Precise positioning system and method of using the same

Abstract

A location system, comprises multiple nodes, each of which receiving and transmitting signals from and to user equipment. The system further comprises a processor configured to determine a location of the user equipment in a space having at least one node. The system is configured to interprets the location of the user equipment based on power of at least one signal transmitted to at least one of the nodes, a received signal strength of the user equipment at one of the nodes, and distances between the user device and at least two nodes.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A location system, comprising:
 a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes receives and transmits signals from a user equipment device; and   a processor configured to determine a location of the user equipment device in a space containing at least one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the processor interprets the location of the user equipment device based on power of at least one signal transmitted to at least one of the plurality of nodes, a received signal strength of the user equipment device at the at least one of the plurality of nodes, and distances between the user device and at least two of the plurality of nodes.   
     
     
         2 . The location system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is located within the user equipment device. 
     
     
         3 . The location system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is located within at least one of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         4 . The location system of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is located within each of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         5 . The location system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor interprets the location of the user equipment device based on information from a network server connected to one of the user equipment device or one of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         6 . The location system of  claim 1 , wherein the space contains a plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         7 . The location system of  claim 6 , wherein the space contains at least three nodes, wherein each of the at least three nodes measures received signal strengths of at least one other node as well as the user equipment device. 
     
     
         8 . The location system of  claim 7 , wherein the location of the user equipment device is further based on a pair of distances and received signal strengths between at least two nodes. 
     
     
         9 . The location system of  claim 1 , wherein the space contains at least four nodes, wherein each of the at least four nodes receives signals of substantially equal power from the user equipment device. 
     
     
         10 . The location system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor interprets the location of the user equipment device based on a ratio of received signal strengths of the user equipment device from at least two of the at least four nodes. 
     
     
         11 . A location unit, comprising:
 at least one transceiver;   a processor coupled to the at least one transceiver;   a casing enclosing the processor and the at least one transceiver; and   a plurality of antenna coupled to the at least one transceiver, wherein each of the plurality of antenna has an operational angle defined by the casing, and wherein the plurality of antenna achieve a uniform antenna gain for a plurality of positions about the casing.   
     
     
         12 . The location unit of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of antenna has a unique received signal strength that varies with the operational angle for each of the plurality of antenna. 
     
     
         13 . The location unit of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of antenna are offset from one another about the casing and share operational angles with at least one of the plurality of antenna. 
     
     
         14 . The location unit of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of antenna are offset from one another about the casing and possess non-overlapping operational angles. 
     
     
         15 . The location unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a transceiver coupled to each of the plurality of antenna. 
     
     
         16 . The location unit of  claim 11 , wherein the processor encodes a data packet based on which antenna in the plurality of antenna is used to transmit the data packet. 
     
     
         17 . The location unit of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of antenna transmit a plurality of data packets simultaneously. 
     
     
         18 . A object position location methodology, including the steps of:
 receiving an advertising signal from a user device;   receiving a command signal from the user device following the advertising signal;   receiving at least one communication from at least one node;   calculating a distance to the at least one node based on the received signal strength of the at least one communication; and   calculating a position of the user device based on at least one received signal strength of one of the advertising signal or the command signal and the distance to the at least one node.   
     
     
         19 . The object position location methodology of  claim 18 , further including the step of receiving at least one communication from at least three nodes to calculate the position of the user device. 
     
     
         20 . The object position location methodology of  claim 19 , wherein at least one communication is received from at least four nodes and the step of calculating the position of the user device is based only on ratios involving at least one received signal strength from each of the at least four nodes.