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AssigneeFreeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
InventorJames Edward Hanson
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A radio-based position location system for determining a relative position of a first object with respect to a second object may include a first radio operatively associated with the first object. A first directional antenna having at least a high gain region is mounted to the second object so that the high gain region is directed generally outwardly from the second object and defines a first detection zone. A second directional antenna having at least a high gain region is also mounted to the second object and is oriented so that the high gain region is also directed generally outwardly and defines a second detection zone. A second radio connected to the first and second directional antennas exchanges radio signals with at least the first radio to determine the relative position of the first object with respect to the second object at least in part by determining a time-of-flight of a radio signal. The radio signals are primarily exchanged via the first directional antenna when the first object is in the first detection zone, whereas the radio signals are primarily exchanged via the second directional antenna when the first object is in the second detection zone.
A radio-based position location system for determining a relative position of a first object with respect to a second object, comprising:
An antenna configuration for a second object to allow a first object nearby the second object to be detected and located by means of a time-of-flight radio system, said antenna configuration comprising a plurality of directional antennas mounted to the second object, each of said plurality of directional antennas having a radiation pattern that comprises a high gain region, the plurality of directional antennas being oriented with respect to the second object so that the high gain regions of the plurality of directional antennas are directed generally outwardly from the second object and define corresponding detection zones, the time-of-flight radio system including a first radio and a second radio, the first radio being operatively connected to a first radio antenna, the second radio being operatively connected to said plurality of directional antennas mounted to the second object, the time-of-flight radio system exchanging radio signals between at least the first and second radios to determine the relative position of the first object with respect to the second object, the radio signals being exchanged between the first radio antenna and the one of said plurality of directional antennas that corresponds to the detection zone in which the first object is located, wherein at least one of said plurality of directional antennas comprises an omnidirectional antenna and a reflector assembly operatively associated with said omnidirectional antenna, said reflector assembly comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.