System and methods for direction finding using a handheld device

• US 8,009,099 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kauppinen, Hannu, Lehtiniemi, Tuukka, Kalliola, Kimmo, Juntunen, Juha O., Doppler, Klaus, Kainulainen, Antti, Jantunen, Joni, Ollikainen, Jani
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H
• Application Number:
  US12/631,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 342/374, 342/357.08, 342/419, 342/423, 342432-435, 342/437, 342/443, 342/445, 342463-465
• US Class Current: 342/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/46 using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system for indicating the relative direction of a target object or location as determined from the current position of a wireless communication device. The system employs Direction of Arrival determination using an antenna array for indicating the direction of a target device and includes facilities to activate a location-indicating transmission in a target device, the ability to request that a location-indicating transmission be activated in a remote target device, relevant information reception from a target device and the display of all potential target devices within effective transmission range of the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas;

a switching device, coupled to at least the antenna array, configured to select each of the plurality of antennas in the antenna array in sequence when performing direction of arrival determination;

a receiver, coupled to at least the switching device, configured to receive signal information from the antenna array, wherein the signal information is a communication signal capable of conveying communication information comprising at least one of audio information and video information to and from the device;

a controller configured to determine source identification information based on the received signal information; and

a display configured to display a list of targets based on the source identification information, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a relative direction towards one of the displayed targets by calculating a direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information, and to display the relative direction on the display, and further wherein the device is wireless communication device capable of at least one of long-range, short-range and near-field communications.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna array is incorporated within the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna array is externally attachable to the device in a predetermined orientation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching device switches between the plurality of antennas in the antenna array in rapid progression.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching device sequentially feeds signal information from antennas in the antenna array to the receiver, for processing the signal information by the controller to determine a relative direction to a target.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises two or more receivers including a receiver for receiving the source identification information and another receiver for processing the direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the two or more receivers further comprise a receiver for processing communication information conveyed within the received signal information.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a UHF RFID scanner configured to trigger the activation of a signal in a target by scanning the target.

9. A method, comprising:

selecting, in a wireless communication device capable of at least one of long- range, short-range and near-field communications, each of a plurality of antennas in an antenna array in sequence when performing direction of arrival determination;

receiving signal information from the antenna array, wherein the signal information is a communication signal capable of conveying communication information comprising at least one of audio information and video information;

determining source identification information based on the received signal information;

displaying, on a display in the wireless communication device, a list of targets based on the source identification information;

determining a relative direction towards one of the displayed targets by calculating a direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information; and

displaying the relative direction on the display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting each of the plurality of antennas in the antenna array in sequence is performed in rapid progression by a switching device in the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the switching device sequentially feeds signal information from antennas in the antenna array to a receiver in the wireless communication device, the signal information being processed by a controller in the wireless communication device to determine a relative direction towards a target.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiver comprises two or more receivers including a receiver for receiving the source identification information and another receiver for processing the direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the two or more receivers further comprise a receiver for processing communication information conveyed within the received signal information.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising a UHF RFID scanner in the wireless communication device configured to trigger the activation of a signal in a target by scanning the target.

15. 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 wireless communication device capable of at least one of long-range, short-range and near-field communications to select each of a plurality of antennas in an antenna array in sequence when performing direction of arrival determination;

code configured to cause the wireless communication device to receive signal information from the antenna array, wherein the signal information is a communication signal capable of conveying communication information comprising at least one of audio information and video information;

code configured to cause the wireless communication device to determine source identification information based on the received signal information;

code configured to cause the wireless communication device to display a list of targets based on the source identification information;

code configured to cause the wireless communication device to determine a relative direction towards one of the displayed targets by calculating a direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information; and

code configured to cause the wireless communication device to display the relative direction on the display.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein selecting each of the plurality of antennas in the antenna array in sequence is performed in rapid progression by a switching device in the wireless communication device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the code is configured to cause the switching device to sequentially feed signal information from antennas in the antenna array to a receiver in the wireless communication device, the signal information being processed by a controller in the wireless communication device to determine a relative direction towards a target.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the receiver comprises two or more receivers including a receiver for receiving the source identification information and another receiver for processing the direction of arrival estimation based on the received signal information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the two or more receivers further comprise a receiver for processing communication information conveyed within the received signal information.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising a UHF RFID scanner in the wireless communication device configured to trigger the activation of a signal in a target by scanning the target.