System, apparatus and methods for variable rate ultra-wideband communications

• US 9,953,196 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Turner, Belinda, Ameti, Aitan, Richley, Edward A., Mueggenborg, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): ODOM, CURTIS B
• Application Number:
  US15/397,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20170161530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/08 Sport
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10306 ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing variable blink rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. Some embodiments may provide for a radio frequency (RF) tag including a motion sensor, processing circuitry, and a UWB transmitter. The motion sensor may be configured to generate one or more motion data values indicating motion of the RF tag. The UWB transmitter may be configured to transmit blink data at variable blink rates. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive the one or more motion data values from the motion sensor, determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the one or more motion data values, and control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate. In some embodiments, the RF tag may include a UWB receiver and the blink rate may be controlled remotely by a system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining event data, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

correlate at least one RF tag to a participant;

correlate at least one motion sensor of the at least one RF tag to the participant;

receive blink data transmitted by the at least one tag;

determine tag location data based on the blink data;

receive motion data originating from the at least one motion sensor; and

determine the event data based on the comparing the tag location data with kinetic models and the motion data with motion signatures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a blink rate for an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter of the at least one RF tag based on the event data; and

provide blink rate control data defining the blink rate to the at least one RF tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the motion data includes an X axis acceleration value, a Y axis acceleration value, and a Z axis acceleration value; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to;

determine an acceleration magnitude value based on one or more of the X axis acceleration value, the Y axis acceleration value, and the Z axis acceleration value; and

determine the blink rate based on the acceleration magnitude value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blink data includes at least one of a blink rate status change indication or an orientation status change indication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry configured to compare the motion data with the motion signatures includes the processing circuitry being configured to:

determine a live motion signature based on the motion data received from the at least one motion sensor;

compare the live motion signature with the motion signatures, wherein the motion signatures each includes one or more motion data threshold values and associated duration values; and

in response to identifying a match between the live motion signature and a first motion signature, determine the event data based at least in part on the first motion signature.

6. A method for determining event data, comprising:

correlating, by processing circuitry of an apparatus, at least one RF tag to a participant;

correlating, by the processing circuitry, at least one motion sensor of the at least one RF tag to the participant;

receiving, by the processing circuitry, blink data transmitted by the at least one RF tag;

determining, by the processing circuitry, RF tag location data based on the blink data;

receiving, by the processing circuitry, motion data originating from the at least one motion sensor; and

determining, by the processing circuitry, the event data based on the comparing the RF tag location data with kinetic models and the motion data with motion signatures.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, by the processing circuitry:

determining a blink rate for an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter of the at least one RF tag based on the event data; and

providing blink rate control data defining the blink rate to the at least one RF tag.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the motion data includes an X axis acceleration value, a Y axis acceleration value, and a Z axis acceleration value; and

the method further includes, by the processing circuitry;

determining an acceleration magnitude value based on one or more of the X axis acceleration value, the Y axis acceleration value, and the Z axis acceleration value; and

determining the blink rate based on the acceleration magnitude value.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the blink data includes at least one of a blink rate status change indication or an orientation status change indication.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the motion data with the motion signatures includes:

determining a live motion signature based on the motion data received from the at least one motion sensor;

comparing the live motion signature with the motion signatures, wherein the motion signatures each includes one or more motion data threshold values and associated duration values; and

in response to identifying a match between the live motion signature and a first motion signature, determining the event data based at least in part on the first motion signature.

11. A system for determining event data, comprising:

a plurality of RF tags; and

an apparatus including processing circuitry configured to;

correlate at least one RF tag of the plurality of RF tags to a participant;

correlate at least one motion sensor of the at least one RF tag to the participant;

receive blink data transmitted by the at least one RF tag;

determine tag location data based on the blink data;

receive motion data originating from the at least one motion sensor; and

determine the event data based on the comparing the tag location data with kinetic models and the motion data with motion signatures.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a blink rate for an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter of the at least one RF tag based on the event data; and

provide blink rate control data defining the blink rate to the at least one RF tag.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the motion data includes an X axis acceleration value, a Y axis acceleration value, and a Z axis acceleration value; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to;

determine an acceleration magnitude value based on one or more of the X axis acceleration value, the Y axis acceleration value, and the Z axis acceleration value; and

determine the blink rate based on the acceleration magnitude value.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the blink data includes at least one of a blink rate status change indication and an orientation status change indication.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry configured to compare the motion data with the motion signatures includes the processing circuitry being configured to:

determine a live motion signature based on the motion data received from the at least one motion sensor;

compare the live motion signature with the motion signatures, wherein the motion signatures each includes one or more motion data threshold values and associated duration values; and

in response to identifying a match between the live motion signature and a first motion signature, determine the event data based at least in part on the first motion signature.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one RF tag includes:

the at least one motion sensor;

an ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter configured to transmit the blink data at variable blink rates; and

tag processing circuitry configured to;

receive the motion data from the at least one motion sensor;

determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the motion data values; and

control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one motion sensor includes an accelerometer configured to generate the motion data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the UWB transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the blink data via a tag signal having a bandwidth of greater than at least one of 500 MHz and 20% of a center frequency of the tag signal.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least on RF tag further includes a receiver configured to receive blink rate control data from the apparatus;

and

the tag processing circuitry is further configured to determine the blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the blink rate control data.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the tag processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a live motion signature based on the motion data;

compare the live motion signature with one or more motion signatures, wherein the one or more motion signatures each includes one or more motion data threshold values and associated duration values; and

in response to identifying a match between the live motion signature a first motion signature, control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate.