Automatic delay calibration and tracking for ultra-wideband antenna array

A system for determining real-time location of a reflecting object, the system comprising:

• RF units consisting of at least one receiver and at least one transmitter, and a computer system including storage coupled to the RF units;
• wherein:
• (a) the system is configured to determine the real-time location with the help of at least one operational signal transmitted via an operational link between certain RF units;
• (b) the computer system is configured to provide initial and real-time direct signals' time of arrival characterizing a direct link between said certain RF units and initial internal delays of said certain RF units;
• and
• (c) the computer system is configured to calculate real-time relative internal delay of said operational link between said certain RF units, said calculation based on the real-time direct signals' time of arrival, initial direct signals' time of arrival and initial internal delays of said certain RF units,
• wherein said operational signal and said direct signal are constituted by different lobe components of a same signal transmitted between said certain RF units, and
• wherein determining real-time location of a reflecting object is provided with the help of a plurality of operational signals transmitted via a plurality of operational links between respective RF units, wherein real-time relative internal delays are calculated separately for each operational link among said plurality of operational links, said calculations providing based on real-time direct signals' time of arrival, initial direct signals' time of arrival and initial internal delays of RF units corresponding to each respective link.

In a system that includes RF units that include at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer readable program executable by a computer for causing the computer to perform a process for determining real-time location of a reflecting object with the help of at least one operational signal transmitted via an operational link between certain RF units, the process comprising:

• (a) providing an initial direct signals' time of arrival, characterizing a direct link between said certain RF units, and providing initial internal delays of said certain RF units;
• (b) transmitting a direct signal via said direct link, and measuring in said direct link real-time direct signal's time of arrival;
• (c) the transmitter transmitting signals towards the object and the receiver receiving at least one signal signals reflected from the object, thus giving rise to the operational signal transmitted via the operational link, and measuring reflected signals' time of arrivals;
• (d) calculating real-time relative change of internal delay of said operational link between said certain RF units, said calculating based on the measured real-time direct signals' time of arrival, initial direct signal's time of arrival and said initial internal delays of said certain RF units;
• and
• (e) determining the real-time location of the object based on the reflected signals' time of arrivals and the real-time relative internal delay of the operational link,
• wherein said operational signal and direct signal are constituted by different lobe components of a same signal transmitted between said certain RF units, and
• wherein determining real-time location of a reflecting object is provided with a plurality of operational signals transmitted via a plurality of operational links between respective RF units, wherein real-time relative internal delays are calculated separately for each operational link among said plurality of operational links, said calculations providing based on real-time direct signals' time of arrival, initial direct signals' time of arrival and initial internal delays of RF units corresponding to each respective link.

In a system that includes RF units that include at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code for causing a computer to determine real-time location of a reflecting object with the help of at least one operational signal transmitted via an operational link between certain RF units, the computer program product comprising:

• (a) computer readable program code for causing the computer to provide initial direct signals' time of arrival characterizing direct link between said certain RF units, and providing initial internal delays of said certain RF units;
• (b) computer readable program code for causing the computer to transmit direct signal via said direct link between said certain RF units, and measuring real-time direct signal's time of arrival characterizing said direct link;
• (c) computer readable program code for causing the computer to the transmitter transmitting signals towards the object and the receiver receiving at least one signal reflected from the object, thus giving rise to the operational signal transmitted via the operational link;
• and measuring reflected signals' time of arrivals;
• (d) computer readable program code for causing the computer to calculate real-time relative internal delay of said operational link, said calculating based on the measured real -time direct signals' time of arrivals, initial direct signals' time of arrivals and initial internal delays of said certain RF units;
• and
• (e) computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine the real-time location of the object based on the reflected signals' time of arrivals and the real-time relative internal delay of the operational link,
• wherein said operational signal and said direct signal are constituted by different lobe components of a same signal transmitted between said certain RF units, and wherein determining real-time location of a reflecting object is provided with the help of a plurality of operational signals transmitted via a plurality of operational links between respective RF units, wherein real-time relative internal delays are calculated separately for each operational link among said plurality of operational links, said calculations providing based on real-time direct signals' time of arrival, initial direct signals' time of arrival and initial internal delays of RF units corresponding to each respective link.