Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing variable blink rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. Some embodiments may provide for a radio frequency (RF) tag including a motion sensor, processing circuitry, and a UWB transmitter. The motion sensor may be configured to generate one or more motion data values indicating motion of the RF tag. The UWB transmitter may be configured to transmit blink data at variable blink rates. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive the one or more motion data values from the motion sensor, determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the one or more motion data values, and control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate. In some embodiments, the RF tag may include a UWB receiver and the blink rate may be controlled remotely by a system.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing variable blink rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. Some embodiments may provide for a radio frequency (RF) tag including a motion sensor, processing circuitry, and a UWB transmitter. The motion sensor may be configured to generate one or more motion data values indicating motion of the RF tag. The UWB transmitter may be configured to transmit blink data at variable blink rates. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive the one or more motion data values from the motion sensor, determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the one or more motion data values, and control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate. In some embodiments, the RF tag may include a UWB receiver and the blink rate may be controlled remotely by a system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reference regeneration in real time location systems are disclosed. An example disclosed method includes obtaining reference phase offsets from a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) receivers; transmitting a first synchronization signal via a wireline link to obtain differential wireline coarse sync measurements; determining a residual offset table based at least in part on the differential wireline coarse sync measurements and the reference phase offsets; transmitting a second synchronization signal via the wireline link to obtain revised differential wireline coarse sync measurements; generating revised reference phase offsets by combining the revised differential wireline coarse sync offsets with the residual offset table; and determining a physical location of a RFID tag based at least in part on i) the revised reference phase offsets and ii) RFID receiver clock measurements corresponding to a time-of-arrival of over-the-air data transmitted from the RFID tag.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for generating a first filtered signal by passing signal energy in a first radio frequency (RF) spectral band associated with a signaling bandwidth of an ultra-wideband (UWB) RF signaling system, generating a second filtered signal by passing signal energy in a second RF spectral band associated with the signaling bandwidth of the UWB RF signaling system, generating a plurality of digitized streams of pulses by identifying RF pulses in a respective filtered signal above a respective predetermined threshold, generating at least one time-stamped tag data packet, based on decoding a valid over-the-air packet corresponding to a plurality of RF pulses received according to a known burst pattern, selecting a time-stamped tag data packet from the at least one received time-stamped tag data packet, formulating a network data packet based on the selected time-stamped tag data packet, and outputting the network data packet.

Abstract: A disclosed example apparatus receives a tag transmission signal from a tag at a receiver, wherein the tag transmission signal comprises a series of pulses; determines a coarse estimate of a time-of-arrival (TOA) of the tag transmission signal based on a detection of a pulse of the series of pulses in an adjustable coarse timing window, wherein the coarse estimate is based on a plurality of coarse timing windows; determines a fine estimate of the TOA based on a detection of the pulse in at least one of a parallel set of fine timing windows; and determines a sub-window resolution of the TOA based on at least one detection transition between consecutive fine receiver windows of at least one of a plurality of pulses and a weighted average of the TOA for each pulse of the series of pulses.

Abstract: An example disclosed example includes a housing; a printed circuit board carried by the housing and including an antenna feed aperture; a logic circuit disposed on a first side of the printed circuit board, the logic circuit to generate blink data comprising pulses and data; an antenna disposed on a second side of the printed circuit board, the antenna in electrical communication with the logic circuit via the antenna feed aperture, the antenna configured to transmit the blink data; a dielectric potting material to protect the logic circuit; and a seal to cover the antenna feed aperture, the seal to prevent the dielectric potting material from entering the antenna feed aperture.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for a high-resolution active RTLS tag location determination system that provides for <1 ns TOA accuracy and resolution and significantly reduces the channel effects of multipath interference, even in low SNR applications. To accomplish these objectives, the present invention provides for an iterative and adaptive windowing function in each of the receivers of a receiver grid that captures multiple reflections of multiple transmissions from each of the associated target RTLS tags. The adaptive windowing function is used in conjunction with an asynchronous transmit and receive clock function that effectively increases resolution of TOA detection to levels less than the minimum detection window width associated with each of the receivers in the receiver grid.

Abstract: An example disclosed method includes generating, by a microcontroller of a controller, a data packet; and causing the transmission of the data packet on blink data pulses from two or more individual transmit modules, wherein each individual transmit module is in comprises an antenna and a pulse generator configured to transmit the data packet and is in data communications with the controller, wherein the controller causes substantially simultaneous transmission of the blink data pulses from the respective transmit modules to encourage reliable receipt of the blink data pulses at one or more of a plurality of receivers.

