Methods and apparatus for range measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10194268-B1
Application number	US-201615041954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 11, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A first communication device determines scheduling information for a plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, wherein the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions involve using at least one of i) different channel bandwidths, and ii) different physical layer data unit (PPDU) formats for the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions. The first communication device transmits a single packet that includes scheduling information so that a third communication device can use the scheduling information to observe one or more of the range measurement signal exchange sessions in the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, to determine range measurements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining, at a first communication device, scheduling information for a plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions that will occur in the future between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, wherein the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions involve using i) different channel bandwidths, and ii) different physical layer data unit (PPDU) formats for the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions, and wherein the scheduling information includes, for each session, i) a respective indication of when the session will occur in the future, ii) a respective indication of a respective channel bandwidth, selected from a set of multiple different channel bandwidths, that will be used during the session in the future, and iii) a respective indication of a respective PPDU format, selected from a set of multiple different PPDU formats defined by different communication protocols, that will be used during the session in the future;
generating, at the first communication device, a single packet that includes the scheduling information, the single packet including, for each second communication device with which the first communication device will exchange signals during one or more range measurement signal exchange sessions in the future, a respective field specifying parameters for the one or more range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and the respective second communication device; and
transmitting, with the first communication device, the single packet so that a third communication device can use the scheduling information to observe, in the future, one or more of the range measurement signal exchange sessions in the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, to determine range measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining the scheduling information includes
determining first scheduling information for a first range measurement signal exchange session that will occur in the future between the first communication device and one second communication device, and
determining second scheduling information for a second range measurement signal exchange session that will occur in the future between the first communication device and another second communication device; and

generating the single packet comprises generating the single packet to include the first scheduling information and the second scheduling information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining the scheduling information includes
determining first scheduling information for a first range measurement signal exchange session that will occur in the future between the first communication device and one second communication device, wherein the first range measurement signal exchange session involves using at least one of i) a first channel bandwidth, and ii) a first PPDU format, and
determining second scheduling information for a second range measurement signal exchange session that will occur in the future between the first communication device and the one second communication device, wherein the second range measurement signal exchange session involves using at least one of i) a second channel bandwidth different than the first channel bandwidth, and ii) a second PPDU format different than the first PPDU format; and

generating the single packet comprises generating the single packet to include the first scheduling information and the second scheduling information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, at the first communication device, a single information element that includes the scheduling information,
wherein generating the single packet comprises generating the single packet to include the single information element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
generating the single packet comprises generating a single beacon frame to include the scheduling information.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, at the first communication device, one or more range measurement signal packets according to a first PPDU format defined by a communication protocol;
transmitting, from the first communication device to the second communication device, the one or more range measurement signal packets according to one or more of i) a mandatory rate, ii) a mandatory modulation and coding scheme (MCS), iii) a mandatory number of spatial streams, and iv) a mandatory combination of a) an MCS and b) a number of spatial streams defined by the communication protocol even when i) the first communication device and the second communication device support two or more of a) a non-mandatory rate, b) a non-mandatory MCS, and c) a non-mandatory number of spatial streams defined by the communication protocol, and ii) channel conditions between the first communication device and the second communication device support using two or more of a) the non-mandatory rate, b) the non-mandatory MCS, and c) the non-mandatory number of spatial streams,
wherein transmitting the one or more range measurement signal packets to the second communication device according to the one or more of i) the mandatory rate, ii) the mandatory MCS, iii) the mandatory number of spatial streams, and iv) the mandatory combination of a) a MCS and b) a number of spatial streams, supports observation of the one or more range measurement signal packets by the third communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the respective field includes (i) a first portion specifying a plurality of first parameters common to the one or more range measurement signal exchange sessions that will occur between the first communication device and the respective second communication device, and (ii) a respective second portion corresponding to a respective one of the one or more range measurement signal exchange sessions that will occur between the first communication device and the respective second communication device, each second portion including a plurality of second parameters specific to the corresponding range measurement signal exchange session, the plurality of second parameters including a) the respective indication of the channel bandwidth, and b) the respective indication of the PPDU format.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device includes one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to
determine scheduling information for a plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions that will occur in the future between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, wherein the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions involve using i) different channel bandwidths, and ii) different physical layer data unit (PPDU) formats for the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions, and wherein the scheduling information includes, for each session, i) a respective indication of when the session will occur in the future, ii) a respective indication of a respective channel bandwidth, selected from a set of multiple different channel bandwidths, that will be used during the session in the future, and iii) a respective indication of a respective PPDU format, selected from a set of multiple different PPDU formats defined by different communication protocols, that will be used during the session in the future,
generate a single packet that includes the scheduling information, the single packet including, for each second communication device with which the first communication device will exchange

Assignees

• Marvell Int Ltd

Inventors

• Chu Liwen
• Tamhane Sagar A
• Zhang Hongyuan
• Lou Hui-Ling
• Au Kwok Shum

Classifications

• G01S5/0289

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• H04B17/0085

  using test signal generators · CPC title

• G01S13/765

  with exchange of information between interrogator and responder · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04L69/322

  Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions · CPC title