Patent · US Expired

Position location system and method

US5883598A · kind A · utility

136Cited by
14References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 1995
Grant dateMar 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 15, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S1/045
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A position location system includes multiple base stations spaced over a region. A portable unit within the region transmits a locating signal which is received by the base stations. The base stations report amplitude, phase and time data related to the locating signal to a control station. The control station includes a processor and memory that combine the data from all of the participating base stations to directly compute an optimal estimate of the location of the portable unit. The control station generates an ambiguity function based upon the probability that the portable unit is located at a particular position. By optimizing the ambiguity function, the error in the computation is minimized to produce an accurate position estimate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.