Time distance of arrival based mobile device location detection with disturbance scrutiny

• US 9,538,494 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Puthenpura, Sarat, Chen, Jie, Parker, Sam Houston, Wang, Huahui, Zhao, Wenjie
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thai
• Application Number:
  US14/090,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/404.2
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Techniques for locating a mobile device using a time distance of arrival (TDOA) method with disturbance scrutiny are provided. In an aspect, for respective combinations of three base station devices of a number of base station devices greater than or equal to three, intersections in hyperbolic curves, generated using a closed form function with input values based on differences of distances from the device to pairs of base station devices of the respective combinations of three base station devices, are determined. The intersection points are then tested for robustness against measurement errors associated with the input values and a subset of the intersection points that are associated with a degree of resistance to the measurement errors are selected to estimate a location of the device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a device, signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by the device from a number of base station devices, wherein the number is an integer greater than two;

for respective combinations of three base station devices of the number of base station devices, generating curve information representing hyperbolic curves generated using a closed form function with input values based on differences of distances from the device to pairs of base station devices of the respective combinations of three base station devices, wherein the differences of distances are based on the signal information and location information for the number of base station devices;

determining intersection points in the hyperbolic curves for the respective combinations of three base station devices;

for the respective combinations of three base station devices, introducing a deliberate measurement error into the input values resulting in modified input values;

generating comparative curve information representing comparative hyperbolic curves generated using the closed form function with the modified input values;

determining comparative intersection points in the comparative hyperbolic curves that respectively correspond to the intersection points; and

selecting a group of the intersection points that are associated with a degree of resistance to measurement errors associated with the input values based on respective amounts of deviation between the intersection points and the comparative intersection points.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the device based on the group of the intersection points.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises selecting one of the intersection points of the group of the intersection points that satisfies a function of a root mean squared error of the differences of distances.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selecting the group of the intersection points further comprises, selecting the group of the intersection points based on the respective amounts of deviation being determined to be less than a threshold amount.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the differences of distances are based on time differences of signals traveling from the respective pairs of base station devices and calibrated clock differences between the respective pairs of base station devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is a first device and the signal information is first signal information, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the calibrated clock differences based on second signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by a second device from the number of base station devices, wherein the second device is associated with a known location; and

performing the operations using the second signal information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system communicates according to a universal mobile telecommunication system protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of base station devices is greater than three.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises:

selecting one of the group of intersection points that is closest to a base station device of the number of base station devices associated with a strongest power of received signal code.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by a device from a number of base station devices, wherein the number is an integer greater than two;

for respective combinations of three base station devices of the number of base station devices,

determining, by the system, differences of distances from the device to pairs of base station devices of the respective combinations of three base station devices based on the signal information and location information for the number of base station devices,

generating, by the system, curve information representing hyperbolic curves generated using a closed form function with input values based on the differences of distances,

determining, by the system, intersection points in the hyperbolic curves;

adding, by the system, a deliberate measurement error into the input values resulting in error added input values,

generating, by the system, comparative curve information representing comparative hyperbolic curves generated using the closed form function with the error added input values,

determining, by the system, comparative intersection points in the comparative hyperbolic curves that respectively correspond to the intersection points, and

selecting, by the system, points of the intersection points that are associated with a determined degree of resistance to measurement errors associated with the input values based on respective amounts of deviation between the intersection points and the comparative intersection points.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the system, a location of the device based on the points of the intersection points.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the location of the device comprises selecting one of the intersection points that satisfies a function of a root mean squared error of the differences of distances.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting the points of the intersection points further comprises selecting the points of the intersection points based on the respective amounts of deviation being determined to be less than a threshold amount.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining the differences of distances further comprises determining the differences of distances based on time differences of signals traveling from the respective pairs of base station devices and calibrated clock differences between the respective pairs of base station devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is a first device and the signal information is first signal information, the method further comprising:

determining the calibrated clock differences based on second signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by a second device from the number of base station devices, wherein the second device is associated with a known location; and

performing the operations using the second signal information.

16. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a device, signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by the device from base station devices comprising at least three base stations;

for respective combinations of three base station devices of the base station devices, generating curve information representing hyperbolic curves generated using a closed form function with input values based on differences of distances from the device to pairs of base station devices of the respective combinations of three base station devices, wherein the differences of distances are based on the signal information and location information for the base station devices;

determining intersection points in the hyperbolic curves for the respective combinations of three base station devices;

introducing a measurement error into the input values resulting in changed input values;

for the respective combinations of three base station devices, generating comparative curve information representing comparative hyperbolic curves generated using the closed form function with the changed input values; and

determining comparative intersection points in the comparative hyperbolic curves that respectively correspond to the intersection points;

selecting ones the intersection points that are associated with a determined degree of resistance to measurement errors associated with the input values resulting in selected intersection points, based on respective amounts of deviation between the intersection points and the comparative intersection points; and

determining a location of the device based on the selected intersection points.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the determining the location of the device further comprises selecting one of the intersection points that satisfies a function of a root mean squared error of the differences of distances.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the selecting the ones of the intersection points further comprises selecting the ones of the intersection points based on the respective amounts of deviation being determined to satisfy a defined function.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the differences of distances is based on time differences of signals traveling from the respective pairs of base station devices and calibrated clock differences between the respective pairs of base station devices.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the device is a first device and the signal information is first signal information, the operations further comprising:

determining the calibrated clock differences based on second signal information indicating a difference in arrival time of signals that were received by a second device from the number of base station devices, wherein the second device is associated with a known location; and

performing the operations using the second signal information.