SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INDOOR POSITIONING USING WIRELESS POSITIONING NODES

• US 20180310272A1
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lonprox Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lonprox Corporation
• Inventors: Younis, Saed
• Granted Patent: US 10,484,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems and methods for determining a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment. An embodiment of the system can have one or more positioning nodes (PONs), each having one or more antennas. Each PON can be disposed at a location within indoor environment and configured to transmit signals via the one or more antennas. The signals transmitted from the antennas of the PONs can be synchronized in time and frequency. A server communicatively coupled to the PONs and storing aiding information, including location and signal information related to the PONs, can transmit the aiding information to a mobile device. The mobile device can receive the signals from use the PONs and use the aiding information to determine a three dimensional position within the indoor environment based on one-way time difference of arrival of the signals.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment, the system comprising:

a first positioning node (PON) having one or more antennas and disposed in a first location in the indoor environment and configured to transmit a first modulated signal via a first antenna;

a second PON having one or more antennas disposed in a second location in the indoor environment different from the first location and configured to transmit a second modulated signal via a second antenna, the second modulated signal being synchronized in time and frequency with the first modulated signal at a time of transmission; and

a server configured to

receive a request from the mobile device, the request indicating a coarse location of the mobile device, the coarse location being related to a location of the indoor environment,

transmit aiding information related to first PON and the second PON based on the request to the mobile device, the aiding information including location information for the first PON and the second PON, and signal information related to the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal; and

receive a position report from the mobile device, the position report being based on a difference in time between the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal at a time of arrival at the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first PON and the second PON are collocated with a containing device, the containing device being an in-home electronic device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first modulate signal and the second modulated signal are transmitted below an ultra-wideband (UWB) mask set for indoor UWB transmissions.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal are direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signals separated by at least one spreading chip.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal further implement binary phase shift keying (BPSK) with DSSS.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first PON and the second PON are collocated within a single containing device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first PON and the second PON are disposed within different containing devices.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first PON and the second PON are coupled to a common power main and are configured to synchronize the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal based on a frequency of the common power main.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein,

the first PON is further configured to transmit a first timing signal via the power main;

the second PON is further configured to transmit a second timing signal via the power main, the first timing signal and the second timing signal having a frequency several orders of magnitude the frequency of the common power main;

the first PON is further configured to adjust a local reference oscillator based on the second timing signal and one or more received other timing signals; and

the second PON is further configured to adjust a local reference oscillator based on the first timing signal and the one or more received other timing signals.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first PON and the second PON are configured to:

receive one or more other modulated signals;

determine a frequency and time offset between a respective one of the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal and the one or more other modulated signals; and

adjust a frequency of the respective one of the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal to synchronize frequency and time with the one or more other modulated signals.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated are transmitted intermittently at the respective first PON and second PON.

12. A method for determining a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first positioning node (PON), a first modulated signal via a first antenna, the first PON having one or more antennas and disposed in a first location in the indoor environment;

transmitting, by a second PON, a second modulated signal via a second antenna, the second PON having one or more antennas and disposed in a second location in the indoor environment different from the first location, the second modulated signal being synchronized in time and frequency with the first modulated signal at a time of transmission;

receiving, at a server, a request from the mobile device indicating a coarse location of the mobile device, the coarse location being related to a location of the indoor environment;

transmitting, by the server, aiding information related to first PON and the second PON, based on the request to the mobile device, the aiding information including location information for the first PON and the second PON, and signal information related to the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal; and

receiving, at the server, a position report from the mobile device, the position report being based on a difference in time between the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal at a time of arrival at the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first PON and the second PON are collocated with a containing device, the containing device being an in-home electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal are direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signals separated by at least one spreading chip.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal further implement binary phase shift keying (BPSK) with DSSS.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the first PON and the second PON are coupled to a common power main and are configured to synchronize the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal based on a frequency of the common power main.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein,

the first PON is further configured to transmit a first timing signal via the power main;

the second PON is further configured to transmit a second timing signal via the power main, the first timing signal and the second timing signal having a frequency several orders of magnitude the frequency of the common power main;

the first PON is further configured to adjust a local reference oscillator based on the second timing signal and one or more received other timing signals; and

the second PON is further configured to adjust a local reference oscillator based on the first timing signal and the one or more received other timing signals.

18. A method for operating a mobile device to determine the location of the mobile device within an indoor environment, the indoor environment having one or more positioning nodes (PONs), each PON having one or more antennas, the method comprising:

determining, at a mobile device, a coarse location of the indoor environment;

transmitting a request to a server including the coarse location, the server storing aiding information related to the one or more PONs;

receiving, at the mobile device, the aiding information from the server based on the coarse location;

receiving a first positioning signal from a first antenna of the one or more antennas;

receiving a second positioning signal from a second antenna of the one or more antennas, the second positioning being out of phase with the first positioning signal;

receiving a third positioning signal from a third antenna of the one or more antennas, the third positioning signal being out of phase with the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal; and

determining a position mobile device based on a one-way time-difference of arrival (TDOA) between the first positioning signal, the second positioning signal, and the third positioning signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first positioning signal, the second positioning signal, and the third positioning signal are transmitted using direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS).

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna are collocated within the same PON.