Method and apparatus for ranging finding, orienting and/or positioning of single and/or multiple devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for ranging finding of signal transmitting devices is provided. The method of signal reception is digitally based only and does not require receivers that are analog measurement devices. Ranging can be achieved using a single pulse emitting device operating in range spaced relation with a minimum of a single signal transmitter and a single digital receiver and processing circuitry. In general a plurality of transmitting pulsed emitters may be ranged and positioned virtually simultaneously in 3-dimensions (XYZ coordinates) using a configuration of a plurality of digital receivers arranged in any fixed 3-dimensional configuration. Applications may involve at least one single transmitter to receiver design to determine range, or at least one transmitted reflecting signal off from an object to determine range.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A device for determining a distance travelled by a signal travelling from a signal transmitter and the device, comprising a receiver operable to receive the signal from the signal transmitter, the signal having at least one train of pulses, the train of pulses including a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength, and a series of body pulses, each body pulse having a pulse strength which varies across the series of body pulses according to a designated pulse strength profile, the receiver being operable to receive at least a subset of the series of the body pulses and to associate the received body pulses in the subset, whose pulse strength exceeds a designated pulse strength threshold value, with a value representative of the distance travelled, wherein the receiver is configured to become active when the designated pulse strength threshold value is exceeded by the pulse strength of a received body pulse in the subset, and to become inactive when the designated pulse strength threshold value is not exceeded by the pulse strength of a received body pulse in the subset. 
     
     
         2 . The device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to:
 a. transfer from an OFF state to an ON state after receiving a body pulse in the subset with a pulse strength which exceeds the designated pulse strength threshold value; and   b. transfer from the ON state to the OFF state after receiving a body pulse in the subset with a pulse strength which does not exceed the designated pulse strength threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the designated pulse strength threshold value is programmable. 
     
     
         4 . The device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is operable to count the received body pulses in the subset above the designated pulse strength threshold value, the count indicative of the distance travelled. 
     
     
         5 . The device as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more signal processors operable to count the received body pulses in the subset above the designated pulse strength threshold value, the count being representative of the distance travelled. 
     
     
         6 . The device as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the one or more signal processors further comprise a digital signal receiver to receive an input and a channel processor, the channel processor including a detector, a band-pass filter, and/or a threshold programmable comparator; the channel processor further comprising a signal strength data calculator for outputting pulse count information. 
     
     
         7 . The device as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the digital signal receiver includes a signal energy transducer, and a gain controller for controlling gain on pulses reported by the signal energy transducer. 
     
     
         8 . The device a defined in  claim 7 , further comprising a low noise amplifier configured to receive inputs from the signal energy transducer, and a band pass filter configured to communicate with the low noise amplifier. 
     
     
         9 . The device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the gain controller is configured to adjust the low noise amplifier and/or the band pass filter. 
     
     
         10 . The device as defined in  claim 9 , further comprising a comparator configured to communicate with the gain controller to compare pulse strength values of a received pulse against the designated pulse strength threshold value. 
     
     
         11 . The device as defined  claim 1 , further comprising a threshold value set unit configured to control the designated pulse strength threshold value. 
     
     
         12 . The device as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a digital output and a processor to receive instructions from the digital output. 
     
     
         13 . The device as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to issue instructions to a display to present output results. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a. at least one signal transmitter operable to transmit at least one signal, the signal having at least one train of pulses, wherein the train of pulses includes a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength and a series of body pulses having a pulse strength which varies across the series of body pulses in accordance with a designated pulse strength profile;   b. at least one signal receiver operable to receive at least a subset of the series of body pulses; and   c. at least one signal processor operable to communicate with the at least one signal receiver to associate the received body pulses in the subset above a designated pulse strength threshold value with a distance travelled by the signal, wherein the receiver is configured to become active when the designated pulse strength threshold value is exceeded by the pulse strength of a received body pulse in the subset, and to become inactive when the designated pulse strength threshold value is not exceeded by the pulse strength of a received body pulse in the subset.   
     
     
         2 . 
     
     
         15 . The system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one signal processor is operable to count the received body pulses in the subset with respective pulse strengths above the designated pulse strength threshold value, the count being representative of the distance travelled by the signal. 
     
     
         16 . The system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the receiver is configured:
 a. to transfer from an OFF state to an ON state after receiving a pulse with a pulse strength which exceeds the designated pulse strength threshold value; and   b. to transfer from the ON state to the OFF state after receiving a pulse with a pulse strength which exceeds the designated pulse strength threshold value.   
     
     
         17 . The system as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the signal is reflected off an object, the count being representative of a distance travelled by the signal between the transmitter, the object, and the receiver. 
     
     
         18 . The system as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising two or more transmitters, each operable to transmit a respective at least one train of pulses and an identifier associated therewith, the at least one signal processor configured to identify a source of the received pulses from each said associated identifier to output a respective count for each of said transmitters. 
     
     
         19 . The system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein each of said transmitters operates from a common transmitting device, the at least one signal processor thereby operable to track, at least in part, at least one of a position and an orientation of the transmitting device from each said respective counts. 
     
     
         20 . The system as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising two or more receivers, said at least one signal processor operatively coupled to each of said receivers and operable to synchronize processing of said received body pulses from each of said receivers as a function of a respective designated pulse strength profile thereof to output the count representative of a respective distance travelled by said at least one signal between said at least one transmitter and each of said receivers. 
     
     
         21 . A signal processor configured to operatively couple to one or more receivers for processing a transmitted signal received thereby to identify a distance travelled by the transmitted signal, the transmitted signal comprising at least one train of pulses, each train of pulses including a series of preamble pulses having a substantially constant pulse strength, and a series of body pulses, each body pulse having a pulse strength which varies across the series of body pulses according to a designated pulse strength profile, the signal processor being operable to output a range value according to a number of received body pulses in at least a subset of the series of the body pulses, whose pulse strength exceeds a designated pulse strength threshold value, wherein the signal processor is operable to become, or to control the receiver to become:
 a. active when the designated pulse strength threshold value is exceeded by the pulse strength of a received body pulse in the subset; and   b. inactive when the designated pulse strength threshold value is not exceeded by the pulse strength a received body pulse in the subset.   
     
     
         22 . The signal processor as defined in  claim 21 , further configured to transfer, or to control the receiver to transfer:
 a. from an OFF state to an ON state after receiving a body pulse with a pulse strength which exceeds the designated pulse strength threshold value; and   b. from the ON state to the OFF state after receiving a pulse with a pulse strength which exceeds the designated pulse strength threshold value.   
     
     
         23 . The signal processor of  claim 21 , wherein the designated pulse strength threshold value is programmable. 
     
     
         24 . The signal processor as defined in  claim 23 , wherein the signal processor is operable to count received body pulses in the subset above the designated pulse strength threshold value, the count indicative of the range value.