Method system and device for obtaining location information using neighbor awareness networking, NAN

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989789-B2
Application number	US-201616306400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a location using Neighbor Awareness Networking, NAN, and a corresponding system as well as a method carried out by a NAN device and a corresponding NAN device so that a location can be obtained in a simple way. In particular, the method for obtaining a location using neighbor awareness networking, NAN, comprises requesting the location of a target NAN device; determining a cluster of wireless NAN devices comprising the target NAN device as well as one or more anchor NAN devices having predetermined locations to serve as positioning nodes; performing range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and each of the one or more anchor NAN devices; and obtaining the location of the target NAN device based on the range measurements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining a location using neighbor awareness networking, NAN, wherein the method comprises:
requesting the location of a target NAN device;
determining a cluster of wireless NAN devices comprising the target NAN device as well as at least two anchor NAN devices having predetermined locations to serve as positioning nodes;
performing range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and each of the at least two anchor NAN devices; and
receiving messages including range measurement information of the range measurements from NAN devices of the cluster at a location center, wherein the location center obtains the location of the target NAN device using the range measurement information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location center is either one of the NAN devices of the cluster or an access point of a wireless network that serves as an additional positioning node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein location center is an access point of a wireless network that serves as an additional positioning node, and wherein two NAN devices and the access point are the only positioning nodes in the cluster.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the positioning nodes is selected as the location center based on at least one of the following criteria:
the strength of a Reference Signal Receive Power (RSRP) with respect to the target NAN device;
the battery level of the positioning node;
the battery level of the positioning node is higher than a threshold;
the amount of data transmission predicted in an upcoming period of time;
the positioning node is a NAN device which operates in the cluster and communicates with an access point directly; and
the positioning node is a master NAN device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an access point having a predetermined location to serve as additional positioning node and performing range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and the access point.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target NAN device exchanges information with neighboring NAN devices for availability as positioning node.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the NAN devices is communicatively coupled to an access point or other communication node that uses a wireless communication technology.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range measurements performed are fine timing measurements.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the target NAN device is obtained by triangulation using at least three range measurements between the target NAN device and three positioning nodes.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the target NAN device is requested by a NAN device belonging to the cluster or by a NAN service requiring the location to offer a service to the target NAN device.

11. A method for obtaining a location using neighbor awareness networking (NAN) wherein the method is carried out by a NAN device having a predetermined location and comprises:
determining, by the NAN device, a cluster of wireless NAN devices, the cluster comprising a target NAN device and comprising at least the NAN device to serve as positioning node;
obtaining range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and the NAN device;
receiving range measurements from the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and each of one or more other NAN devices; and
computing the location of the target NAN device based on the range measurements.

12. A neighbor awareness networking (NAN) device comprising:
a receiver; and
one or more processors and memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the one or more processors whereby the NAN device is configured to:
determine a cluster of wireless NAN devices comprising a target NAN device and at least the NAN device, the NAN device having a predetermined location to serve as a positioning node in the cluster of wireless NAN devices;
obtain range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and the NAN device;
receive, via the receiver, range measurements from the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and each of one or more other NAN devices; and
compute the location of the target NAN device based on the range measurements.

13. A system for obtaining a location using neighbor awareness networking (NAN) the system comprising:
one or more processors and memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the one or more processors whereby the system is configured to:
request the location of a target NAN device;
determine a cluster of wireless NAN devices comprising the target NAN device as well as at least two anchor NAN devices having predetermined locations to serve as positioning nodes;
obtain range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and each of the at least two anchor NAN devices;
receive messages including range measurement information of the range measurements from NAN devices of the cluster at a location center;
compute, at the location center, the location of the target NAN device based on the range measurements.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the location center is either one of the NAN devices of the cluster or an access point of a wireless network that serves as an additional positioning node.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein location center is an access point of a wireless network that serves as an additional positioning node, and wherein two NAN devices and the access point are the only positioning nodes in the cluster.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein one of the positioning nodes is selected as the location center based on at least one of the following criteria:
the strength of a Reference Signal Receive Power (RSRP) with respect to the target NAN device;
the battery level of the positioning node;
the battery level of the positioning node is higher than a threshold;
the amount of data transmission predicted in an upcoming period of time;
the positioning node is a NAN device which operates in the cluster and communicates with an access point directly; and
the positioning node is a master NAN device.

17. The system of claim 13 , further configured to:
provide an access point having a predetermined location to serve as additional positioning node; and
perform range measurements using the travel times of radio signals between the target NAN device and the access point.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the target NAN device exchanges information with neighboring NAN devices for availability as positioning node.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the location of the target NAN device is obtained by triangulation using at least three range measurements between the target NAN device and three positioning nodes.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the location of the target NAN device is requested by a NAN device belonging to the cluster or by a NAN service requiring the location to offer a service to the target NAN device.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Amin Parth
• Wang Meng

Classifications

• G01S5/019

  Energy consumption · CPC title

• G01S5/02213

  Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter · CPC title

• G01S5/14 Primary

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title

• H04W64/00 Primary

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04W84/20

  Leader-follower arrangements · CPC title