SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATING NODES WITHIN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20160174040A1
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Inventors: Roberts, Harold, Buffum, Jeffrey, Dove, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,716,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/08 Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

A system and method for determining the location of nodes within a network. Beamforming coefficients associated with signals transmitted from a first node to a second node are determined and, based on the beamforming coefficients, direction is determined between the first and second nodes. Distance is determined as a function of direction and the location of the second node is determined as a function of distance and direction.

Claims

1. In a network having a first and second node, wherein each node includes beamforming coefficients, a method of determining the location of a node, the method comprising:

determining the beamforming coefficients associated with signals transmitted from the first node to the second node;

determining a direction of the second node using the beamforming coefficients;

determining a distance between the first node and the second node as a function of time of flight and direction; and

determining a location of the second node as a function of distance and direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance includes determining a round trip delay of a signal from one of the first and second nodes to the other of the first and second nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance includes making a four-way time-of-arrival (TOA) determination

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance includes determining time of flight as a function of a continuous distribution of time of flight measurements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance includes monitoring transmissions between the first and second nodes via a third node;

and

calculating, based on measurements at the second node, a time of flight between the first and second nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance includes determining if the first or second node is moving and adjusting direction accordingly.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining direction includes determining direction using each of two different bands.

8. In a network having including a first, second and third node, wherein each node includes beamforming coefficients, a method of determining the location of a node, the method comprising:

determining the beamforming coefficients associated with signals transmitted from the first node to the second node and the beamforming coefficients associated with signals transmitted from the third node to the second node;

determining a direction of the second node from the first and third nodes using the beamforming coefficients; and

determining a location of the second node as a function of direction from each of the first and third nodes and the location of the first and third nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a location includes:

determining a distance between the first node and the second node as a function of time of flight and direction;

determining a distance between the third node and the second node as a function of time of flight and direction; and

determining a location of the second node as a function of direction and distance from each of the first and third nodes and of triangulation from the first and third nodes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a distance includes determining round trip delay of a signal from one of the first and second nodes to the other of the first and second nodes.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a distance includes making a four-way time-of-arrival (TOA) determination.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a distance includes determining a time of flight as a function of a continuous distribution of time of flight measurements.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a distance includes monitoring transmissions between the first and second nodes via a third node;

and

calculating, based on measurements at the second node, time of flight between the first and second nodes.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a distance includes determining if the first or second node is moving and adjusting direction accordingly.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a direction includes determining a direction using each of two different bands.