Communication device, information processing method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11496283-B2
Application number	US-202117163796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

A communication device includes: a plurality of wireless communication sections, each of which is configured to wirelessly receive a signal from another communication device; and a control section configured to select a wireless communication section from which a specific reception time corresponding to an optimum parameter that is a reliability parameter indicating that the specific reception time is most appropriate for a processing target is detected, as a transmission communication section serving as a wireless communication section that transmits a signal from among the plurality of wireless communication sections, and configured to measure a distance between the transmission communication section and the other communication device on the basis of the specific reception time detected from a correlation computation result obtained from signals transmitted/received between the other communication device and the selected transmission communication section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device comprising:
a plurality of wireless communication sections, each of which is configured to wirelessly receive a signal from another communication device; and
a processor configured to
correlate a first signal that is transmitted from the other communication device and that includes change in amplitude with respective second signals obtained when the plurality of wireless communication sections receive the first signal, at a designated interval after the other device transmits the first signal,
detect time corresponding to delay time of at least one element whose correlation value indicating magnitude of correlation between the first signal and the second signal exceeds a first threshold, as specific reception time at which each of the plurality of wireless communication sections receives the change in amplitude included in each of the second signals, with regard to a correlation computation result that is a result obtained by correlating the first signal and the respective second signals at the designated interval and that includes the correlation value as an element obtained at each delay time serving as time elapsed after the other communication device transmits the first signal at the designated interval,
calculate a reliability parameter regarding each of the one or more detected specific reception times, the reliability parameter being an indicator indicating whether the specific reception time is appropriate for a processing target,
select the wireless communication section from which the specific reception time corresponding to an optimum parameter is detected, as a transmission communication section serving as the wireless communication section that transmits a signal from among the plurality of wireless communication sections, the optimum parameter being the reliability parameter indicating that the specific reception time is most appropriate for the processing target among the reliability parameters, and
measure a distance between the transmission communication section and the other communication device on a basis of the specific reception time detected from the correlation computation result obtained by correlating the first signal and the second signal transmitted/received between the other communication device and the selected transmission communication section.

2. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reliability parameter includes a difference between the delay time of the element having a correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result and the delay time of the element having a maximum correlation value in the correlation computation result.

3. The communication device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processor treats a reliability parameter indicating that the difference is minimum or smaller than a second threshold, as the optimum parameter.

4. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reliability parameter includes a result of comparing amplitude or electric power corresponding to the element having a correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result with amplitude or electric power corresponding to the element having a maximum correlation value in the correlation computation result.

5. The communication device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the processor treats the reliability parameter indicating that the amplitude or electric power corresponding to the element having the correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result is closest to the amplitude or electric power corresponding to the element having the maximum correlation value in the correlation computation result, as the optimum parameter.

6. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reliability parameter includes the delay time of the element having a correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result.

7. The communication device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the processor treats the reliability parameter indicating that the delay time of the element having the correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result is earliest, as the optimum parameter.

8. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reliability parameter includes a correlation coefficient between the correlation computation result obtained on a basis of the second signal received by a first wireless communication section among the plurality of wireless communication sections, and the correlation computation result obtained on a basis of the second signal received by a second wireless communication section that is different from the first wireless communication section among the plurality of wireless communication sections.

9. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reliability parameter includes a correlation coefficient between chronological change in a correlation value of a portion including an element having the correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result obtained on a basis of the second signal received by a first wireless communication section among the plurality of wireless communication sections, and chronological change in a correlation value of a portion including an element having the correlation value that exceeds the first threshold for first time in the correlation computation result obtained on a basis of the second signal received by a second wireless communication section that is different from the first wireless communication section among the plurality of wireless communication sections.

10. The communication device according to claim 8 , wherein
the correlation computation result includes a complex number, which is the correlation value, as the element obtained at each delay time, and
the processor calculates the correlation coefficient by correlating respective complex numbers obtained at the corresponding delay times, which are included in the two correlation computation results.

11. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where the other communication device transmits the first signal serving as a signal for measuring a distance between the other communication device and the transmission communication section, the processor calculates the reliability parameters and selects the transmission communication section on a basis of the plurality of second signals that correspond to the first signal received by the plurality of wireless communication sections.

12. The communication device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where the other communication device transmits the first signal serving as a signal for selecting the transmission communication section, the processor calculates the reliability parameters and selects the transmission communication section on a basis of the plurality of second signals that correspond to the first signal received by the plurality of wireless communication sections.

13. An information processing method that is executed by a communication device including a plurality of wireless communication sections, each of which is configured to wirelessly receive a signal from another communication device, the information processing method comprising:
correlating a first signal that is transmitted from the other communication device and that includes change in amplitude with respective second signals obtained when the plurality of wireless communication sections re

Assignees

• Tokai Rika Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oishi Yoshiki
• Mori Satoshi
• Koga Kenichi
• Koike Tatsuya

Classifications

• H04L1/0003

  by switching between different modulation schemes · CPC title

• G01S13/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title

• H04L25/0204

  of multiple channels · CPC title

• G01S3/48

  the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured · CPC title

• H04W28/18

  Negotiating wireless communication parameters · CPC title