Device positioning using acoustic and radio signals

• US 9,689,958 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ring Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wild, Ben, Barton, Robert A
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/201,897
• Time in Patent Office: 1,206 Days
• Field of Search: 367 99, 367118, 367125
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/751 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/753 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8003 Diversity systems specially adapted for direction finding
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/801 Details G01S3/82, G01S3/84, G01S3/86 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/802 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

The present technology may be directed a system for determining an angle and distance between a positioning node and secondary device using a plurality of acoustic transmitters to transmit acoustic ranging signals that are modulated using ranging sequences, respectively. The system includes an acoustic receiver to detect the acoustic ranging signals, and a signal processor to calculate times of arrival and a plurality of aliased angles of arrival of the acoustic ranging signals. An anti-aliasing module may select an angle of arrival from the calculated plurality of aliased angles using the times of arrival of the acoustic ranging signals. A time of flight may be calculated from a comparison of times of arrival for radio signals and the acoustic signals. The time of flight may be used to calculate the distance between the positioning node and secondary device.

Claims

1. A system for determining an angle between a positioning node and a secondary device, the system comprising:

a first acoustic transducer disposed along a first axis of the positioning node and coupled to a first acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a first ranging sequence, the first acoustic transducer configured to transmit the first acoustic ranging signal to the secondary device;

a second acoustic transducer disposed along the first axis of the positioning node and coupled to a second acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a second ranging sequence, the second acoustic transducer configured to transmit the second acoustic ranging signal to the secondary device;

an acoustic receiver disposed on the secondary device and configured to detect the first and second acoustic ranging signals;

a signal processor configured to calculate a phase difference between the first and second acoustic ranging signals using the first and second acoustic ranging sequences, and to calculate a time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals; and

an anti-aliasing module configured to calculate a plurality of aliased angles of arrival using the calculated phase difference, and to determine the angle between the positioning node and the secondary device from the plurality of angles of arrival using a difference between the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor and anti-aliasing module are disposed on the secondary device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio transmitter coupled to the positioning node and configured to transmit a timing signal to the secondary device; and

a radio receiver disposed on the secondary device and configured to detect the timing signal, the signal processor further configured to calculate time of flight of the first and second acoustic ranging signals using the timing signal and the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the signal processor is further configured to calculate a distance of the secondary device from the position node using the timing signal.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the radio transmitter and receiver are Bluetooth compatible.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio receiver disposed on the secondary device and configured to receive information for use by the secondary device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the received information includes at least one of positioning node identification number, acoustic ranging signal description, or ranging signals.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter configured to send information describing the first acoustic ranging signal and the second acoustic ranging signal.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit a timing signal for use at the positioning node.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a distance measuring module configured to use the timing signal for calculating a distance to the secondary device from the position node.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit information for use by the anti-aliasing module, the transmitted information including the calculated phase difference and the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit information for use by the anti-aliasing module, the transmitted information including the calculated phase difference between the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit information for use by the anti-aliasing module, the transmitted information including the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an encoder disposed on the secondary device and configured to encode received acoustic ranging signals from the first and second transducers; and

a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit encoded acoustic ranging signals for use by signal processor to calculate the phase difference and the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the secondary device and configured to transmit information for use by signal processor to calculate the phase difference and the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is a mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is a robot.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third acoustic transducer disposed on the positioning node along a second axis of the positioning node and coupled to a third acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a third ranging sequence, the third acoustic transducer configured to transmit the third acoustic ranging signal to the secondary device,

the signal processor further configured to calculate a second phase difference between the third acoustic ranging signal and the second acoustic ranging signal, and to calculate a time of arrival of the third acoustic ranging signal, and

the anti-aliasing module further configured to determine an angle in the second axis between the positioning node and the secondary device using the calculated second phase difference and a difference between the time of arrival of the third acoustic ranging signal and the second acoustic ranging signal.

19. A positioning device comprising:

an acoustic receiver configured to receive a first ranging signal from a first transducer, the first ranging signal modulated using a first sequence, the acoustic receiver also configured to receive a second ranging signal from a second transducer, the second ranging signal modulated using a second sequence;

a signal processor configured to use first and second sequence to calculate a phase difference between the first and second ranging signals, and to calculate a time of arrival of the first and second ranging signals; and

an anti-aliasing module configured to calculate an angle between the positioning device and a first axis referenced to the first and second transducer using the phase difference and the time of arrival of the first and second ranging signals.

