METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RF-BASED RANGING WITH MULTIPLE ANTENNAS

• US 20120212374A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirby, Miles Alexander Lyell, Julian, David Jonathan, Burdo, Rinat
• Application Number:
  US13/207,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

An apparatus having a first antenna; a second antenna; and a controller coupled to the first and second antennas, wherein the controller is configured to determine a first ranging measurement between the first antenna and a device antenna on a device; determine a second ranging measurement between the second antenna and the device antenna; and determine an orientation and position of the apparatus relative to the device by combining the first and second ranging measurements. A method for implementing the orientation and position process is also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining at least one of an orientation or a position and orientation relative to a device comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna; and

a controller coupled to the first and second antennas, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a first ranging measurement between the first antenna and a device antenna on a device;

determine a second ranging measurement between the second antenna and the device antenna; and

determine the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device using the first and second ranging measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a single radio frequency (RF) device, the controller further configured to:

before determining the first ranging measurement, switch the single RF device to communicate with the first antenna; and

after determining the first ranging measurement, switch the single RF device to communicate with the second antenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a radio frequency (RF) device coupled to each of the first and second antennas, the controller further configured to:

communicate with the device antenna via the RF device for the first antenna; and

communicate with the device antenna via the RF device for the second antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third antenna, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a third ranging measurement between the third antenna and the device antenna, and wherein the first, second and third ranging measurements are used to determine the at least one of the orientation or the position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a third ranging measurement between the first antenna and a second device antenna on the device; and

determine a fourth ranging measurement between the second antenna and the second device antenna;

wherein the orientation and position determination of the apparatus relative to the device uses the first, second, third and fourth ranging measurements.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the determination of the third ranging measurement occurs after the determination of the first ranging measurement and before the determination of the second ranging measurement.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate positions of the first and second antennas.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the calibration is based on the first and second antennas being placed at various positions on the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the calibration is based on calibration validation information received from an external device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to refine the determination of the orientation and position of the apparatus relative to the device by using the first and second ranging measurements with other motion detection information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inertial sensing unit coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the inertial sensing unit using an orientation.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inertial sensing unit coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a change in orientation of the inertial sensing unit; and

adjust the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus using the change in orientation of the inertial sensing unit.

13. A method for determining at least one of an orientation or a position and orientation of an apparatus relative to a device comprising:

determining a first ranging measurement between a first antenna of the apparatus and a device antenna of the device using a controller;

determining a second ranging measurement between a second antenna of the apparatus and the device antenna of the device using the controller; and

determining the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device using the first and second ranging measurements using the controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a single radio frequency (RF) device, the method further comprising:

before determining the first ranging measurement, switching the single RF device to communicate with the first antenna; and

after determining the first ranging measurement, switching the single RF device to communicate with the second antenna.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a radio frequency (RF) device coupled to each of the first and second antennas, the method further comprising:

communicating with the device antenna via the RF device for the first antenna; and

communicating with the device antenna via the RF device for the second antenna.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a third ranging measurement between a third antenna of the apparatus and the device antenna using the controller;

wherein the determination of the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device further comprises using the first, second and third ranging measurements.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a third ranging measurement between the first antenna and a second device antenna using the controller; and

determining a fourth ranging measurement between the second antenna and the second device antenna using the controller;

wherein the orientation and position determination of the apparatus relative to the device further comprises combining the first, second, third and fourth ranging measurements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination of the third ranging measurement occurs after the determination of the first ranging measurement and before the determination of the second ranging measurement.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising calibrating positions of the first and second antennas.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the calibration comprises placing the first and second antennas at various positions on the apparatus.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving calibration validation information from an external device.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising refining the determination of the orientation and position of the apparatus relative to the device by combining the first and second ranging measurements with other motion detection information.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising calibrating an absolute position of an inertial sensing unit using an orientation of the first and second antennas.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising :

determining a change in orientation of an inertial sensing unit; and

adjusting the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus using the change in orientation of the inertial sensing unit.

25. An apparatus for determining at least one of an orientation or a position and orientation of the apparatus relative to a device comprising:

means for determining a first ranging measurement between a first antenna of the apparatus and a device antenna of the device using a controller;

means for determining a second ranging measurement between a second antenna of the apparatus and the device antenna of the device using the controller; and

means for determining the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device using the first and second ranging measurements using the controller.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a single radio frequency (RF) device, the apparatus further comprising:

means for switching the single RF device to communicate with the first antenna before determining the first ranging measurement; and

means for switching the single RF device to communicate with the second antenna after determining the first ranging measurement.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a radio frequency (RF) device coupled to each of the first and second antennas, the apparatus further comprising:

means for communicating with the device antenna via the RF device for the first antenna; and

means for communicating with the device antenna via the RF device for the second antenna.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for determining a third ranging measurement between a third antenna of the apparatus and the device antenna using the controller;

wherein the means for determining at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device further comprises means for using the first, second and third ranging measurements.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for determining a third ranging measurement between the first antenna and a second device antenna using the controller; and

means for determining a fourth ranging measurement between the second antenna and the second device antenna using the controller;

wherein the means for determining the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device further comprises means for using the first, second, third and fourth ranging measurements.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for determining the third ranging measurement occurs after the determination of the first ranging measurement and before the determination of the second ranging measurement.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for calibrating positions of the first and second antennas.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first and second antennas are placed at various positions on the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for receiving calibration validation information from an external device.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for refining the determination of the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device by using the first and second ranging measurements with other motion detection information.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for calibrating an absolute position of an inertial sensing unit using an orientation of the first and second antennas.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising :

means for determining a change in orientation of an inertial sensing unit; and

means for adjusting the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus using the change in orientation of the inertial sensing unit.

37. A computer-program product for determining at least one of an orientation and a position and orientation of an apparatus relative to a device, comprising a computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

determine a first ranging measurement between a first antenna of the apparatus and a device antenna of the device using a controller;

determine a second ranging measurement between a second antenna of the apparatus and the device antenna of the device using the controller; and

determine the at least one of the orientation or the position of the apparatus relative to the device by using the first and second ranging measurements using the controller.

38. A display comprising:

a screen;

a first antenna mounted at a first location on the screen;

a second antenna mounted at a second location on the screen; and

a controller coupled to the first and second antennas, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a first ranging measurement between the first antenna and a device antenna on a device;

determine a second ranging measurement between the second antenna and the device antenna; and

determine at least one of an orientation or a position and orientation of the apparatus relative to the device using the first and second ranging measurements to facilitate motion capture.

39. A remote control comprising:

a housing;

a first antenna mounted at a first location in the housing;

a second antenna mounted at a second location in the housing; and

a controller coupled to the first and second antennas, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a first ranging measurement between the first antenna and a device antenna on a device;

determine a second ranging measurement between the second antenna and the device antenna; and

determine at least one of an orientation or a position and orientation of the apparatus relative to the device using the first and second ranging measurements to facilitate motion capture.