Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-09-18
Zimmerman, Brian (Department: 2635)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C340S010200, C340S010600, C340S573400, C367S099000, C342S353000, C342S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292106
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic systems and methods for accurately locating stationary or moving objects, and more particularly, to a system and method that utilizes high frequency sound waves to precisely locate and track multiple personnel within confined areas such as buildings.
There are many instances where law enforcement personnel or soldiers need to carry out well coordinated operations in urban terrain. For example, team members of special weapons and tactics (SWAT) units need to follow very special coordinated movements when raiding a building where hostages are being held. As another example, team members of military commando units must adhere to strict rules of advancement and engagement when clearing a building suspected of housing snipers. It is therefore necessary for such law enforcement personnel and soldiers to receive rigorous training in environments that simulate real-life expected conditions as closely as possible. It is desirable that the instructors have a highly accurate real time picture of the precise location and movement of each member of the assault team. Optimally the instructors need to know the identity of each soldier and his or her precise movements from room-to-room.
It is difficult to track the movements of military commandos during simulated urban assaults because they often take place in complete darkness thus requiring the use of infrared night vision devices. Therefore, it is not possible simply to use video surveillance. Infrared tracking is not a viable option because the rooms are often smoke filled. Infrared tracking also requires mirrors and other delicate devices not well suited for harsh training environments. Furthermore, infrared tracking could interfere with MILES training equipment often used by the U.S. Army. A radar-based locating system would not be appropriate for simulated urban training environments because of the distortions induced by the building structures such as steel door frames that would impair location accuracy. In any case, radar cannot give very precise distance measurements where the distances being measured are relatively small. A GPS-based locating system would not be practical for simulated urban training environments because location accuracy would be insufficient, even assuming that enough satellite signal strength could be acquired inside of the building without distortion from steel columns and rebar.
In addition to locating and tracking multiple personnel within a building, it would also be desirable in addition to be able to determine both the azimuth and elevation of such personnel to determine, for example, the direction that each soldier is facing and whether each soldier is standing, lying, climbing, descending or perched off the floor. It would further be desirable to provide an indication of the direction that each solder is pointing his or her weapon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a system for precisely locating and tracking multiple personnel within confined areas such as buildings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for precisely locating and tracking multiple personnel within confined areas such as buildings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of the foregoing type that can also determine and display the azimuth and elevation of each personnel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of the foregoing type that can also determine and display the articulation of a weapon held by each personnel.
In accordance with the present invention a system is provided for locating and tracking personnel in rooms of a building during assault training. A radio frequency (RF) sync pulse is transmitted throughout a building having a plurality of rooms to be traversed by a plurality of players. Ultra-sound pulses are transmitted from a plurality of locations in each room. The ultra-sound pulses are generated in a predetermined timed sequence after each RF sync pulse. Each player carries an RF receiver for receiving the RF sync pulses. Each player also carries at least one microphone for receiving the ultra-sound pulses transmitted in a room in which the player is currently located. Circuitry carried by each player generates signals representative of the delays between each RF sync pulse and the receipt of each of the ultra-sound pulses sequentially received thereafter. Each player carries an RF transmitter for transmitting an RF tracking signal representing an identity of the player and the respective delays between each RF sync pulse and the time each ultra-sound pulse is thereafter received. A control facility receives all of the RF tracking signals from the players and determines each player's current position within one of the rooms based upon the delays. The control facility displays the identity and current location of each player as each player moves within the rooms and moves from room to room.
In accordance with the present invention a method is also provided for locating and tracking personnel in rooms of a building. The first step of the method involves transmitting a radio frequency (RF) sync pulse throughout a building having a plurality of rooms to be traversed by a plurality of players. The second step of the method involves transmitting ultra-sound pulses from a plurality of fixed locations in each room. The ultra-sound pulses are generated in a predetermined timed sequence after each RF sync pulse. The third step of the method involves receiving at each player the RF sync pulses and generating signals representative of the time each RF pulse is received by each player. The fourth step of the method involves receiving at each player the ultra-sound pulses transmitted in a room in which the player is currently located and generating signals representative of the delays between each RF sync pulse and the receipt of each of the ultra-sound pulses sequentially received thereafter by each player. The fifth step of the method involves transmitting from each player an RF tracking signal representing an identity of the player and the delays. The sixth step of the method involves receiving the RF tracking signals from all the players and determining each player's current position within one of the rooms based upon the delays. The final and seventh step of the method involves displaying the identity and current location of each player as the player moves within the rooms.
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Roes John B.
Solinsky James C.
Cubic Defense Systems Inc.
Dalencourt Yves
Jester Michael H.
Zimmerman Brian
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