SONIC-ASSISTED LOCALIZATION OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20140269193A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lei Yang, Martin Junkar, Yang Xue
• Inventors: YANG, Lei, YANG, Xue, JUNKAR, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/80 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

Wireless location identification systems, methods, and devices include a wireless device configured to transmit at least one sonic signal operating on at least one acoustic frequency and to receive at least one echo signal indicative of the at least one sonic signal being reflected by objects in a current location, an audio module configured to measure the received at least one echo signal and process the at least one echo signal to extract attributes of the echo signal and generate at least one echo profile characteristic; and logic configured to compare the at least one profile characteristic with previously-stored sonic characteristics that are correlated with pre-identified locations. The current location is then identified as a pre-identified location correlated to the previously-stored sonic characteristics that match the at least one profile characteristic.

Claims

1. A wireless location identification method, comprising:

transmitting, by a wireless device, at least one sonic signal operating on at least one acoustic frequency;

receiving, by the wireless device, at least one echo signal indicative of the at least one sonic signal being reflected by objects in a current location;

measuring the received at least one echo signal;

processing the at least one echo signal to extract attributes of the echo signal and generate at least one echo profile characteristic;

comparing the at least one profile characteristic with previously-stored sonic characteristics that are correlated with pre-identified locations; and

setting the current location as a pre-identified location correlated to the previously-stored sonic characteristics that match the at least one profile characteristic.

2. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the at least one sonic signal is performed by a speaker device integrated with the wireless device.

3. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the at least one echo signal is performed by a microphone device integrated with the wireless device.

4. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sonic signal operates at a frequency within a bandwidth of about 20 Hz to about 300 kHz.

5. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sonic signal comprises a plurality of pulse signals each operating at different frequencies within a bandwidth of about 20 Hz to about 300 kHz.

6. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the at least one echo signal further includes filtering out received signals attributable to background noise.

7. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the at least one echo profile characteristic includes one or more of the following attributes:

amplitude of the at least one echo signal, frequency of the at least one echo signal, delay of the at least one echo signal, Doppler shift of the at least one echo signal, direction of wireless device movement, and speed of wireless device movement.

8. The wireless method of claim 1, wherein the previously-stored sonic characteristics are stored within the wireless device.

9. The wireless method of claim 1 wherein, upon determining that no match exists between the previously-stored sonic characteristics and the at least one profile characteristic, continuing to perform the transmitting, receiving, measuring, processing and comparing operations until a match is found between the previously-stored sonic characteristics and the at least one profile characteristic or until a predetermined maximum number of iterations is reached.

10. The wireless method of claim 1 wherein, upon reaching the predetermined maximum number of iterations, storing the at least one profile characteristic as a new sonic characteristic.

11. A wireless location identification system, comprising:

a wireless device configured to transmit at least one sonic signal operating on at least one acoustic frequency and to receive at least one echo signal indicative of the at least one sonic signal being reflected by objects in a current location;

an audio module configured to measure the received at least one echo signal and process the at least one echo signal to extract attributes of the echo signal and generate at least one echo profile characteristic; and

logic configured to compare the at least one profile characteristic with previously-stored sonic characteristics that are correlated with pre-identified locations,

wherein, the current location is identified to a pre-identified location correlated to the previously-stored sonic characteristics that match the at least one profile characteristic.

12. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the transmission of the at least one sonic signal is performed by a speaker device integrated with the wireless device.

13. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the reception of the at least one echo signal is performed by a microphone device integrated with the wireless device.

14. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the at least one sonic signal operates at a frequency within a bandwidth of about 20 Hz to about 300 kHz.

15. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the at least one sonic signal comprises a plurality of pulse signals each operating at different frequencies within a bandwidth of about 20 Hz to about 300 kHz.

16. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the audio module is further configured to filter out received signals attributable to background noise.

17. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the at least one echo profile characteristic includes one or more of the following attributes:

amplitude of the at least one echo signal, frequency of the at least one echo signal, delay of the at least one echo signal, Doppler shift of the at least one echo signal, direction of wireless device movement, and speed of wireless device movement.

18. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein the previously-stored sonic characteristics are stored within the wireless device.

19. The wireless system of claim 11, wherein, upon the logic determining that no match exists between the previously-stored sonic characteristics and the at least one profile characteristic, continuing to perform the transmitting, receiving, measuring, processing and comparing operations until a match is found between the previously-stored sonic characteristics and the at least one profile characteristic or until a predetermined maximum number of iterations is reached.

20. The wireless system of claim 19 wherein, upon reaching the predetermined maximum number of iterations, the logic actuates storage of the at least one profile characteristic as a new sonic characteristic.