DETERMINING RANGE IN A WIRELESS SYSTEM

• US 20160044444A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rattner, Zachary David, DeVico, Michael Orlando
• Application Number:
  US14/711,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method includes obtaining a received signal strength indication and processing the received signal strength indication to determine a range between a first device and a second device free of prior configuration data between the first device and the second device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a received signal strength indication; and

processing the received signal strength indication to determine a range between a first device and a second device free of prior configuration data between the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the received signal strength indication comprises:

obtaining a plurality of signal strength indication samples;

filtering the plurality of signal strength indication samples;

obtaining a derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples; and

categorizing the derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples into at least one of a plurality of proximity states.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of proximity states comprises near, medium and far proximity states.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a state change from a first proximity state to a second proximity state occurs after a predefined change in the signal strength of the signal strength indication samples.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device and the second device communicate over a Bluetooth communication channel.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device and the second device communicate over a WIFI communication channel.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the plurality of proximity states to determine whether the first device and the second device are approaching one another.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the plurality of proximity states to determine whether the first device and the second device are moving away from one another.

9. A device, comprising:

a receiver configured to generate a received signal strength indication; and

a ranging module configured to process the received signal strength indication to determine a range between a first device and a second device free of prior configuration data between the first device and the second device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the ranging module is configured to:

obtain a plurality of signal strength indication samples;

filter the plurality of signal strength indication samples;

obtain a derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples; and

categorize the derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples into at least one of a plurality of proximity states.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of proximity states comprises near, medium and far proximity states.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein a state change from a first proximity state to a second proximity state occurs after a predefined change in the signal strength of the signal strength indication samples.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the first device and the second device communicate over a Bluetooth communication channel.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the first device and the second device communicate over a WIFI communication channel.

15. The device of claim 10, further comprising using the plurality of proximity states to determine whether the first device and the second device are approaching one another.

16. The device of claim 10, further comprising using the plurality of proximity states to determine whether the first device and the second device are moving away from one another.

17. A system, comprising:

means for obtaining a received signal strength indication; and

means for processing the received signal strength indication to determine a range between a first device and a second device free of prior configuration data between the first device and the second device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for obtaining a plurality of signal strength indication samples;

means for filtering the plurality of signal strength indication samples;

means for obtaining a derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples; and

means for categorizing the derivative of the plurality of signal strength indication samples into at least one of a plurality of proximity states.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of proximity states comprises near, medium and far proximity states.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising using the plurality of proximity states to determine whether the first device and the second device are approaching one another or moving away from one another.