摘要 |
A positioning system that includes a plurality of chronologically synchronized Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Positioning-Unit Devices and a position receiver incorporating a TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is disclosed. The plurality of chronologically synchronized Positioning-Unit Devices, positioned at known locations, transmit positioning signals in a predetermined Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) sequence, such that each Positioning-Unit Device has a unique transmission time slot. The TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is configured to consecutively steer a directional receive antenna in spatial synchronization with the plurality of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Positioning-Unit Device transmissions, such that the directional receive antenna is oriented toward the currently transmitting Positioning-Unit Device, or the directional receive antenna is oriented toward the origin of the currently received positioning signal. The TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array is controlled by a deterministic algorithm based on the knowledge of the Positioning-Unit Device locations, TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array location, TDMA Adaptive Directional Antenna Array attitude, network Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) transmission sequencing, Positioning-Unit Device positioning signal propagation delays, and network time. |