UE motion estimate based on cellular parameters

• US 10,187,752 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Manepalli, Venkateswara Rao, Ramamurthi, Vijay Kumar, Shi, Jianxiong, Chaudhary, Madhusudan, Nimmala, Srinivasan, Burugupalli, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai A
• Application Number:
  US15/596,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20180338222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-453, 4554561-4563
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to a user equipment device (UE), and associated methods for enabling the UE to estimate velocity of the UE based on cellular parameters. In some embodiments, a first velocity of a UE may be estimated based on a first set of parameters associated with one or more cellular based metrics. Doppler measurements may be performed in response to the first velocity exceeding a velocity threshold for at least a time period. In some embodiments, performing (or conducting) the Doppler measurements may be triggered by (e.g., in response to) the first velocity exceeding the velocity threshold for at least the first time period and receiving an indication from a motion processor of the UE that the UE is in a non-static state. In addition, a second velocity of the UE may be estimated based on the first set of parameters and the Doppler measurements.

Claims

1. A user electronics device (UE), comprising:

at least one antenna for performing wireless communication;

at least one radio coupled to the at least one antenna, wherein the at least one radio is configured to perform cellular communication with a base station;

one or more processors coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio are configured to perform wireless communications using the at least one antenna;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause a UE to;

derive a coefficient matrix via a learning model, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to;

provide a first set of parameters to the learning model, wherein the first set of parameters are associated with one or more cellular communication based metrics;

estimate a velocity of the UE based on the learning model;

evaluate the estimated velocity based on a global positioning system velocity of the UE;

adjust values of the coefficient matrix based on the evaluation;

re-estimate the velocity using the provided first set of parameters and the adjusted values of the coefficient matrix; and

normalize the first set of parameters via the adjusted coefficient matrix; and

estimate a first velocity of the UE based on the normalized first set of parameters.

2. The UE of claim 1,

wherein a first cellular communication based metric of the one or more cellular communication based metrics has a different time base than a second cellular communication metric of the one or more cellular communication based metrics;

wherein, to estimate the first velocity, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to normalize the first and second cellular communications metrics to a common time reference.

3. The UE of claim 1,

wherein, to estimate the first velocity, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

receive, at a specified frequency, the one or more cellular communication based metrics from one or more layers of a protocol stack implemented on the UE; and

apply an exponentially weighted moving average to each cellular communication metric of the one or more communication metrics.

4. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the first set of parameters comprise at least one of:

time adjustment information;

downlink frame timing offset;

uplink frame timing offset;

random access channel (RACH) parameters related to cell size;

reference signal received power (RSRP) delta;

reference signal received quality (RSRQ) delta;

signal to noise ratio (SNR) delta;

signal to noise plus interference ratio (SINR) delta;

received signal strength indicator (RSSI) delta;

reference signal received power (RSRP) rate of change;

reference signal received quality (RSRQ) rate of change;

signal to noise ratio (SNR) rate of change;

signal to noise plus interference ratio (SINR) rate of change;

received signal strength indicator (RSSI) rate of change;

cell change rate;

a number of unique cells in a time window;

a number of new cells in a time window;

a total number of cells in a time window;

rate of unique cells per time window;

rate of new cells per time window;

a number of handovers in a time window;

a rate of change of handovers per time window;

a number of cell selections in a time window;

or

a number of cell reselections in a time window.

5. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the learning model is adjustable based on an environment of the UE and a mode of the UE.

6. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

perform, in response to at least determining that the first velocity has exceeded a threshold velocity for at least a first period of time, one or more Doppler based measurements; and

estimate a second velocity of the UE based on the first set of parameters and the one or more Doppler based measurements.

7. The UE of claim 6,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

compare the second velocity to the threshold velocity; and

notify, in response to the second velocity exceeding the threshold velocity for at least the first time period, one or more processors of the UE, that the UE is moving at a velocity greater than the threshold velocity.

8. The UE of claim 6,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to query a motion processor of the UE, wherein results of the query indicate a motion state of the UE;

wherein, in response to the results indicating a static motion state of the UE, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to not estimate the second velocity.

