Abstract: Real time location systems are provided including one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors positioned in an environment; one or more image capture sensors positioned in the environment; and at least one UWB tag associated with an object in the environment to provide a tagged item in the environment. The one or more UWB sensors and the one or more image capture sensors are integrated into at least one location device. The at one location device includes a UWB location device, a combination UWB/camera location device and/or a camera location device. A location of the tagged item is tracked using the at least one location device. and wherein a location of the tagged item is tracked using the at least one location device.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present inventive concept provide a system for maintaining clock synchronization including an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitting system and a UWB receiving system. The high precision input clock at the transmitting system produces a high precision clock frequency. A message is sent from the transmitting system including a transmit time of the message in UWB transmitter clock units. The message is received at the UWB receiving system at an arrival time in UWB receiver clock units. A time of flight (ToF) and an oscillator offset is calculated based on the transmit time included in the message and the arrival time. A tuning register uses the calculated oscillator adjustment to adjust the low precision resonator to synchronize the low precision resonator with the high precision input clock at the UWB transmitting system.

Abstract: A real time location system (RTLS) is provided for determining three-dimensional locations of nodes in an environment. The RTLS system includes at least one node associated with an asset in the environment. The at least one node has an unknown location. The system further includes at least one tracking device that communicates with the at least one node to obtain location data associated with the unknown location of the at least one node. A location module receives the location data associated with the unknown location of the at least one node and determines a real-time three-dimensional current location of the at least one node based on the location data. The real-time three-dimensional current location having x, y and z coordinates and the z coordinate indicates a height of the at least one node in the environment.

Abstract: Systems are provided for determining location of tags in an environment. The system includes at least one mobile antenna that moves around the environment. The absolute location associated with the mobile antenna is known and it sends and receives messages including at least one of time of arrival, time of departure, signal strength and angle of arrival. A measurement module performs distance measurement between the at least one mobile antenna and at least one tag in the environment to obtain at least. The distance measurements are associated with at least two locations of mobile antenna. A storage module records the distance measurements at the at least two locations and the at least two locations. A location module computes a location of each of the at least one tags based on the recorded distance measurements at the at least two locations and the recorded locations of the mobile antenna.

Abstract: Methods for creating a location map using antennas in an ultra-wide band (UWB) network including positioning a plurality of stationary antennas in a target environment; determining a position of each of the plurality of stationary antennas relative to one another; obtaining location measurements relative to a mobile device as it moves around the target environment; generating a location map using the location measurements, the location map illustrating a path traveled by the mobile device relative to the plurality of stationary antennas; and displaying the location map including straight line segments corresponding to the path traveled by the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for determining the shortest RF path in a multi-path environment. In an aspect a signal is transmitted by a transmitter. Multiple copies of the signal are received by a multi-directional receiver based on antenna elements that have a unique antenna pattern for each copy of the signal and where the copies are phase correlated and time synchronized. The copies are deconstructed into components of the reflected and line-of-sight waves of the transmitted signal. The shortest path is selected from among the reflected and line-of-sight waves using the deconstruction.

Abstract: Methods for creating a location map using antennas in an ultra-wide band (UWB) network including positioning a plurality of stationary antennas in a target environment; determining a position of each of the plurality of stationary antennas relative to one another; obtaining location measurements relative to a mobile device as it moves around the target environment; generating a location map using the location measurements, the location map illustrating a path traveled by the mobile device relative to the plurality of stationary antennas; and displaying the location map including straight line segments corresponding to the path traveled by the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods for calibrating antenna oscillators are provided including initiating a clock offset process from a primary antenna with a remote antenna within a radio frequency (RF) range of the primary antenna to determine a clock offset between the primary antenna and the remote antenna; calculating a temperature difference between a primary temperature of the primary antenna and a temperature of the remote antenna; and instructing the remote antenna to adjust a clock frequency of the remote antenna based on the determined clock offset and the calculated temperature.

Abstract: Methods for determining a location of an unknown device (UD) from a plurality of known devices (KDs) are provided including receiving, at the UD, periodically broadcasted messages from each of a plurality of KDs. Corresponding arrival time stamp (Tarrival-i-UD) of each periodically broadcasted message from each of the plurality of KDs are recorded. Each of the plurality of KDs are clock synchronized to a common clock source at a master device(MD). A departure time of the periodically broadcasted message from each of the plurality of KDs is known by the UD in master device time units (Tdepart-i-md). X, y and z coordinates of a location of each of the KDs is known by the UD.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for determining the shortest RF path in a multi-path environment. In an aspect a signal is transmitted by a transmitter. Multiple copies of the signal are received by a multi-directional receiver based on antenna elements that have a unique antenna pattern for each copy of the signal and where the copies are phase correlated and time synchronized. The copies are deconstructed into components of the reflected and line-of-sight waves of the transmitted signal. The shortest path is selected from among the reflected and line-of-sight waves using the deconstruction.

