Wireless positioning approach using time-delay of signals with a known transmission pattern

• US 8,344,949 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golba LLC
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US12/833,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 342/378, 342/387, 342/457, 342/458, 342/464, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of determining the location of a mobile device is provided. The method receives a signal with a known radio transmission pattern at the mobile device from each of several transmitting devices. The method correlates each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine the time the signal traveled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. The method determines the location of the mobile device based on the time the signal travelled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. In some embodiments, determining the location of the mobile device does not require calculating a distance between the mobile device and any of the transmitting devices. In some embodiments determining the location of the mobile device includes solving a function that is dependent on the time the signals traveled between each corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of determining a location of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a signal with a known radio transmission pattern at the mobile device from each of a plurality of transmitting devices;

correlating each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine a time the signal traveled between each of the plurality of transmitting devices and the mobile device; and

determining the location of the mobile device based on the time the signal travelled between each of the plurality of transmitting devices and the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device does not require calculating a distance between the mobile device and any of the transmitting devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises solving a function that is dependent on the time the signal traveled between each of the plurality of transmitting devices and the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the known radio transmission pattern comprises a known signal preamble, wherein correlating each received signal with a corresponding signal comprises correlating the preamble of the received signal with the preamble of the corresponding signal with the same known radio transmission pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one received signal comprises a plurality of pilots, the method further comprising extracting the pilots from the signal, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between the transmitting device that transmitted the signal comprising the plurality of pilots and the mobile device further comprises using said extracted pilots.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding signals that have the same known radio transmission pattern are signals with known signatures stored at the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device and each of the transmitting devices comprise a clock, wherein the mobile device and each transmitting device comprise a set of radio frequency (RF) components, the method further comprising:

synchronizing the clocks of the transmitting devices;

placing the mobile device next to one of the transmitting devices; and

calculating a constant delay comprising (i) an offset of the mobile device clock with respect to the clocks of the transmitting devices, (ii) a delay caused by the mobile device RF components, and (iii) a delay caused by each transmitting device RF components,

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises using the calculated constant delay.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the transmitting devices comprises a clock, wherein the clocks of the transmitting devices are not synchronized with each other.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an acknowledgement signal from the mobile device to each of the transmitting devices,

wherein determining the time the signal travelled between each transmitting device and the mobile device further comprises determining a round trip time that the signal travelled from the transmitting device that transmitted the signal to the mobile device and the acknowledgement signal traveled from the mobile device to the transmitting device that transmitted the signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between each transmitting device and the mobile device comprises:

measuring a power in the received signal; and

determining a time when the power of the received signal transits from a first value to a second value, the second value corresponding to a higher power level than the first value.

11. A system for playing games, the system comprising:

a game console for playing a game;

a remote controller for controlling a game played on the game console; and

a plurality of transmitting devices communicatively coupled to the remote controller, wherein each transmitting device is configured to transmit one or more signals with known radio transmission patterns to the remote controller,

wherein the remote controller is configured (i) to receive the signals from the plurality of transmitting devices, (ii) to correlate each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine a time the signal traveled between each of the plurality of transmitting devices and the remote controller, and (iii) to determine a location of the remote controller based on the time the signal travelled between the plurality of transmitting devices and the remote controller.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the location of the remote controller does not require calculating a distance between the remote controller and any of the transmitting devices.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the known radio transmission pattern comprises a known signal preamble, wherein correlating each received signal with a corresponding signal comprises correlating the preamble of the received signal with the preamble of the corresponding signal with the same known radio transmission pattern.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the location of the remote controller comprises solving a function that is dependent on the time the signal traveled between each of the plurality of transmitting devices and the remote controller.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between each transmitting device and the remote controller comprises:

measuring a power in the received signal; and

determining a time when the power of the received signal transits from a first value to a second value, the second value corresponding to a higher power level than the first value.

26. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one received signal comprises a plurality of pilots, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between the transmitting device that transmitted the signal comprising the plurality of pilots and the remote controller further comprises (i) extracting the pilots from the signal and (ii) using said extracted pilots.

27. The system of claim 11, wherein the corresponding signals that have the same known radio transmission pattern are signals with known signatures stored at the remote controller.

28. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the transmitting devices comprises a clock, wherein the clocks of the transmitting devices are not synchronized with each other.

29. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote controller is further configured to send an acknowledgement signal to each of the transmitting devices,

wherein determining the time the signal travelled between each transmitting device and the remote controller further comprises determining a round trip time that the signal travelled from the transmitting device that transmitted the signal to the remote controller and the acknowledgement signal traveled from the remote controller to the transmitting device that transmitted the signal.

16. A system for determining a hand gesture of a human, the system comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) device for placing on a finger of the human, wherein the RF device is configured to transmit signals with known radio transmission patterns; and

a plurality of receiving devices communicatively coupled to the RF device, wherein each receiving device is configured (i) to receive signals with the known radio transmission patterns from the RF device and (ii) to correlate the received signals with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine a time the signal traveled between the RF device and the receiving device, wherein at least one of the receiving devices is further configured (i) to receive the time the signal traveled between the RF device and each of the other receiving devices from the other receiving devices and (ii) to determine a location of the RF device based on the time the signal travelled between the RF device and each of the receiving devices.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of RF devices, wherein one of the receiving devices is further configured to schedule the transmission of the signals from each of the plurality of RF devices to the receiving devices.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the location of the RF device does not require calculating a distance between the RF device and any of the receiving devices.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the location of the RF device comprises solving a function that is dependent on the time the signal traveled between the RF device and each of the plurality of receiving devices.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between the RF device and each receiving device comprises:

measuring a power in the received signal; and

determining a time when the power of the received signal transits from a first value to a second value, the second value corresponding to a higher power level than the first value.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the known radio transmission pattern comprises a known signal preamble, wherein correlating each received signal with a corresponding signal comprises correlating the preamble of the received signal with the preamble of the corresponding signal with the same known radio transmission pattern.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one received signal comprises a plurality of pilots, wherein determining the time the signal travelled between the RF device and each receiving device further comprises (i) extracting the pilots from the signal and (ii) using said extracted pilot signal.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the corresponding signals that have the same known radio transmission pattern are signals with known signatures stored at said at least one receiving device.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the receiving devices comprises a clock, wherein the clocks of the receiving devices are not synchronized with each other.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the receiving devices is further configured to send an acknowledgement signal to the RF device,

wherein determining the time the signal travelled between the RF device and each receiving device comprises determining a round trip time that the signal travelled from the RF device to the receiving device and the acknowledgement signal traveled from the receiving device to the RF device.