9. The UE of claim 8,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to estimate the second velocity in response to the results indicating a non-static motion state of the UE and the first velocity exceeding the velocity threshold for at least the first time period.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

derive a coefficient matrix via a learning model, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

provide a first set of parameters to the learning model, wherein the first set of parameters are associated with one or more cellular communication based metrics;

estimate a velocity of a wireless device associated with the apparatus based on the learning model;

evaluate the estimated velocity based on a global positioning system velocity of the wireless device;

adjust values of the coefficient matrix based on the evaluation;

re-estimate the velocity using the provided first set of parameters and the adjusted values of the coefficient matrix; and

normalize the first set of parameters via the adjusted coefficient matrix; and

estimate a first velocity of a wireless device based the normalized first set of parameters.

11. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the first set of parameters comprise at least one of:

time adjustment information;

downlink frame timing offset;

uplink frame timing offset;

random access channel (RACH) parameters related to cell size;

reference signal received power (RSRP) delta;

reference signal received quality (RSRQ) delta;

signal to noise ratio (SNR) delta;

signal to noise plus interference ratio (SINR) delta;

received signal strength indicator (RSSI) delta;

reference signal received power (RSRP) rate of change;

reference signal received quality (RSRQ) rate of change;

signal to noise ratio (SNR) rate of change;

signal to noise plus interference ratio (SINR) rate of change;

received signal strength indicator (RSSI) rate of change;

cell change rate;

a number of unique cells in a time window;

a number of new cells in a time window;

a total number of cells in a time window;

rate of unique cells per time window;

rate of new cells per time window;

a number of handovers in a time window;

a rate of change of handovers per time window;

a number of cell selections in a time window;

or

a number of cell reselections in a time window.

12. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform, in response to one or more conditions obtaining, Doppler based measurements; and

estimate a second velocity of the wireless device based on the first set of parameters and the Doppler based measurements.

13. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the one or more conditions comprise at least one of:

a velocity threshold exceeded for a first time period;

or

an indication that the wireless device is in a non-static state.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

compare the second velocity to a threshold velocity; and

notify, in response to the second velocity exceeding the threshold velocity for at least a first time period, one or more processors of the wireless device that the wireless device is moving at a velocity greater than the threshold velocity.

15. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein a first cellular communication based metric of the one or more cellular communication based metrics has a different time base than a second cellular communication metric of the one or more cellular communication based metrics;

wherein, to estimate the first velocity, the at least one processor is further configured to normalize the first and second cellular communications metrics to a common time reference.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium that stores program instructions that, when executed by a wireless user equipment device (UE), cause the UE to:

derive a coefficient matrix via a learning model, wherein the program instructions are further executable to;

provide a first set of parameters to the learning model, wherein the first set of parameters are associated with one or more cellular communication based metrics;

estimate a velocity of the UE based on the learning model;

evaluate the estimated velocity based on a global positioning system velocity of the UE;

adjust values of the coefficient matrix based on the evaluation;

re-estimate the velocity using the provided first set of parameters and the adjusted values of the coefficient matrix; and

normalize the first set of parameters via the adjusted coefficient matrix; and

estimate a first velocity of the UE, wherein the first velocity is based on the normalized first set of parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 16,

wherein a first parameter of the first set of parameters has a different time base than a second parameter of the first set of parameters;

wherein, to estimate the first velocity, the program instructions are further executable to normalize the first and second parameters to a common time reference.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 16,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

query, in response to determining that the first velocity has exceeded a first threshold for at least a first time period, a motion processor of the UE, wherein results of the query indicate a motion state of the UE;

perform, in response to the results indicating a non-static motion state of the UE, one or more Doppler based measurements; and

estimate a second velocity of the UE based on the first set of parameters and the one or more Doppler based measurements.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 18,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

compare the second velocity to the first threshold; and

notify, in response to the second velocity exceeding the first threshold for at least the first time period, one or more application processors of the UE that the UE is moving at a velocity greater than the threshold velocity.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 16,

wherein, to estimate the first velocity, the program instructions are further executable to:

receive, at a specified frequency, the one or more cellular communication based metrics from one or more layers of a protocol stack implemented on the UE; and

apply an exponentially weighted moving average to each cellular communication metric of the one or more communication metrics.