In an embodiment a real-time location method includes sending, by a master beacon device and one or more beacon repeater devices, ultra-wideband beacon frames, wherein the ultra-wideband beacon frames are transmitted as interleaved pairs of ultra-wideband beacon frames, wherein each interleaved pair is sent either from the master beacon device or the one or more beacon repeater devices, wherein each interleaved pair includes a first ultra-wideband beacon frame and a second ultra-wideband beacon frame, and wherein, for each interleaved pair, the first ultra-wideband beacon frame and the second ultra-wideband beacon frame are transmitted with a master time delay, receiving, by one or more tag devices, at least one of the interleaved pairs of ultra-wideband beacon frames, receiving, by the one or more beacon repeater devices, at least one of the interleaved pairs of ultra-wideband beacon frames, receiving, by one of a plurality of tag response receptor units, at least one of the interleaved pairs of ultra-wideband beacon frames, sending, by the one or more tag devices, ultra-wideband tag response frames and receiving, by the one of the plurality of tag response receptor units, at least one of the ultra-wideband tag response frames.

A LORAN device may include a housing, and an electrically short LORAN antenna carried by the housing. The LORAN device may have a LORAN receiver carried by the housing and coupled to the electrically short LORAN antenna, and an RF crystal resonator coupled to the electrically short LORAN antenna so that the electrically short LORAN antenna is forced to a resonant condition for a LORAN receive signal.

A LORAN device may include a housing, and an electrically short LORAN antenna carried by the housing. The LORAN device may have a LORAN receiver carried by the housing and coupled to the electrically short LORAN antenna, and an RF crystal resonator coupled to the electrically short LORAN antenna so that the electrically short LORAN antenna is forced to a resonant condition for a LORAN receive signal.

A method is disclosed. In various examples, the method may include receiving an instruction for generating a ranging signal, and transmitting the ranging signal at least partially responsive to the instruction. In various examples the ranging signal may be transmitted via a terrestrial transmitter for transmitting radio waves having encoded messaging information and timing information for one or more of positioning, navigation and timing. In various examples, the ranging signal may exhibit a first ranging pulse and a second ranging pulse of a pulse group and an encoded transmitter identifier, the transmitter identifier encoded by modulating an inter-pulse interval defined between a start of the first ranging pulse and a start of the second ranging pulse.

A positioning method, as well as the system of base stations (T1,T2,T3) and detector (I) is based on measuring the propagation time difference of externally controlled electromagnetic pulses (F1,F2,F3) and the arrival signals of the controlled base station during a measurement cycle (t1+t2). In one embodiment, a reference clock is not required for measuring propagation time differences, but instead, accurate fixed distances between base stations can be used as a reference. System calibration is rarely performed. It checks the mutual locations of base stations. This may be partially automated. The positioning system does not require any sensors.

Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, devices, and machine-readable mediums for providing a PNT system provided by stratospheric balloons. This stratospheric PNT system (SPNTS) replaces the space-segment of a standard PNTS with a stratospheric segment comprising one or more stratospheric balloons that provide PNTS signals usable to determine timing, positioning, and/or navigation for user devices.

A target user equipment (UE), which may be a vehicle or UE carried by a pedestrian, may receive sequentially broadcast ranging signals from a set of ranging source entities (SEs), which may be road side units or other vehicles. The target UE further receives location information separately broadcast by each SEs. The location information, for example, may include the position for the SE, the time of transmission of the ranging signals transmitted by the SE and/or a sequence identifier for the SE. The target UE may determine ranges to the SEs using time of arrival measurements for the ranging signals and the time of transmissions of the ranging signals or the sequence identifier received in the location information. The position of the target UE may be determined using the determined ranges to the SEs and the positions of the SEs received in the location information.

A target user equipment (UE), which may be a vehicle or UE carried by a pedestrian, may receive sequentially broadcast ranging signals from a set of ranging source entities (SEs), which may be road side units or other vehicles. The target UE further receives location information separately broadcast by each SEs. The location information, for example, may include the position for the SE, the time of transmission of the ranging signals transmitted by the SE and/or a sequence identifier for the SE. The target UE may determine ranges to the SEs using time of arrival measurements for the ranging signals and the time of transmissions of the ranging signals or the sequence identifier received in the location information. The position of the target UE may be determined using the determined ranges to the SEs and the positions of the SEs received in the location information.

A transmitter includes a Loran pulse generator, a dispersion filter, an equalizer, a power amplifier, an antenna tuner, and an antenna. The Loran pulse generator is configured to generate a Loran pulse signal. The dispersion filter is coupled to the Loran pulse generator, and is configured to generate a dispersed signal responsive to the Loran pulse signal. The equalizer is coupled to the dispersion filter, and is configured to generate an equalized dispersed signal responsive to the dispersed signal. The power amplifier is coupled to the equalizer, and configured to generate an amplified signal responsive to the equalized dispersed signal. The antenna tuner is coupled to the power amplifier, and is configured to generate a tuned signal responsive to the amplified signal. The antenna is coupled to the antenna tuner, and is configured to radiate a transmitted signal responsive to the tuned signal.

A method includes sending, by a master beacon device and one or more beacon repeater devices, ultra-wideband (UWB) beacon frames. The UWB beacon frames are transmitted as interleaved pairs of UWB beacon frames. Each interleaved pair includes a first UWB beacon frame and a second UWB beacon frame. For each interleaved pair, the first UWB beacon frame and the second UWB beacon frame are transmitted with a master time delay. The method further includes receiving, by one or more tag devices, at least one of the interleaved pairs of UWB beacon frames.