Abstract: Metallization layer structures for reduced changes in radio frequency characteristics due to registration error and associated methods are provided herein. An example resonator includes a first conductive layer defining an error limiting feature and a second conductive layer. The resonator further includes at least one communication feature configured to electrically couple the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer at a communication position. The error limiting feature is configured to reduce changes in radio frequency characteristics of the resonator due to registration error. Methods of manufacturing resonators are also provided herein.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for improving, in some examples, reference in a location system. In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising: receiving reference tag blink data from a plurality of receivers; calculating, using a processor, a reference phase offset between the plurality of receivers; and generating a suspended reference phase offset table, wherein a suspended reference phase offset table is generated by causing the reference phase offset to be stored in a memory for later tag location calculations.

Abstract: A modular location tag, method of manufacture, and method of use thereof are provided. The modular location tag including a controller including a microcontroller configured to generate a data packet and a two or more individual transmit modules in data communication with the controller such that each individual transmit module is configured to transmit the data packet, each individual transmit module including an antenna and a pulse generator configured to transmit the data packet on ultra-wideband (UWB) blink data pulses. The controller causes substantially simultaneous transmission of the UWB blink data pulses from the respective transmit modules encourage reliable receipt of the UWB blink data pulses at one or more of a plurality of receivers.

Abstract: An example disclosed example includes a housing; a printed circuit board carried by the housing and including an antenna feed aperture; a logic circuit disposed on a first side of the printed circuit board, the logic circuit to generate blink data comprising pulses and data; an antenna disposed on a second side of the printed circuit board, the antenna in electrical communication with the logic circuit via the antenna feed aperture, the antenna configured to transmit the blink data; a dielectric potting material to protect the logic circuit; and a seal to cover the antenna feed aperture, the seal to prevent the dielectric potting material from entering the antenna feed aperture.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing variable blink rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. Some embodiments may provide for a radio frequency (RF) tag including a motion sensor, processing circuitry, and a UWB transmitter. The motion sensor may be configured to generate one or more motion data values indicating motion of the RF tag. The UWB transmitter may be configured to transmit blink data at variable blink rates. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive the one or more motion data values from the motion sensor, determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the one or more motion data values, and control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate. In some embodiments, the RF tag may include a UWB receiver and the blink rate may be controlled remotely by a system.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for an active bandwidth management system for a tag target location system. A method is provided including determining a buffer fullness level for a receive buffer in a receiver in a set of one or more receivers, determining, by the processor hub, a set of buffer elements to be removed from the receive buffer in at least one of the receivers based on the buffer fullness level, and communicating to the one or more receivers to remove from the receive buffers the set of receive buffer elements identified by a sequence number.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing interference rejection in ultra-wideband real time locating systems. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver is configured to: receive an interference signal from a source positioned outside a monitored region; receive a composite signal transmitted from a tagged object moving about a playing field within the monitored region, wherein the composite signal comprises a location signal and a component of the interference signal; detect whether the component of the interference signal exceeds a threshold value; and adjust, via a processor, filtering of the composite signal to attenuate the component of the interference signal based on whether the component of the interference signal exceeds the threshold value. Some embodiments provide for filtering of the composite signal using a combiner while others employ a tunable notch filter.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for improving, in some examples, reference in a location system. In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising: receiving reference tag blink data from a plurality of receivers; calculating, using a processor, a reference phase offset between the plurality of receivers; and generating a suspended reference phase offset table, wherein a suspended reference phase offset table is generated by causing the reference phase offset to be stored in a memory for later tag location calculations.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for an electrical-mechanical interface associated with a miniature RTLS tag, wherein a mechanical shock absorption comprises a protective antenna enclosure and a potting material to secure the electronics to printed circuit boards. A polyester cup seal prevents the potting material from interacting electrically with an RF antenna. A signal processor is electrically isolated from the antenna by a RF shield or metal can. The cup seal is vacuum-sealed about the RF shield. Flexibility in radiation patterns for the antenna is made possible by eliminating the electrical interactions of the dielectric materials associated with mechanical shock absorption and the antenna. The antenna is approximately circular, with a coaxial center feed through the antenna aperture, and is perturbed by purposeful metal and dielectric adjustments to generate nearly omni-directional radiation patterns in elevation and azimuth.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing interference rejection in ultra-wideband real time locating systems. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver is configured to: receive a composite signal, the composite signal comprising a UWB signal transmitted from within a monitored region and an interference signal transmitted from a source positioned outside the monitored region; filtering at least a first component of the composite signal representing the interference signal with a tunable notch filter to generate a filtered signal; determining an interference level in the filtered signal; and adjust the tunable notch filter to reduce the interference level. Corresponding systems, methods, and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to isolation devices, systems, methods and various means, for isolating ignition causing signals and/or explosions from hazardous or explosive environments.

Abstract: An example disclosed method includes defining a first zone within a monitored area, a first group of receivers covering the first zone; defining a second zone within the monitored area, a second group of receivers covering the second zone; determining, via a processor, a first position of a first tag based on timing measurements obtained via the first group of receivers; determining, via the processor, whether the first position indicates that the first tag is within the first zone; and when the first position indicates that the first tag is not within the first zone, not reporting data associated with the first tag.