Abstract: Methods for synchronizing multiple transceivers to a single master clock are provided including broadcasting a message from a master device, the broadcasted message including a device identification number identifying the master device to at least one known device within range of the master device; receiving the message at the at least one other known device and recording a time of arrival (Tarrival-kd) at the at least one other known device; repeatedly broadcasting and receiving messages and recording associated times of arrival at the at least one other known device; and applying a fit curve to the recorded arrival times to estimate a time of an event. Related devices and systems are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for determining the shortest RF path in a multi-path environment. In an aspect a signal is transmitted by a transmitter. Multiple copies of the signal are received by a multi-directional receiver based on antenna elements that have a unique antenna pattern for each copy of the signal and where the copies are phase correlated and time synchronized. The copies are deconstructed into components of the reflected and line-of-sight waves of the transmitted signal. The shortest path is selected from among the reflected and line-of-sight waves using the deconstruction of the copies.

Abstract: Methods for creating a location map using antennas in an ultra-wide band (UWB) network including positioning a plurality of stationary antennas in a target environment; determining a position of each of the plurality of stationary antennas relative to one another; obtaining location measurements relative to a mobile device as it moves around the target environment; generating a location map using the location measurements, the location map illustrating a path traveled by the mobile device relative to the plurality of stationary antennas; and displaying the location map including straight line segments corresponding to the path traveled by the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods of auto-calibrating antennas in a target environment are provided including obtaining a map and associated scale of the target environment; displaying the map to a user on a user display device; discovering a plurality of antennas present in the target environment; illustrating the discovered plurality of antennas on the map; repositioning at least some of the plurality antennas on the map; locking selected ones of plurality of antennas into a current position to provide a plurality of locked antennas, wherein the plurality of locked antennas is equal to zero or greater; and auto-calibrating a remaining plurality of unlocked antennas, wherein auto-calibrating includes moving each of the remaining plurality of unlocked antennas from a first position to a second position.

Abstract: Methods for calibrating antenna oscillators are provided including initiating a clock offset process from a primary antenna with a remote antenna within a radio frequency (RF) range of the primary antenna to determine a clock offset between the primary antenna and the remote antenna; calculating a temperature difference between a primary temperature of the primary antenna and a temperature of the remote antenna; and instructing the remote antenna to adjust a clock frequency of the remote antenna based on the determined clock offset and the calculated temperature.

Abstract: Methods for synchronizing multiple transceivers to a single master clock are provided including broadcasting a message from a master device, the broadcasted message including a device identification number identifying the master device to at least one known device within range of the master device; receiving the message at the at least one other known device and recording a time of arrival (Tarrival-kd) at the at least one other known device; repeatedly broadcasting and receiving messages and recording associated times of arrival at the at least one other known device; and applying a fit curve to the recorded arrival times to estimate a time of an event. Related devices and systems are also provided.

Abstract: Ultra wideband (UWB) antennas are provided including a printed circuit board; a radiating element coupled to the printed circuit board and substantially perpendicular thereto; and radio frequency (RF) electronics associated with the antenna integrated with the printed circuit board. Related enclosures and systems are also provided.

Abstract: A system for providing power to a device is provided. The system includes at least one gateway that provides power and/or data to at least one device in the system; and at least one adapter coupled to the gateway and the at least one device, wherein the adapter is configured to couple lengths of cable between devices that are daisy chained together. Related adapters are also provided herein.

Abstract: A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is an automobile which can use either electricity or gasoline. With high gasoline prices, electricity is becoming a promising alternative to power next generation automobiles. One advantage of the PHEV and the BEV (battery electric vehicle) is that charging can be done at home. However, the small battery capacity of PHEV's may require recharging the batteries almost daily. It would be convenient for an owner of a car with batteries to not have to plug in the battery each and every day that charging is required. Our invention is a system that plugs the power automatically into the vehicle with minimal human intervention using an automated docking system. The system is composed of a robotic manipulator with a camera and a processing unit. The system uses the camera and vision processing to identify the vehicle's position, and consequently, the location of the vehicle's charging receptacle.