BLE networking systems and methods providing central and peripheral role reversal with enhanced peripheral location determination using constant tone extension analysis for a same channel

• US 10,708,970 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2019
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Link Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Link Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Bloechl, Mark, Luna, Jr., Ricardo, Li, Patrick, Ray, Brian Emery
• Primary Examiner(s): Liao, Hsinchun
• Application Number:
  US16/683,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20200113006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/725 Marker, boundary, call-sign or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/753 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/84 for distance determination by phase measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02955 by computing a weighted average of the positions of the signal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for reversing the conventional roles of central and peripheral devices in a BLE network. Doing so includes implementing an end node (EN) as the sole initiator of a connection between a particular EN and a particular access point (AP). Such implementation includes determining a location of the EN, in which that location is resolved by the EN and defined with respect to exchanges of Constant Tone Extensions (CTEs) between the EN and reference points (RPs).

Claims

1. A BLE communications system, comprising:

an end node (EN);

an access point (AP) configured to connect to a network and transmit a first beacon advertisement message; and

a plurality of reference points (RPs) configured to transmit a second beacon advertisement message,

wherein

the EN is configured to

detect the first and second beacon advertisement messages,

initiate a connection with at least one of the plurality of RPs at a first frequency, and

transmit a Constant Tone Extension (CTE) to the at least one of the plurality of RPs, and

the at least one of the plurality of RPs is configured to

receive the CTE, and sample the CTE in in-phase and quadrature (IQ) format, and

transmit the sampled CTE, a signature CTE, and position information to the EN at the first frequency, in which

the EN is further configured to determine a location thereof based on the sampled CTE, the signature CTE, and the position information, and transmit the location via the AP based on a positive evaluation at a time of transmission of the first beacon advertisement message of each of at least (a) whether a proximity of the AP to the EN is a nearest AP proximity and (b) a loading of the network to which the AP is connected.

2. The BLE communications systems of claim 1, wherein:

the first frequency corresponds to a channel of the BLE band.

3. The BLE communications system of claim 2, wherein:

the EN is further configured to sample the signature CTE in IQ format.

4. The BLE communications system of claim 3, wherein:

the EN determines the location thereof based on the sampled CTE, the sampled signature CTE and the position information.

5. The BLE communications system of claim 4, wherein:

the position information comprises coordinate information.

6. The BLE communications system of claim 5, wherein:

the EN communicates with the at least one RP to determine the location of the EN based on the sampled CTE, the sampled signature CTE, and the position information, with respect to all channels of the BLE band as defined by respective frequencies thereof.

7. The BLE communications system of claim 6, wherein:

the EN evaluates the sampled CTE, the sampled signature CTE, and the position information at each channel of the BLE band.

8. The BLE communications system of claim 7, wherein:

the EN performs the evaluation of the sampled CTE, the sampled signature CTE, and the position information from among each RP of a first set of RPs from among the plurality of RPs.

9. The BLE communications system of claim 8, wherein:

the first set of RPs from among the plurality of RPs comprises at least four RPs.

10. The BLE communications system of claim 9, wherein:

the EN performs the evaluation of the sampled CTE, the sampled signature CTE, and the position information from among each RP of a first set and a second set of RPs from among the plurality of RPs.

11. The BLE communications system of claim 10, wherein:

the second set of RPs from among the plurality of RPs comprises at least four RPs.

12. The BLE communications system of claim 11, wherein:

the first set and the second set of RPs from among the plurality of RPs are free of at least one shared RP among the first set and the second set of RPs.