Method and apparatus for determining vehicle location in vehicle-to-vehicle communications

• US 10,345,823 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jiang, Libin, Patil, Shailesh, Jose, Jubin, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao L
• Application Number:
  US15/671,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 34235722, 3423574, 34235734, 34235739, 342386, 701468, 701517
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A method for developing and reporting enhanced user equipment (UE) location information includes obtaining a global positioning system (GPS) location for a user equipment (UE), determining a location of at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna relative to the GPS location, developing a reference frame based at least in part on the location of the at least one RF antenna, determining a location of a structural element of the UE, and transmitting the GPS location, the location of the at least one RF antenna, and the location of the structural element of the UE.

Claims

1. A method for developing and reporting enhanced user equipment (UE) location information, comprising:

obtaining a global positioning system (GPS) location for a user equipment (UE) using a GPS antenna at a GPS antenna position relative to a local reference frame of the UE;

receiving signals from a different user equipment using one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, each of the one or more RF antennas at an associated RF antenna position relative to the local reference frame of the UE; and

transmitting information indicative of the GPS location for the user equipment, the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas and location information for at least one feature of a structure of the UE, wherein the local reference frame of the UE is defined with respect to the structure of the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is a vehicle, wherein the reference frame is defined with respect to at least a length and width of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one feature of the structure is at least one feature selected from the group consisting of a corner and an edge of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is a vehicle, and wherein the one or more RF antennas are a plurality of RF antennas, and wherein receiving signals from a different user equipment comprises receiving the signals at more than one of the plurality of RF antennas.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining information indicative of a range between the UE and the different UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna position, RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of the structure of the UE are transmitted in a single communication message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for each of the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of a structure of the UE to a global coordinate system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a ranging measurement using the signals received from the different UE, and further comprising transmitting the ranging measurement.

8. An apparatus for developing and reporting enhanced user equipment (UE) location information, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) configured to generate a GPS location for a user equipment (UE), the GPS system including a GPS antenna at a GPS antenna position relative to a local reference frame of the UE;

one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, each of the one or more RF antennas at an associated RF antenna position relative to the local reference frame of the UE; and

a transmitter configured to transmit information indicative of the GPS location for the user equipment, the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas and location information for at least one feature of a structure of the UE, wherein the local reference frame of the UE is defined with respect to the structure of the UE.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the UE is a vehicle, wherein the reference frame is defined with respect to at least a length and width of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one feature of the structure is at least one feature selected from the group consisting of a corner and an edge of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the UE is a vehicle, and wherein the one or more RF antennas are a plurality of RF antennas, and wherein receiving signals from a different user equipment comprises receiving the signals at more than one of the plurality of RF antennas.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a processor to determine information indicative of a range between the UE and the different UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the GPS antenna position, RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of the structure of the UE in a single communication message.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position information for each of the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of the structure of the UE are mapped to a global coordinate system.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising generating a ranging measurement using the signals received from the different UE, and further comprising transmitting the ranging measurement.

15. A device, comprising:

means for obtaining a global positioning system (GPS) location for a user equipment (UE) using a GPS antenna at a GPS antenna position relative to a local reference frame of the UE;

means for receiving signals from a different user equipment (UE) using one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, each of the one or more RF antennas at an associated RF antenna position relative to the local reference frame of the UE; and

means for transmitting the GPS location for the user equipment, the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas and location information for at least one feature of a structure of the UE, wherein the local reference frame of the UE is defined with respect to the structure of the UE.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the UE is a vehicle, wherein the reference frame is defined with respect to at least a length and width of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one feature of the structure is at least one feature selected from the group consisting of a corner and an edge of the vehicle.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the UE is a vehicle, and wherein the one or more RF antennas are a plurality of RF antennas, and wherein receiving signals from a different user equipment comprises receiving the signals at more than one of the plurality of RF antennas.

18. The device of claim 15, further comprising determining information indicative of a range between the UE and the different UE.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the GPS antenna position, RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of the structure of the UE are transmitted in a single communication message.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising means for mapping the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for each of the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of a structure of the UE to a global coordinate system.

21. The device of claim 15, generating a ranging measurement using the signals received from the different UE, and further comprising transmitting the ranging measurement.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for developing and reporting enhanced user equipment (UE) location information, the code executable by a processor to:

obtain a global positioning system (GPS) location for a user equipment (UE) using a GPS antenna at a GPS antenna position relative to a local reference frame of the UE;

receive signals from a different user equipment (UE) using one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, each of the one or more RF antennas at an associated RF antenna position relative to the local reference frame of the UE; and

;

transmit information indicative of the GPS location for the user equipment, the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas and location information for at least one feature of a structure of the UE, wherein the local reference frame of the UE is defined with respect to the structure of the UE.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the UE is a vehicle, wherein the reference frame is defined with respect to at least a length and width of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one feature of the structure is at least one feature selected from the group consisting of a corner and an edge of the vehicle.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the UE is a vehicle, wherein the one or more RF antennas are a plurality of antennas, and wherein the code is executable by a processor to receive the signals from the different user equipment comprises code to receive the signals at more than one of the plurality of RF antennas.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is executable by a processor to:

determine information indicative of a range between the UE and the different UE.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is executable by a processor to:

generate a single communication message including the GPS antenna position, RF antenna position for the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of the structure of the UE.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is executable by a processor to:

map the GPS antenna position, the RF antenna position for each of the one or more RF antennas, and the location information for the at least one feature of a structure of the UE to a global coordinate system.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is executable by a processor to:

generate a ranging measurement using the signals received from the different UE, and further comprising transmitting the ranging measurement.