Method, apparatus, and computer program product for short-range communication based direction finding

• US 8,929,192 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kainulainen, Antti, Salokannel, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): GHOWRWAL, OMAR J
• Application Number:
  US13/357,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370/229, 370/235, 370/236, 370/351, 370/389, 370/912
• US Class Current: 370/203
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments provide short-range communication based direction finding. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method comprises transmitting by a target device, information in one or more advertising packets, including preferences of the target device for using data signing associated with direction finding; and receiving by the target device from a tracker device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting by a target device, information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including preferences of the target device for using data signing associated with direction finding;

receiving by the target device from a tracker device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets;

generating by the target device, a data signature of the target device; and

broadcasting by the target device to the tracker device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including the data signature and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including in the transmitted Bluetooth LE advertising packet, a request for data signing by tracker devices.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

transmit information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including preferences of the apparatus for using data signing associated with direction finding;

receive from a tracker device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the apparatus preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets;

generate a data signature of the apparatus; and

broadcast to the tracker device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including the data signature and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the at least one memory and the computer program code to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to:

include in the transmitted Bluetooth LE advertising packet, a request for data signing by tracker devices.

5. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code when executed, performing steps comprising:

transmitting by a target device, information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including preferences of the target device for using data signing associated with direction finding;

receiving by the target device from a tracker device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets;

generating by the target device, a data signature of the target device; and

broadcasting by the target device to the tracker device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including the data signature and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code when executed, performing steps comprising:

including in the transmitted Bluetooth LE advertising packet, a request for data signing by tracker devices.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving by a tracker device, information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets from a target device, including preferences of the target device for data signing associated with direction finding;

transmitting by the tracker device to the target device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets; and

receiving by the tracker device from the target device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including a data signature of the target device and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving in the transmitted one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, a request for data signing by tracker devices.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets from a target device, including preferences of the target device for data signing associated with direction finding;

transmit to the target device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets; and

receive from the target device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including a data signature of the target device and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the at least one memory and the computer program code to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to:

receive in the transmitted one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, a request for data signing by tracker devices.

11. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code when executed, performing steps comprising:

receiving by a tracker device, information in one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets from a target device, including preferences of the target device for data signing associated with direction finding;

transmitting by the tracker device to the target device, one or more direction finding request packets including a request for data signing corresponding with the target device preferences and a data signature of the tracker device included in at least one of the one or more direction finding request packets; and

receiving by the tracker device from the target device, one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, including a packet type indication that the packet is a direction finding packet, the packet including a data signature of the target device and direction finding data for at least one of an angle of arrival of angle (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) estimation of the packet.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code when executed, performing steps comprising:

receiving in the transmitted one or more Bluetooth LE advertising packets, a request for data signing by tracker devices.