Techniques for estimating distance between wireless communication devices

• US 9,936,352 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanderovich, Amichai, Alpert, Reuven
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US14/612,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 4554562, 455 631, 4554561, 455 6713, 455 6716, 4555621
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/04 using angle measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques and apparatus for estimating a distance between a first and second apparatus. For example, the first apparatus may obtain a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus and estimate, based on the plurality of training signals, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus. In certain aspects, the distance may be estimated based on a ratio of receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

Claims

1. A first apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

an interface for obtaining a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus; and

a processing system configured to estimate a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, wherein the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

2. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

3. The first apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the first training signal is received from a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and

the second training signal is received from a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

4. The first apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the second apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

5. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

6. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance based on a difference in the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

7. The first apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance by comparing the difference in the receive powers of the first and second training signals to a difference in previously measured receive powers of third and fourth training signals obtained at known distances.

8. The first apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one antenna via which the plurality training signals are received, wherein the first apparatus is configured as a wireless station.

9. A first apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a first interface for outputting, for transmission, a plurality of training signals in a plurality of directions to a second apparatus;

a second interface for obtaining, from the second apparatus, parameters corresponding to the training signals as received at the second apparatus; and

a processing system configured to estimate, based on the parameters, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, wherein the parameters comprise receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

10. The first apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

11. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first training signal is transmitted in a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and

the second training signal is transmitted in a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

12. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the first apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

13. The first apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

14. The first apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the processing system is configured to estimate the distance based on a difference in the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

15. The first apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance by comparing the difference in the receive powers of first and second training signals to a difference in previously measured receive powers of third and fourth training signals obtained at known distances.

16. The first apparatus of claim 9, wherein outputting, for transmission, the plurality of training signals comprises outputting the plurality of training signals for transmission using different antenna configurations.

17. The first apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one antenna via which the plurality of training signals are transmitted, wherein the first apparatus is configured as a wireless station.

18. A method for wireless communication by a first apparatus, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus; and

estimating, based on the plurality of training signals, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, wherein the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first training signal is received from a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and

the second training signal is received from a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the second apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a difference in receive powers of the first and second training signals.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance by comparing the difference in the receive powers of the first and second training signals to a difference in previously measured receive powers of third and fourth training signals obtained at known distances.

25. A method for wireless communication by a first apparatus, comprising:

outputting, for transmission, a plurality of training signals in a plurality of directions to a second apparatus;

obtaining, from the second apparatus, parameters corresponding to the training signals as received at the second apparatus; and

estimating, based on the parameters, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, wherein the parameters comprise receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the first training signal is transmitted in a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and

the second training signal is transmitted in a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the first apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a difference in the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance by comparing the difference in the receive powers of first and second training signals to a difference in previously measured receive powers of third and fourth training signals obtained at known distances.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein outputting, for transmission, the plurality of training signals comprises outputting the plurality of training signals for transmission using different antenna configurations.