Orientation method, device, and system

• US 10,412,549 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaoping, Zhang, Yajun
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Rui M
• Application Number:
  US15/529,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/043 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/40 adjusting orientation of a single directivity characteristic to produce maximum or minimum signal, e.g. rotatable loop antenna or equivalent goniometer system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0249 Determining position using measurements made by a non-stationary device other than the device whose position is being determined
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1438 Negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication modified according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A method includes: determining a reference direction for orientation; when a first device rotates around an obstruction, receiving a wireless signal sent by a second device, and obtaining a link quality parameter value according to the received wireless signal; determining a position having greatest shadow fading of the first device according to the obtained link quality parameter value, and using a pointing direction of the position having greatest shadow fading of the first device as a first pointing direction; and determining, according to an included angle θ₁ between the reference direction and the first pointing direction and an included angle θ₂ between the reference direction and a second pointing direction, a direction in which the second device is located, where the second pointing direction is a pointing direction of the first device.

Claims

1. An orientation method comprising:

determining a reference direction for orientation;

when a first device rotates around an obstruction, receiving a wireless signal sent by a second device, and obtaining a link quality parameter value according to the received wireless signal;

determining a position having greatest shadow fading of the first device according to the obtained link quality parameter value, and using a pointing direction of the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device as a first pointing direction;

determining a direction in which the second device is located by measuring (a) an included angle θ

₁ between the reference direction and the first pointing direction and (b) an included angle θ

₂ between the reference direction and a second pointing direction, wherein the second pointing direction is a pointing direction of the first device;

using a clockwise rotation direction as a forward direction, obtaining an included angle θ

between the first and second pointing directions after subtracting the included angle θ

₂ from the included angle θ

₁; and

using the second pointing direction as an initial location, determining θ

plus 180°

as the direction in which the second device is located.

2. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein determining the reference direction for orientation comprises determining the reference direction for orientation by using a geomagnetic sensor.

3. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein determining the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device according to the obtained link quality parameter value comprises:

filtering the obtained link quality parameter value; and

determining, as the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device, the pointing direction that is of the first device and corresponding to a smallest filtered link quality parameter value.

4. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein after determining the direction in which the second device is located, the method further comprises:

displaying, on a display of the first device in a form of a text or an image, information about the direction in which the second device is located.

5. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein before determining the reference direction for orientation, the method further comprises:

wirelessly connecting to the second device, and keeping the orientation function in a normally open state.

6. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein after the determining the direction in which the second device is located, the method further comprises:

broadcasting, in a form of a voice, the direction in which the second device is located.

7. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein after the determining the direction in which the second device is located, the method further comprises:

sending information about the direction in which the second device is located to a third device, so that the third device displays or broadcasts the information about the direction in which the second device is located.

8. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein determining the reference direction for orientation comprises using an initial pointing direction of the first device when an orientation function is enabled as the reference direction for orientation.

9. The orientation method according to claim 1, wherein determining the reference direction for orientation comprises receiving a selection instruction of a user, and using a direction set by the user as the reference direction according to the selection instruction.

10. A first device comprising an input apparatus, an output apparatus, a memory, a processor, and a bus, wherein the input apparatus, the output apparatus, the memory, and the processor are connected to the bus, wherein

the input apparatus is configured to receive input data or an input instruction that is input from outside into the first device;

the output apparatus is configured to output data of the first device; and

the memory is configured to store a program, and the processor is configured to invoke the program to execute the following operations;

determining a reference direction for orientation;

when the first device rotates around an obstruction, receiving a wireless signal sent by a second device, and obtaining a link quality parameter value;

determining a position having greatest shadow fading of the first device according to the link quality parameter value, and using a pointing direction of the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device as a first pointing direction;

determining a direction in which the second device is located by measuring (a) an included angle θ

₁ between the reference direction and the first pointing direction and (b) an included angle θ

₂ between the reference direction and a second pointing direction, wherein the second pointing direction is a pointing direction of the first device;

using a clockwise rotation direction as a forward direction, obtaining an included angle θ

between the first and second pointing directions after subtracting the included angle θ

₂ from the included angle θ

₁; and

using the second pointing direction as an initial location, determining θ

plus 180°

as the direction in which the second device is located.

11. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the operation of determining the reference direction for orientation comprises one of the following:

(a) determining the reference direction for orientation by using a geomagnetic sensor;

(b) using an initial pointing direction of the first device when an orientation function is enabled as the reference direction for orientation; and

(c) receiving a selection instruction of a user, and using a direction set by the user as the reference direction according to the selection instruction.

12. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the operation of determining the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device comprises:

filtering the link quality parameter value; and

determining, as the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device, the pointing direction that is of the first device and is associated with a smallest filtered link quality parameter value.

13. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to display, by using the output apparatus after determining the direction in which the second device is located, the direction in which the second device is located.

14. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to wirelessly connect to the second device by using the input apparatus, and keep the orientation function in a normally open state.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to implement the following operations:

determining a reference direction for orientation;

when a first device rotates around an obstruction, receiving a wireless signal sent by a second device, and obtaining a link quality parameter value according to the received wireless signal;

determining a position having greatest shadow fading of the first device according to the obtained link quality parameter value, and using a pointing direction of the position having greatest shadow fading of the first device as a first pointing direction;

determining a direction in which the second device is located by measuring (a) an included angle θ

₁ between the reference direction and the first pointing direction and (b) an included angle θ

₂ between the reference direction and a second pointing direction, wherein the second pointing direction is a pointing direction of the first device;

using a clockwise rotation direction as a forward direction, obtaining an included angle θ

between the first and second pointing directions after subtracting the included angle θ

₂ from the included angle θ

₁; and

using the second pointing direction as an initial location, determining θ

plus 180°

as the direction in which the second device is located.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the operation of determining the reference direction for orientation comprises one of the following:

(a) determining the reference direction for orientation by using a geomagnetic sensor;

(b) using an initial pointing direction of the first device when an orientation function is enabled as the reference direction for orientation; and

(c) receiving a selection instruction of a user, and using a direction set by the user as the reference direction according to the selection instruction.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the operation of determining the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device comprises:

filtering the obtained link quality parameter value; and

determining, as the position having the greatest shadow fading of the first device, the pointing direction that is of the first device and is associated with a smallest filtered link quality parameter value.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein after determining the direction in which the second device is located, the operations further comprises one of the following:

displaying, on a display of the first device in a form of a text or an image, information about the direction in which the second device is located; and

broadcasting, in a form of a voice, the direction in which the second device is located.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein before determining the reference direction for orientation, the operations further comprises:

wirelessly connecting to the second device, and keeping the orientation function in a normally open state.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein after determining the direction in which the second device is located, the operations further comprises:

sending information about the direction in which the second device is located to a third device, so that the third device displays or broadcasts the information about the direction in which the second device is located.