The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 02, 1999
Alan Henry Jones, Histon, GB;
Andrew Martin Robert Ward, Cambridge, GB;
AT&T Corp., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A system which enables the orientation of a device in a specified environment to be determined in relation to a plurality of sensing receivers positioned at known points in or around the specified environment. A directional transmission from a directional transmitter which forms part of a known face of the device is initiated by a trigger signal from a timing transmitter located so as to cause transmitted bursts of energy to enter the environment. Associated with the directional transmitter having is a timing receiver adapted to respond to any such trigger signals, to thereby initiate the directional transmission. At the beginning of a timeslot, the sensing receivers are reset, and the trigger signal is transmitted, to render the receivers ready to receive the directional transmission. A control system determines the direction in which the directional transmitter is facing as a function of an identification of those of the sensing receivers on which the directional transmission was incident within the timeslot.