SBIR Phase I: Software-Defined Locator-Receiver for NFER Systems

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在实现一种软件定义无线电数字接收机设计，用于采用近场电磁测距（NFER）技术的实时定位系统（RTLS）。NFER RTLS展示了行业领先的个人跟踪标签无线定位。提议的努力将极大地提高NFER RTLS的容量，从每秒20-50个标签读取到1000个或更多。RTLS是射频识别（RFID）行业中一个重要且快速增长的部分。现有的RTLS供应商使用高频微波射频系统，最初是为通信而不是定位优化的。但通信和定位是两个不同的问题，需要根本不同的答案。NFER技术的设计考虑了位置。使用低频（~1MHz），长波长（~300m）信号，通常在1MHz左右，NFER系统比竞争产品更具穿透性，更远的范围，更耐多径，更健壮。在复杂的室内环境中，RTLS已经是一种相对简单和低成本的方法，提出的研究旨在通过实施软件定义的无线电数字接收机设计来显着增加NFER RTLS系统的容量。提议的努力也有可能显著降低成本并增加NFER定位接收器的容量。这个项目的广泛影响/商业潜力是巨大的。全球定位系统（GPS）通过为户外用户提供无处不在的位置信息，创造了一个价值数十亿美元的产业。然而，我们大多数人都呆在室内，没有GPS。RTLS技术可以打开“室内GPS”市场，这可能代表着至少与整个GPS行业同等重要的市场机会。除了这个巨大的商业机会之外，位置意识还具有广泛的社会影响。每年大约有100名消防员因公殉职。一个可以定位和追踪消防员的系统可以挽救其中一些生命。每年都有工人在危险的环境中死亡，比如矿山和化工厂，因为救援人员无法找到他们。同样，美军在战斗中大约10%的伤亡是由“友军”火力造成的。一个能够向作战人员提供态势感知的系统，特别是在城市作战中，可以防止这些伤亡。所提议的高容量数字接收机作为一个健壮的通信系统的基础也将具有重要的效用。人们对支持城市环境中的战术通信或支持地雷和地下通信的近场磁通信系统有相当大的兴趣。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to implement a software-defined radio digital receiver design for use in Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) employing Near Field Electromagnetic Ranging (NFER) technology. NFER RTLS has demonstrated industry leading wireless location of individual tracking tags. The proposed effort will drastically increase the capacity of NFER RTLS from 20-50 tag reads per second to a thousand or more. RTLS's comprise an important and rapidly growing segment within the radio frequency identification (RFID) industry. Incumbent RTLS vendors use high frequency, microwave RF systems originally optimized for communications, not location. But communications and location are two different problems requiring fundamentally different answers. NFER technology was designed with location in mind. Using low frequency (~1MHz), long wavelength (~300m) signals, typically around 1MHz, NFER systems are more penetrating, longer range, more multipath resistant, and more robust than competing products. Already a relatively simple and low-cost method for RTLS in complicated indoor environments, the proposed research aims to dramatically increase the capacity of NFER RTLS systems by implementing a software-defined radio digital receiver design. The proposed effort also has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and increase the capacity of NFER Locator-Receivers.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is substantial. The Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled a multi-billion industry by making location information ubiquitous for outdoor users. Most of us, however, spend our time indoors where GPS is unavailable. An RTLS technology that can unlock the "indoor GPS" market would likely represent a market opportunity at least as significant as the overall GPS industry. In addition to this substantial commercial opportunity, location awareness has a broad societal impact. Approximately 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. A system that can locate and track firefighters could save some of these lives. Every year, workers die in hazardous environments, like mines and chemical plants because rescuers are unable to locate them. Similarly, about 10% of American casualties in combat are caused by "friendly" fire. A system that can provide situational awareness to warfighters, particularly in urban combat, could prevent some of these casualties. The proposed high capacity digital receiver would also have significant utility as the basis of a robust communication system. There is considerable interest in near-field magnetic communication systems in support of tactical communications in urban environment or in support of communication in mines and underground.