device for travel time-based location identification with the aid of a triggered or self-triggering reference signal

A device for identifying the location of an object by a TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) principle comprising:

• an object;
• a plurality of fixed stations each having a known position;
• a fixed reference station having a known position relative to the plurality of fixed stations;
• a device for determining, for each of the plurality of fixed stations, a travel time difference between an arrival of the signal from the object and an arrival of a signal from the reference station;
• a device for determining a difference in the travel time differences between the fixed stations;
• and
• a device for carrying out mathematical calculations to determine a location information,
• wherein the object transmits the signal which is received by the plurality of fixed stations having known positions,
• wherein the signal from the reference station is received by the fixed stations generating an unknown transmission offset between the transmission of the signal from the object and the transmission of the signal from the reference station,
• wherein a plurality of clocks corresponding to each of the plurality of the fixed stations have different unknown time offsets relative to one another.