Location sensing system and method for mobile communication system

• US 8,238,937 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ha, Do Young, Kim, Joon Oo, Oh, Yun Je, Ma, Joong Soo, Ji, Myoung In, Seo, Myoung Hwan, Choi, Sung Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US12/361,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/525, 455/524
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A location sensing system and method for a mobile communication system is provided for maintaining location sensing service with the support of mobile nodes when there is an insufficient number of anchor nodes for reference points. A location sensing method for a mobile communication system includes discovering, at a source mobile node, anchor nodes in a vicinity; discovering, when a number of discovered anchor nodes is less than a predetermined number of reference nodes required for location sensing, neighboring mobile nodes; selecting at least one of neighboring mobile nodes as a reference mobile node; and computing a location of the source mobile node in cooperation with the predetermined number of reference nodes including the discovered anchor nodes and the reference mobile node.

Claims

1. A location sensing method for a mobile communication system, comprising the steps of:

(a) discovering, by a source mobile node, anchor nodes within a predefined vicinity;

(b) discovering neighbor mobile nodes, when a number of discovered anchor nodes is fewer than a predetermined number of reference nodes required for location sensing, discovering neighbor mobile nodes includes;

(i) broadcasting a device discovery request message to the neighbor mobile nodes; and

(ii) receiving device discovery response messages from the neighbor mobile nodes in response to the device discovery request message;

(c) selecting at least one neighbor mobile node as a reference mobile node in conjunction with the discovered anchor nodes, the reference mobile node selected with reference to measurement information contained in the device discovery response messages in step (ii);

(d) computing a location of the source mobile node in cooperation with the predetermined number of reference nodes including the discovered anchor nodes and the reference mobile node;

wherein the measurement information comprise at least one of a standard deviation of measurements, a standard deviation of Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) of anchor nodes, an average speed of the neighbor mobile node, and an acceleration of the source mobile node.

2. The location sensing method of claim 1, wherein the reference mobile node comprises the neighbor mobile node of which a predetermined parameter is less than a same predetermined parameter of other neighbor mobile nodes.

3. The location sensing method of claim 1, further comprising:

overhearing, at the source mobile node, messages exchanged between the neighbor mobile nodes and the anchor nodes; and

generating the device discovery request message with reference to measurement information extracted from the overheard messages.

4. The location sensing method of claim 1, wherein the device discovery request message contains a threshold value of a specific parameter for limiting the neighbor mobile nodes to transmit the device discovery response message.

5. The method according to claim 4, where the threshold value of the specific parameter is set such that the neighbor mobile nodes within the range of the threshold value responds to the device discovery request.

6. The location sensing method of claim 1, further comprising removing the anchor nodes that are identified in an anchor list but not discovered.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined vicinity comprises a radio range of the anchor nodes.

8. A location sensing system for a mobile communication system, comprising:

means for broadcasting a device discovery request message, when a source mobile node detects a lack of predetermined number of anchor nodes;

means for receiving device discovery response messages transmitted by at least one neighbor mobile node positioned in a transmission range of the source mobile node;

means for selecting one of the at least one neighbor mobile node as a reference mobile node on the basis of measurement information contained in the device discovery response messages; and

means for computing a location of the source mobile node with support of the reference mobile node;

wherein the measurement information comprises at least one of a standard deviation of measurements, a standard deviation of Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) of anchor nodes, an average speed of neighbor mobile node, and an acceleration of neighbor mobile node.

9. The location sensing system of claim 8, wherein the reference mobile node comprises the neighbor mobile node of which a parameter of the measurement information has a value less than those of other neighbor mobile nodes.

10. The location sensing system of claim 9, wherein the broadcasting a device discovery message comprises:

means for overhearing, at the source mobile node, messages exchanged between the neighbor mobile nodes and anchor nodes;

means for extracting distance parameters from the messages; and

means for generating the device discovery request message to be selectively delivered to the neighbor mobile nodes with reference to the distance parameters.

11. The location sensing system of claim 8, wherein broadcasting a device discovery message comprises:

means for generating the device discovery request message with a threshold of a parameter; and

means for transmitting the device discovery response message from the neighbor mobile nodes that satisfy a condition associated with the threshold to the source mobile node.

12. The location sensing system of claim 8, further comprising means for removing anchor nodes, identified in an anchor list but not erroneous, from the anchor list.

13. A location sensing method for a mobile communication system, comprising:

(a) broadcasting by a source mobile node, a device discovery request message, when a source mobile node detects less than a predetermined number of anchor nodes;

(b) receiving by the source mobile node, a device discovery response message containing location information and measurement information to the source mobile node by neighbor mobile nodes which received the device discovery request message broadcast in (a);

(c) analyzing, at the source mobile node, the location and measurement information contained in the received device discovery response messages; and

(d) selecting at least one of the neighbor mobile nodes as a reference mobile node wherein the measurement information comprises at least one of a standard deviation of measurements, a standard deviation of Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) of anchor nodes, an average speed of neighbor mobile node, and an acceleration of neighbor mobile node on the basis of analysis result.

14. The location sensing method of claim 13 wherein broadcasting a device discovery request message in step (a) includes:

(i) overhearing, at the source mobile node, messages exchanged between the neighbor mobile nodes and anchor nodes;

(ii) extracting distance measurement parameters from the messages; and

(iii) generating the device discovery request message to be selectively delivered to the neighbor mobile nodes with reference to the distance measurement parameters.

15. The location sensing method of claim 13, wherein broadcasting a device discovery message includes generating the device discovery request message with a threshold of a parameter.

16. The location sensing method of claim 15, further comprising receiving by the source mobile node the device discovery response message from the neighbor mobile nodes in step (b) that satisfy a condition associated with the threshold to the source mobile node.

17. The location sensing method of claim 13, wherein selecting a reference mobile node comprises:

comparing mobility levels of the neighbor mobile nodes, the mobility levels being determined on the basis of the measurement information; and

selecting as the reference mobile node at least one neighbor mobile node of which mobility level is less than those of other neighbor mobile nodes.

18. The location sensing method of claim 17, wherein a number of the at least one neighbor mobile node to be selected as reference mobile node in step (a) is determined according to the number of discovered anchor nodes.