20. The positioning device of claim 19:

wherein the acoustic receiver is further configured to receive a third ranging signal from a third transducer, the third ranging signal modulated using a third sequence, the third transducer disposed along a second axis between the third and second transducer;

wherein the signal processor is further configured to use the third and second sequence to calculate a second phase difference between the third and second ranging signals, and to calculate a time of arrival of the third ranging signal; and

wherein the anti-aliasing module is further configured to calculate an angle in the second axis between the positioning device and the second axis using the second phase difference the time of arrival of the third and second ranging signals.

21. The positioning device of claim 19, further comprising:

a radio receiver disposed on the positioning device and configured to detect a timing signal; and

a distance module configured to calculate time of flight of the first ranging signal using the timing signal and the time of arrival of the first ranging signal, for determining a distance between the positioning device and the first transducer.

22. The positioning device of claim 19, further comprising a radio transmitter disposed on the positioning device and configured to transmit received data for use by the signal processor.

23. A system including a plurality of positioning nodes, each positioning node comprising:

a first acoustic transducer configured to transmit a first acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a first ranging sequence;

a second acoustic transducer configured to transmit a second acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a second ranging sequence;

an acoustic receiver configured to detect a first and second ranging signals from another positioning node;

a radio transceiver configured to send and receive radio signals for communication with the another positioning node;

a signal processor configured to use the first and second acoustic ranging sequences to calculate a time of arrival of the detected first and second acoustic ranging signals and a phase difference between the first and second acoustic ranging signals, the signal processor further configured to calculate a plurality of aliased angles of arrival using the calculated phase difference;

an anti-aliasing module configured to use a difference between the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals to select an angle of arrival from the plurality of aliased angles of arrival; and

a position processor configured to use a difference between a time of arrival of radio signals received from the another positioning node and the time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals to calculate a distance to the another positioning node, the position processor further configured to calculate a position of the positioning node relative the another positioning node using the calculated distance and angle of arrival.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a third acoustic transducer configured to transmit a third acoustic ranging signal that is modulated using a third ranging sequence.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the secondary device is at least one of a barcode reader, a RFID reader, a merchandise tracking device, an electronic price label, and a laptop computer.

26. A method for determining an angle between a positioning node and a secondary device, the method comprising:

receiving at an acoustic receiver on the secondary device a first ranging signal from a first transducer disposed on the positioning node, the first ranging signal having a first acoustic sequence;

receiving at the acoustic receiver a second ranging signal from a second transducer disposed on the positioning node using, the second ranging signal having a second acoustic sequence;

calculating a phase difference between the first and second ranging signal based on the first and second acoustic sequence, the phase difference calculated using a signal processor;

calculating a time of arrival of the first and second acoustic ranging signals using the signal processor;

calculating a plurality of potential angles between the secondary device and a first axis of the positioning node, the plurality of potential angles based on the calculated phase difference; and

selecting an angle from the plurality of potential angles using a difference between the calculated time of arrival of the first and second ranging signals.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a third ranging signal from a third transducer the third ranging signal having a third acoustic sequence;

calculating a phase difference between the third and second ranging signal based on the third and second acoustic sequence, the phase difference calculated using the signal processor;

calculating a time of arrival of the third acoustic ranging signals using the signal processor;

calculating a plurality of potential angles between the secondary device and a second axis of the positioning node, the plurality of potential angles based on the calculated phase difference between the third and second ranging signal; and

selecting an angle in the second axis from the plurality of potential angles using a difference between the calculated time of arrival of the third and second ranging signals.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

encoding the received first and second received ranging signals for transmission via a radio signal; and

transmitting the encoded ranging signals for use by the signal processor.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a radio signal at the secondary device, the radio signal including a time data;

calculating time of flight of the first ranging signal using the timing signal and the time of arrival of the first ranging signal; and

calculating a distance between the secondary device and the positioning node based on the calculated time of flight.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a radio signal at the secondary device, the radio signal including information about the received first and second received ranging signals.