Hybrid positioning mechanism for wireless communication devices

• US 8,547,870 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Curticapean, Florean
• Primary Examiner(s): ABELSON, RONALD B
• Application Number:
  US13/155,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0258 by combining or switching between measurements derived from different systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless communication device can determine its position in accordance with a hybrid positioning mechanism to minimize bandwidth and power consumption at the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can detect one or more request messages and one or more corresponding response messages exchanged between a master access point and one or more target access points, and can accordingly determine TDOA information associated with the one or more target access points. The wireless communication device can receive, from the master access point, RTT measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the one or more request messages and the one or more corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and the one or more target access points. The wireless communication device can calculate its position information based, at least in part, on the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a communication device of a wireless communication network, a request message and a corresponding response message exchanged between a master access point of the wireless communication network and a target access point of the wireless communication network;

determining, at the communication device, time difference of arrival (TDOA) information based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point;

receiving, from the master access point, an indication of round-trip time (RTT) measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point; and

calculating position information associated with the communication device based, at least in part, on the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position information associated with the communication device comprises:

receiving, from the master access point, position information associated with the master access point and position information associated with the target access point; and

calculating the position information associated with the communication device based, at least in part, on the TDOA information, the RTT measurement information, the position information associated with the master access point, and the position information associated with the target access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position information associated with the communication device comprises:

determining position information associated with the master access point, position information associated with the target access point, a propagation time interval associated with the master access point, a propagation time interval associated with the target access point, and a propagation time interval associated with the communication device; and

calculating the position information associated with the communication device based on the TDOA information, the RTT measurement information, the position information associated with the master access point, the position information associated with the target access point, the propagation time interval associated with the master access point, the propagation time interval associated with the target access point, and the propagation time interval associated with the communication device.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the propagation time interval associated with the target access point comprises at least a time interval associated with a transmitter unit of the first target access point, a time interval associated with a receiver unit of the target access point, a time interval associated with a processing unit of the target access point, and an external propagation time interval between the master access point and the target access point;

and

wherein the propagation time interval associated with the master access point comprises at least a time interval associated with a transmitter unit of the master access point and a time interval associated with a receiver unit of the master access point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting request messages and corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and a plurality of target access points;

determining the TDOA information based, at least in part, on the request messages and the corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and plurality of target access points;

receiving the RTT measurement information from the master access point, the RTT measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the request messages and the corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and the plurality of target access points; and

wherein calculating the position information associated with the communication device includes;

determining whether the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information associated with a predetermined number of target access points are available; and

calculating the position information associated with the communication device in response to determining that the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information associated with the predetermined number of target access points are available.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the master access point within a predetermined communication range of the communication device;

receiving, from the master access point, an indication of the target access point associated with the master access point;

identifying that the target access point is within the predetermined communication range of the communication device; and

transmitting an indication to the master access point to cause the master access point to initiate an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point within the predetermined communication range of the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the RTT measurement information determined by the master access point comprises one of

receiving, from the master access point, the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point in a corresponding RTT measurement control message;

or

receiving, from the master access point, the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point in a beacon message associated with the master access point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the communication device, to calculate the position information associated with the communication device; and

in response to determining to calculate the position information associated with the communication device, providing a trigger message from the communication device to the master access point to cause the master access point to transmit the request message to the target access point and to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point based on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the master access point, a control message that indicates a start of an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point; and

in response to receiving the control message, determining the TDOA information associated with the target access point based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control message comprises at least one of an identifier of the target access point, an identifier of the master access point, a communication channel for subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point, and a time instant at which subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point will be initiated.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the master access point, an indication of one or more communication channels of the wireless communication network via which the request message and the corresponding response message are to be exchanged; and

listening on the one or more communication channels of the wireless communication network for to detect the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point in response to receiving the indication from the master access point.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the master access point, a communication schedule in accordance with which the request message will be transmitted from the master access point to the target access point; and

determining whether to switch to an inactive power mode based, at least in part, on the communication schedule in accordance with which the request message will be transmitted from the master access point to the target access point.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

listening on one or more communication channels of the wireless communication network to detect the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position information associated with the communication device does not involve the communication device transmitting any control messages to initiate RTT measurements.

15. A communication device comprising:

a processor;

a network interface coupled with the processor; and

a positioning unit coupled with the processor and with the network interface, the positioning unit operable to;

detect a request message and corresponding response message exchanged between a master access point of a wireless communication network and a target access point of the wireless communication network;

determine time difference of arrival (TDOA) information based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point;

receive, from the master access point, an indication of round-trip time (RTT) measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point; and

calculate position information associated with the communication device based, at least in part, on the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the positioning unit is operable to:

detect request messages and corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and a plurality of target access points;

determine the TDOA information based, at least in part, on the request messages and the corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and plurality of target access points;

receive the RTT measurement information from the master access point, the RTT measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the request messages and the corresponding response messages exchanged between the master access point and the plurality of target access points; and

wherein the positioning unit operable to calculate the position information associated with the communication device includes the positioning unit operable to;

determine whether the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information associated with a predetermined number of target access points are available; and

calculate the position information associated with the communication device in response to the positioning unit determining that the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information associated with the predetermined number of target access points are available.

17. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the positioning unit is further operable to:

detect the master access point within a predetermined communication range of the communication device;

receive, from the master access point, an indication of the target access point associated with the master access point;

identify that the target access point is within the predetermined communication range of the communication device; and

transmit an indication to the master access point to cause the master access point to initiate an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point within the predetermined communication range of the communication device.

18. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the positioning unit is operable to:

receive, from the master access point, a control message that indicates a start of an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point, wherein the control message comprises at least one of an identifier of the target access point, an identifier of the master access point, a communication channel for subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point, and a time instant at which subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point will be initiated; and

in response to the positioning unit receiving the control message, determine the TDOA information associated with the target access point based on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

19. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the positioning unit is further operable to:

determine to calculate the position information associated with the communication device; and

in response to determining to calculate the position information associated with the communication device, provide a trigger message from the communication device to the master access point to cause the master access point to transmit the request message to the target access point and to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point based on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

20. One or more machine-readable storage media having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

detecting, at a communication device of a wireless communication network, a request message and a corresponding response message exchanged between a master access point of the wireless communication network and a target access point of the wireless communication network;

determining time difference of arrival (TDOA) information based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point;

receiving, from the master access point, an indication of round-trip time (RTT) measurement information determined by the master access point based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point; and

calculating position information associated with the communication device based, at least in part, on the TDOA information and the RTT measurement information.

21. The machine-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting the master access point within a predetermined communication range of the communication device;

receiving, from the master access point, an indication of the target access point associated with the master access point;

identifying that the target access point is within the predetermined communication range of the communication device; and

transmitting an indication to the master access point to cause the master access point to initiate an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point within the predetermined communication range of the communication device.

22. The machine-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining to calculate the position information associated with the communication device; and

in response to determining to calculate the position information associated with the communication device, providing a trigger message to the master access point to cause the master access point to transmit the request message to the target access point and to determine the RTT measurement information associated with the target access point based on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.

23. The machine-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the master access point, a control message that indicates a start of an RTT measurement sequence involving the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point, wherein the control message comprises at least one of an identifier of the target access point, an identifier of the master access point, a communication channel for subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point, and a time instant at which subsequent transmission of the request message to the target access point will be initiated; and

in response to receiving the control message, determining the TDOA information associated with the first target access point based, at least in part, on the request message and the corresponding response message exchanged between the master access point and the target access point.