초록 ▼

A position system and method utilizes a plurality of range transceivers located at known fixed locations and which are adapted to transmit approximately synchronized digital range signals for receipt by both a primary receiver and a supplemental receiver, the former disposed at a known location and

A position system and method utilizes a plurality of range transceivers located at known fixed locations and which are adapted to transmit approximately synchronized digital range signals for receipt by both a primary receiver and a supplemental receiver, the former disposed at a known location and the latter disposed at an unknown location. The range transceivers are adapted to transmit pulse sequences which include an error portion corresponding to the approximate synchronization error of each range signal. This error portion is constantly updated in accordance with the last determined synchronization errors of the corresponding range signals received by a secondary transceiver. In an alternative embodiment employing Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, the range transceiver time stamp on transmitted range signals may be adjusted to account for the measured timing error for a given range transceiver. The supplemental receiver receives the range signals and uses the same in accordance with known time of arrival or time difference of arrival calculation techniques to determine the position of the supplemental receiver.

대표청구항 ▼

A positioning system, comprising: a plurality of range transceivers at known fixed locations each having a time reference base for transmitting approximately synchronized digital range signals having a signal energy; at least one primary receiver each disposed at a known location relative to the loc

A positioning system, comprising: a plurality of range transceivers at known fixed locations each having a time reference base for transmitting approximately synchronized digital range signals having a signal energy; at least one primary receiver each disposed at a known location relative to the locations of said plurality of range transceivers which (a) receives the digital range signals, (b) determines a deviation representing the amount that each digital range signal deviates from system synchronization, and (c) sends corresponding error signals to said plurality of range transceivers so as to more closely bring said digital range signals into synchronization; a supplemental receiver at an unknown location which receives said synchronized digital range signals; and computation means, in communication with the supplemental receiver, for computing, based on the time difference of arrival of the received synchronized digital range signals, coordinate values defining the position of said supplemental receiver.