Acoustic ranging
First Claim
1. A method for acoustic ranging on a first device, the method comprising:
- emitting a first acoustic signal from the first device;
receiving the first acoustic signal at a first time at the first device;
receiving a second acoustic signal at a second time at the first device, the second acoustic signal emitted by a second device;
ascertaining a first value reflecting a time difference between the first time and the second time;
receiving from the second device at least a second value reflecting a time difference between when the second device received the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal; and
determining a distance between the first device and the second device based at least on the first value and the second value, the first device being different from the second device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Acoustic ranging may involve determining a distance between a first device and at least one other device using one or more acoustic signals. In an example embodiment, a first device emits a first acoustic signal and then receives the first acoustic signal at a first time. The first device also receives a second acoustic signal at a second time, with the second acoustic signal having been emitted by a second device. The first device ascertains a first value that reflects a difference between the first time and the second time. Responsive to at least the ascertained first value, the first device determines a distance between the first device and the second device.
58 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for acoustic ranging on a first device, the method comprising:
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emitting a first acoustic signal from the first device; receiving the first acoustic signal at a first time at the first device; receiving a second acoustic signal at a second time at the first device, the second acoustic signal emitted by a second device; ascertaining a first value reflecting a time difference between the first time and the second time; receiving from the second device at least a second value reflecting a time difference between when the second device received the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal; and determining a distance between the first device and the second device based at least on the first value and the second value, the first device being different from the second device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a first device to perform acts comprising:
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emitting a first acoustic signal from the first device; receiving the first acoustic signal at a first time at the first device; receiving a second acoustic signal at a second time at the first device, the second acoustic signal emitted by a second device; ascertaining a first value reflecting a time difference between the first time and the second time by ascertaining a first sample point of the first acoustic signal, ascertaining a first sample point of the second acoustic signal, and counting samples between the first sample points of the first and second acoustic signals to derive the first value, wherein the samples are generated on a fixed frequency by an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter of the first device; receiving from the second device at least a second value reflecting a time difference between when the second device received the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal; and determining a distance between the first device and the second device based at least on the first value and the second value, the first device being different from the second device.
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17. A first device comprising:
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at least one speaker; at least one microphone; an actuator to emit, in conjunction with the speaker, a first acoustic signal; a sensor to receive, in conjunction with the microphone, the first acoustic signal at a first time and a second acoustic signal at a second time, the second acoustic signal emitted by a second device; a calculator to ascertain a first value reflecting a time difference between the first time and the second time and to determine a distance between the first device and the second device based at least on the first value, the first device being different from the second device; an application programming interface (API) to expose an acoustic ranging capability to other applications; and an acoustic ranging controller to control performance of acoustic ranging procedures by controlling at least the calculator and to interact with the other applications via the API by receiving acoustic ranging procedure requests from the other applications and by sending calculated distances to the other applications. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification