Patent ID: 8190730

Claim:
A location system, comprising: a transmitter (TXR) configured to transmit a transmitter location signal (TXLOCSIG) comprising a transmitter identifier (TXID) corresponding to said transmitter, said transmitter location signal transmitted using at least two transmission mediums comprising an infrared (IR) medium and a radio frequency (RF) medium such that said transmitter transmits at least a part of said transmitter location signal in IR as an IR transmitter location signal (IRTXLOCSIG) and at least a part of said transmitter location signal in RF as an RF transmitter location signal (RFTXLOCSIG); a fixed location identifier (FLI) configured to receive said IR transmitter location signal and said RF transmitter location signal from said transmitter in IR and RF, respectively, and retransmit said transmitter location signal using RF in an RF-only transmitter location signal (RFONLY); and a receiver (RCVR) configured to receive said transmitter location signal from said fixed location identifier from said RF-only transmitter location signal and to receive said transmitter location signal from said RF transmitter location signal and said IR transmitter location signal, said receiver including a receiver-network interface (RCVRNET) configured to directly couple said receiver to a network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said RCVR, a transmitter location (TXLOC) of said transmitter to transmit over said network, wherein said transmitter identifier in said transmitter location signal is used to determine, in said receiver, a receiver location (RCVRLOC) of said receiver, and wherein said RCVR receives said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals and constructs said TXLOC of said TXR and said RCVRLOC of said RCVR from said TXID within said TXLOCSIG which is conveyed by said RFTXLOCSIG, said IRTXLOCSIG, and said RFONLY signals.