Performance and power management in direction of arrival determination by utilizing sensor information

• US 7,978,137 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jantunen, Joni, Nurmela, Vuokko, Kainulainen, Antti, Kauppinen, Hannu, Kalliola, Kimmo
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US12/029,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 342/418, 342/437, 342/442, 342/443, 342/444
• US Class Current: 342/418
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/023 Monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/74 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single antenna system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals systems in which the directions of different signals are determined sequentially and displayed simultaneously G01S3/04, G01S3/14

Abstract

A system for enhancing the performance of a wireless communication device (WCD) while executing a direction of arrival (DoA) estimation. The performance may be improved through device management, and may include the collection of information from one or more sensors installed within the WCD. The sensor information may initially be used to determine an appropriate configuration for the device. Further, the sensor information may also be used to affect the behavior of the device while performing the DoA estimation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sensing, using one or more sensors in a device, information related to a mechanical orientation of a device;

configuring direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors; and

determining a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is used to alter a power mode for the direction of arrival estimation functionality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least position sensors enabled to indicate the relative orientation of at least one section of the device to another section of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least motion sensors enabled to determine when the device is being moved.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a direction of arrival estimate includes determining the direction of arrival of the signal using an array of directional antennas coupled to the device, and further indicating the relative direction towards the source of the signal on a user interface in the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein configuring the direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors includes selecting at least a direction of arrival application program, antenna calibration vectors for the antenna array and a display mode for the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is signal quality.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is a change, or lack of change, in position of the source of the received signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the power mode of the direction of arrival estimation functionality includes at least one of putting direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device into a power conservation mode or disabling the direction of arrival estimation functionality.

9. A device, comprising:

one or more sensors;

at least one direction of arrival estimation module; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors and the at least one direction of arrival estimation module, the processor being configured to;

sense, using the one or more sensors, information related to a mechanical orientation of the device;

configure the at least one direction of arrival estimation module in the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors; and

determine a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device,

wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is used to alter a power mode for the direction of arrival estimation module.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors include at least position sensors enabled to indicate the relative orientation of at least one section of the device to another section of the device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors include at least motion sensors enabled to determine when the device is being moved.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein a direction of arrival estimate includes determining the direction of arrival of the signal using an array of directional antennas coupled to the device, and further indicating the relative direction towards the source of the signal on a user interface in the device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein configuring the direction of arrival estimation module in the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors includes selecting at least a direction of arrival application program, antenna calibration vectors for the antenna array and a display mode for the user interface.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is signal quality.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is a change, or lack of change, in position of the source of the received signal.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein altering the power mode of the direction of arrival estimation module includes at least one of putting direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device into a power conservation mode or disabling the direction of arrival estimation module.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code configured to cause a device to sense, using one or more sensors, information related to a mechanical orientation of the device;

code configured to cause the device to configure direction of arrival estimation functionality based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors; and

code configured to cause the device to determine a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is used to alter a power mode for the direction of arrival estimation functionality.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors include at least position sensors enabled to indicate the relative orientation of at least one section of the device to another section of the device.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors include at least motion sensors enabled to determine when the device is being moved.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a direction of arrival estimate includes determining the direction of arrival of the signal using an array of directional antennas coupled to the device, and further indicating the relative direction towards the source of the signal on a user interface in the device.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein configuring the direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors includes selecting at least a direction of arrival application program, antenna calibration vectors for the antenna array and a display mode for the user interface.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is signal quality.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one sensed condition related to the received signal is a change, or lack of change, in position of the source of the received signal.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein altering the power mode of the direction of arrival estimation functionality includes at least one of putting direction of arrival estimation functionality in the device into a power conservation mode or disabling the direction of arrival estimation functionality.

25. A method, comprising:

sensing, using one or more sensors in a device, information related to a state and/or alignment of the device;

configuring the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors;

determining a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device, wherein sensed conditions relating to the state and/or alignment of the device are utilized to affect the behavior of the device while determining the direction of arrival estimate; and

if a power management mode is enabled, performing power management that disables the direction of arrival estimate determination when one or more sensors detect that the device is stationary.

26. A device, comprising:

one or more sensors;

at least one direction of arrival estimation module; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors and the at least one direction of arrival estimation module, the processor being configured to;

sense, using one or more sensors, information related to a state and/or alignment of the device;

configure the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors;

determine a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device, wherein sensed conditions relating to the state and/or alignment of the device are utilized to affect the behavior of the device while determining the direction of arrival estimate; and

if a power management mode is enabled, perform power management that disables the direction of arrival estimate determination when one or more sensors detect that the device is stationary.

27. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code configured to cause a device to sense, using one or more sensors, information related to a state and/or alignment of the device;

code configured to cause a device to configure the device based on the information sensed by the one or more sensors;

code configured to cause a device to determine a direction of arrival estimate of a received signal in the device, wherein sensed conditions relating to the state and/or alignment of the device are utilized to affect the behavior of the device while determining the direction of arrival estimate; and

code configured to cause a device to, if a power management mode is enabled, perform power management that disables the direction of arrival estimate determination when one or more sensors detect that the device is stationary.