Location estimation system, location estimation method, and base station control device

• US 10,285,015 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shirakata, Naganori, Takahashi, Hiroshi, Urushihara, Tomoya, Morita, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US15/650,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 455 25, 455 634, 4554565
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A location estimation system for estimating a location of a wireless communication terminal, the location estimation system including first to M-th wireless communication devices and a control device, wherein i-th wireless communication device includes communication circuitry, which in operation, receives a signal transmitted from the wireless communication terminal using beams in Ni directions, and control circuitry, which in operation, calculates Ni reception qualities corresponding to the beams in the Ni directions, respectively, and wherein the control device includes control circuitry, which in operation, estimates i-th arrival direction of the signal received by the i-th wireless communication device by comparing the Ni reception qualities with the radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions, and estimates the location of the wireless communication terminal based on the first to the M-th arrival directions estimated and locations of the first to the M-th wireless communication devices.

Claims

1. A location estimation system for estimating a location of a wireless communication terminal, the location estimation system including first to M-th wireless communication devices and a control device, M being an integer equal to or more than two, wherein:

each i-th wireless communication device, for all integers i between 1 to M, includes;

communication circuitry, which in operation, receives a signal transmitted from the wireless communication terminal using beams in Ni directions, Ni being an integer equal to or more than two, and

control circuitry, which in operation, calculates Ni reception qualities corresponding to the beams in the Ni directions, respectively, and wherein

the control device includes;

storage circuitry, which in operation, stores radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions for each of the first to M-th wireless communication devices and

control circuitry, which in operation, for all integers i between 1 and M;

estimates an i-th arrival direction vector ai of the signal received by the i-th wireless communication device by comparing the Ni reception qualities obtained from the i-th wireless communication device with the radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions, and determines, for all i of at least the first to M-th wireless communication devices;

an orientation transformation matrix Mi corresponding to an orientation of an array antenna of the communication device,

a vector ni=Mi ai, and

a line Li that passes through a location of the i-th wireless communication device and is parallel to the vector ni;

determines, for all pairs (i, j) of wireless communication devices with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M a point Pi,j which is a closest point to the line Lj among points on the line Li, and

estimates the location of the wireless communication terminal from the center of mass of all points Pi,j with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M.

2. The location estimation system according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuitry of the i-th wireless communication device communicates with the wireless communication terminal using the beam corresponding to a best reception quality among of the Ni reception qualities.

3. The location estimation system according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuitry of the control device estimates the i-th arrival direction by performing pattern matching between a reception quality vector and an arrival direction model, the reception quality vector representing the Ni reception qualities, the arrival direction model representing the radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions.

4. The location estimation system according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuitry of the control device transforms a coordinate system used for estimating the i-th arrival direction to a coordinate system in which the location of the i-th wireless communication device is to be defined.

5. A location estimation method for estimating a location of a wireless communication terminal in a system including at least first to M-th wireless communication devices, M being an integer equal to or more than two, the location estimation method comprising:

receiving, for all i with 1≤

i≤

M, with the i-th wireless communication device, a signal transmitted from the wireless communication terminal using beams in Ni directions, Ni being an integer equal to or more than two;

calculating Ni reception qualities corresponding to the beams in the Ni directions, respectively;

estimating, for all i with 1≤

i≤

M, an i-th arrival direction vector ai of the signal received by the i-th wireless communication device by comparing the Ni reception qualities with radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions;

determining, for all i of at least first to M-th wireless communication devices;

an orientation transformation matrix Mi corresponding to an orientation of an array antenna of the communication device,

a vector ni=Mi ai,

a line Li which is the line that passes through a location of the i-th wireless communication device and is parallel to the vector ni;

determining, for all pairs (i,j) of wireless communication devices with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M a point Pi,j which is the closest point to the line Lj among points on the line Li, and

estimating the location of the wireless communication terminal from a center of mass of all points Pi,j with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M.

6. A base station control device that is connected to first to M-th wireless communication devices, M being an integer equal to or more than two, and estimates a location of a wireless communication terminal, the base station control device comprising:

an input-and-output terminal that receives input of Ni reception qualities corresponding to beams in Ni directions, respectively, Ni being an integer equal to or more than two, the Ni reception qualities being calculated by receiving a signal transmitted from the wireless communication terminal with i-th wireless communication device using the beams in the Ni directions, i being an integer between 1 to M;

storage circuitry, which in operation, stores radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions for each of the first to M-th wireless communication devices; and

control circuitry, which in operation;

estimates i-th arrival direction vector ai of the signal received by the i-th wireless communication device by comparing the Ni reception qualities obtained from the i-th wireless communication device with the radiation angle characteristics of the beams in the Ni directions,

determines, for all i of at least first to M-th wireless communication devices;

an orientation transformation matrix Mi corresponding to an orientation of an array antenna of the communication device,

a vector ni=Mi ai, and

a line Li that passes through a location of the i-th wireless communication device and is parallel to the vector ni,

determines, for all pairs (i,j) of wireless communication devices APi, APj with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M a point Pi,j which is the closest point to the line Lj among points on the line Li, and

estimates the location of the wireless communication terminal from a center of mass of all points Pi,j with 1≤

i≤

M and 1≤

j≤

M.