Methods and systems for positioning based on observed difference of time of arrival

• US 9,395,433 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Aldana, Carlos H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/735,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/411, 455/404.2, 455/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for computing an estimated location of a mobile device based, at least in part, on an observed difference of time of arrival of messages arriving at the mobile device. In particular implementations, such observed time arrival may comprise a difference between receipt at the mobile device a first message transmitted from a first transceiver device to a second transceiver device and receipt at the mobile device of a second message transmitted by the second transceiver device in response to the first message.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a computing device:

obtaining a first parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at a mobile device of a first message transmitted by a first transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a second message transmitted by a second transmitting device in response to receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

obtaining a second parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at the mobile device of a third message transmitted by a third transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a fourth message transmitted by a fourth transmitting device in response to receipt of the third message at the fourth transmitting device; and

computing an estimated location of the mobile device based, at least in part, on the first parameter and the second parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the estimated location of the mobile device comprises determining an intersection of plots defined, at least in part, by the first and second parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second parameters correspond, at least in part, to first and second expressions, respectively, and the first and second expressions correspond to different hyperbolas.

4. The method of claim 1, and wherein the first parameter comprises one or more parameters indicative of:

a measurement of a round-trip signal time for transmission of the first message and receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

a time of transmission of the first message;

or

a time of transmission of the second message;

or

a time of receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

or

a time of receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

some combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmitting device comprises an access point transceiver, and the first message comprises a fine timing request message transmitted according to IEEE std. 802.11, and the second message comprises an acknowledgement message transmitted according to the IEEE std. 802.11.

6. A computing device comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors and the memory being configured to;

access from the memory a first parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at a mobile device of a first message transmitted by a first transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a second message transmitted by a second transmitting device in response to receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

access from the memory a second parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at the mobile device of a third message transmitted by a third transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a fourth message transmitted by a fourth transmitting device in response to receipt of the third message at the fourth transmitting device; and

compute an estimated location of the mobile device, at least in part, based on the first parameter and the second parameter.

7. The computing device of claim 6, said one or more processors and the memory being configured to determine an intersection of plots defined, at least in part, by the first and second parameters.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein said first and second parameters correspond, at least in part, to first and second expressions, respectively, and the first and second expressions correspond to different hyperbolas.

9. The computing device of claim 6, and wherein the first parameter comprises one or more parameters indicative of:

a measurement of a round-trip signal time for transmission of the first message and receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

a time of transmission of the first message;

or

a time of transmission of the second message;

or

a time of receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

or

a time of receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

some combination thereof.

10. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the first transmitting device comprises an access point transceiver, and the first message comprises a fine timing request message transmitted according to IEEE std. 802.11, and the second message comprises an acknowledgement message transmitted according to the IEEE std. 802.11.

11. A non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by a special purpose computing apparatus to:

obtain a first parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at a mobile device of a first message transmitted by a first transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a second message transmitted by a second transmitting device in response to receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

obtain a second parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at the mobile device of a third message transmitted by a third transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a fourth message transmitted by a fourth transmitting device in response to receipt of the third message at the fourth transmitting device; and

compute an estimated location of the mobile device, at least in part, based on the first parameter and the second parameter.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, said machine-readable instructions being further executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to determine an intersection of plots defined, at least in part, by the first and second parameters.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first and second parameters correspond, at least in part, to first and second expressions, respectively, and the first and second expressions correspond to different hyperbolas.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, and wherein the first parameter comprises one or more parameters indicative of:

a measurement of a round-trip signal time for transmission of the first message and receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

a time of transmission of the first message;

or

a time of transmission of the second message;

or

a time of receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

or

a time of receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

some combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first transmitting device comprises an access point transceiver, and the first message comprises a fine timing request message transmitted according to IEEE std. 802.11, and the second message comprises an acknowledgement message transmitted according to the IEEE std. 802.11.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a first parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at a mobile device of a first message transmitted by a first transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a second message transmitted by a second transmitting device in response to receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

means for obtaining a second parameter indicative, at least in part, of a difference between a time of receipt at the mobile device of a third message transmitted by a third transmitting device and a time of receipt at the mobile device of a fourth message transmitted by a fourth transmitting device in response to receipt of the third message at the fourth transmitting device; and

means for computing an estimated location of the mobile device, at least in part, based on the first parameter and the second parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein further comprising means for determining an intersection of plots defined, at least in part, by said first and second parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first and second parameters correspond, at least in part, to first and second expressions, respectively, and the first and second expressions correspond to different hyperbolas.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, and wherein the first parameter comprises one or more parameters indicative of:

a measurement of a round-trip signal time for transmission of the first message and receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

a time of transmission of the first message;

or

a time of transmission of the second message;

or

a time of receipt of the first message at the second transmitting device;

or

a time of receipt of the second message at the first transmitting device;

or

some combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first transmitting device comprises an access point transceiver, and the first message comprises a fine timing request message transmitted according to IEEE std. 802.11, and the second message comprises an acknowledgement message transmitted according to the IEEE std. 802.11.