Location determination method and location determination system for sensor apparatus placements in building

• US 10,091,674 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ewha University-Industry Collaboration, EWHA University-Industry Collaboration Foundation (Ewha Womans University)
• Original Assignee: EWHA University-Industry Collaboration Foundation (Ewha Womans University)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Blanton, John D
• Application Number:
  US14/655,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20160262032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A location determining method 200 for sensor apparatus placements in building includes: a step in which a first measuring device transmits a digitally modulated first test packet through a specific channel at a first location in a building (210); a step in which a second measuring device receives the first test packet and transmits a first echo back signal through the specific channel at a second location in the building (220); a step in which the first measuring device receives the first echo back signal transmitted from the second measuring device and measures a first channel quality of the specific channel based on the first echo back signal (230); a step in which the first measuring device transmits a digitally modulated second test packet through the specific channel (240); a step in which the second measuring device receives the second test packet and transmits a second echo back signal through the specific channel (250); and a step in which the first measuring device receives the second echo back signal transmitted from the second measuring device and measures a second channel quality of the specific channel based on the second echo back signal (260).

Claims

1. A location determining method for sensor apparatus placements in a building comprising:

transmitting, by a first portable test device, a first test signal through a specific channel at a first location which is a current location of the first portable test device in the building and a potential location of a first sensor in the building;

transmitting, by a second portable test device, a first echo back signal which transmits through the specific channel at a second location which a current location of the second portable test device in the building and is a potential location of a second sensor or an access point in the building if the first test signal is received;

measuring, by the first portable test device, a first channel quality of the specific channel based on the first echo back signal;

determining, by the first portable test device, a first candidate location of the first sensor based on the first location if the first channel quality is higher than a reference value;

storing, by the first portable test device, the first candidate location;

measuring, by the second portable test device, a second channel quality of the specific channel based on the first test signal or a second test signal from the first portable test device;

determining, by the second portable test device, a second candidate location of the second sensor or the access point based on the second location if the second channel quality is higher than the reference value; and

storing, by the second portable test device, the second candidate location,

wherein the first location and the second location are inputted by a user or detected based on an indoor positioning technology.

2. The location determining method of claim 1, wherein the first test signal is modulated with PSK (Phase Shift Keying) or QAM (Quadurature Amplitude Modulation).

3. The location determining method of claim 1, wherein the first portable test device measures the first channel quality based on at least one of a time period from when transmitting the first test signal to when receiving the first echo back signal, intensity of the first echo back signal, or a transmission rate of the first echo back signal.

4. The location determining method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first portable test device, the first test signal again if the first echo back signal is not received in a reference time period.

5. The location determining method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first portable test device, a second echo back signal through the specific channel from the second portable test device which transmits the second echo back signal if the second test signal is received; and

measuring, by the first portable test device, a third channel quality of the specific channel based on the second echo back signal.

6. The location determining method of claim 5, wherein the first portable test device measures the third channel quality based on at least one of a time period from when transmitting the second test signal to when receiving the second echo back signal, an intensity of the second echo back signal, or a transmission rate of the second echo back signal.

7. A location determining system for sensor apparatus placements in a building comprising:

a first portable test device which is located at a first location which is a potential position of a first sensor in the building and configured to transmit a modulated first test signal through a specific channel, receive a first echo back signal from a second portable test device, measure a first channel quality of the specific channel based on the first echo back signal, determine a first candidate location of the first sensor based on the first location if the first channel quality of the specific channel is higher than a reference value, and store the first candidate location; and

the second portable test device which is located at a second location which is a potential position of a second sensor or an access point in the building and configured to transmit the first echo back signal through the specific channel if the first test signal is received, measure a second channel quality of the specific channel based on the first test signal or a second test signal from the first portable test device, determine a second candidate location of the second sensor or the access point based on the second location if the second channel quality of the specific channel is higher than the reference value, and store the second candidate location,

wherein the first location and the second location are inputted by a user or detected based on an indoor positioning technology.

8. The location determining system of claim 7, wherein the first portable test device measures the channel quality based on at least one of a time period from when transmitting the first test signal to when receiving the first echo back signal, intensity of the first echo back signal, or a transmission rate of the first echo back signal.

9. The location determining system of claim 7, wherein the first echo back signal includes the first test signal received by the second portable test device.

10. The location determining system of claim 7, wherein the first portable test device further receives a second echo back signal from the second portable test device, and measures a third channel quality of the specific channel based on the second echo back signal.

11. The location determining system of claim 10, wherein the first portable test device measures the third channel quality based on at least one of a time period from when transmitting the second test signal to when receiving the second echo back signal, intensity of the second echo back signal, or a transmission rate of the second echo back signal.

12. The location determining system of claim 7, wherein the first test signal is modulated with PSK (Phase Shift Keying) or QAM (Quadurature Amplitude Modulation).