Apparatus, system and method of communicating positioning information

• US 9,753,137 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2013
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US14/129,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,563 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of communicating positioning information. For example, an apparatus may include an optical communication unit to communicate Intensity-Modulated (IM) optical signals of a positioning packet, the positioning packet including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including information modulated over a first frequency band, and the second portion including On-Off-Keying (OOK) signals over a second frequency band, the second frequency band is different from the first frequency band.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an optical communication unit to communicate Intensity-Modulated (IM) optical signals of a positioning packet, said positioning packet including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including information modulated over a first frequency band, and said second portion including On-Off-Keying (OOK) signals over a second frequency band, said second frequency band is different from said first frequency band.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical communication unit is to, based on a type of said OOK signals, select said second frequency band from a first predefined ranging frequency band and a second predefined ranging frequency band.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said optical communication unit is to select said second frequency band to include said first predefined ranging frequency band, if said OOK signals comprise two-way positioning signals, and to select said second frequency band to include said second predefined ranging frequency band, if said OOK signals comprise one-way positioning signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first frequency band is between said first and second predefined ranging frequency bands.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first predefined ranging frequency band comprises frequencies equal to or less than 20 Megahertz (MHz), and wherein said second predefined ranging frequency band comprises frequencies equal to or greater than 40 MHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first portion includes an indication of said second frequency band.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical communication unit is to transmit said positioning packet.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising a light source to emit said IM optical signals of said positioning packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical communication unit is to receive said positioning packet.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 comprising a light receiver to receive said IM optical signals of said positioning packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 comprising a lensed detector array to map an angle of arrival of said IM optical signals to pixel locations on an image plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical communication unit is to communicate OOK signals of a first positioning packet over a first ranging frequency within said second frequency band, and to communicate OOK signals of a second positioning packet over a second ranging frequency within said second frequency band, said second ranging frequency different from said first ranging frequency.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first and second ranging frequencies are selected according to a predefined frequency hopping size.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first and second ranging frequencies are randomly selected.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first frequency band comprises a frequency band having a central frequency of 30 Megahertz.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information of said first portion is modulated by Binary-Phase-Shift-Keying (BPSK).

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first portion includes a header field including an indicator to indicate whether said second portions is communicated over a first predefined band or a second predefined band.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first portion includes a data field including data corresponding to a device from which said positioning packet is transmitted.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said data field includes at least one data element selected from the group consisting of a location on said device from which said positioning packet is transmitted, a velocity of said device, and an acceleration of said device.

21. A vehicle positioning system comprising:

at least one optical communication unit to communicate Intensity-Modulated (IM) optical signals of a vehicle-positioning packet, said vehicle-positioning packet including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including information modulated over a first frequency band, and said second portion including On-Off-Keying (OOK) signals over a second frequency band, said second frequency band is different from said first frequency band; and

a processor to process said vehicle-positioning packet to determine positioning information corresponding to a vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said optical communication unit is to select said second frequency band from first and second predefined ranging frequency bands, based on a type of said OOK signals.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said optical communication unit is to communicate OOK signals of a first vehicle-positioning packet over a first ranging frequency within said second frequency band, and to communicate OOK signals of a second vehicle-positioning packet over a second ranging frequency within said second frequency band, said second ranging frequency different from said first ranging frequency.

24. A method of vehicle positioning, the method comprising:

communicating Intensity-Modulated (IM) optical signals of a vehicle-positioning packet, said vehicle-positioning packet including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including information modulated over a first frequency band, and said second portion including On-Off-Keying (OOK) signals over a second frequency band, said second frequency band is different from said first frequency band.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising communicating OOK signals of a first vehicle-positioning packet over a first ranging frequency within said second frequency band, and communicating OOK signals of a second vehicle-positioning packet over a second ranging frequency within said second frequency band, said second ranging frequency different from said first ranging frequency.

26. A non-transitory product including a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

communicating Intensity-Modulated (IM) optical signals of a vehicle-positioning packet, said vehicle-positioning packet including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including information modulated over a first frequency band, and said second portion including On-Off-Keying (OOK) signals over a second frequency band, said second frequency band is different from said first frequency band.

27. The product of claim 26, wherein said instructions result in, based on a type of said OOK signals, selecting said second frequency band from a first predefined ranging frequency band and a second predefined ranging frequency band.

28. The product of claim 27, wherein said instructions result in selecting said second frequency band to include said first predefined ranging frequency band, if said OOK signals comprise two-way positioning signals, and selecting said second frequency band to include said second predefined ranging frequency band, if said OOK signals comprise one-way positioning signals.

29. The product of claim 26, wherein said instructions result in communicating OOK signals of a first vehicle-positioning packet over a first ranging frequency within said second frequency band, and communicating OOK signals of a second vehicle-positioning packet over a second ranging frequency within said second frequency band, said second ranging frequency different from said first ranging frequency.

30. The product of claim 26, wherein said first portion includes a header field including an indicator to indicate whether said second portions is communicated over a first predefined band or a second predefined band.