Patent ID: 6188355
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for determining the position and orientation of an object with respect to a reference frame, comprising the steps of:(a) providing the object with three independent transmitters of electromagnetic radiation;(b) providing three independent receivers of said electromagnetic radiation, each of said receivers having a fixed position in the reference frame;(c) transmitting said electromagnetic radiation, using said transmitters, a first of said transmitters transmitting said electromagnetic radiation including at least a first frequency, a second of said transmitters transmitting said electromagnetic radiation including at least a second frequency different from said first frequency, and a third of said transmitters transmitting said electromagnetic radiation including at least a third frequency different from said first frequency;(d) receiving signals corresponding to said electromagnetic radiation, at all three of said receivers, at a plurality of times, each of said signals including components of at least one of said three frequencies;(e) for each of said receivers, forming a first function of said components including said components of said signal received by said each receiver from said first transmitter at said first frequency, a second function of said components including said components of said signal received by said each receiver from said second transmitter at said second frequency, and a third function of said components including said components of said signal received by said each transmitter from said third transmitter at said third frequency, said functions being independent of a time delay between said transmitters and said receivers; and(f) inferring the position and the orientation of the object from said functions.