System and method of calibration for establishing real-time location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11743683-B2
Application number	US-202117345599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A system and method are provided for obtaining calibration data for a portable device relative to an object in order to facilitate defining a locator for determining a location of the portable device relative to the object. The system and method may obtain calibration data pertaining to a signal characteristic of communications transmitted from the portable device and corresponding to a known location of the portable device (e.g., truth data).

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A system for obtaining location data for a portable device relative to an object, the system comprising:
an object device system including one or more devices disposed in fixed positions relative to the object, the one or more object devices having an antenna configured to at least one of transmit and receive wireless communications with respect to the portable device;
a control system configured to obtain first and second sets of one or more samples pertaining to time of flight for communications between the portable device and the object device system, the control system configured to obtain the first set of one or more samples with respect to the portable device and first communications according to a first communication protocol, the control system configured to obtain the second set of one or more samples with respect to the portable device and second communications according to a second communication protocol, wherein the first set of one or more samples and the second set of one or more samples both pertain to time of flight for communications, wherein the first and second communication protocols are different; and
said control system including a locator operable to determine a location of the portable device relative to the object, the locator operable to determine the location of the portable device based on the first and second sets of one or more samples pertaining to time of flight respectively for first and second communications.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first communications according to the first communication protocol correspond to Bluetooth communication.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second communications according to the second communication protocol correspond to Ultrawide band communications.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the locator is operable for calibration based on one or more calibration samples obtained for a signal characteristic of communications with the portable device, and wherein the locator is configured to provide an output based on input indicative of the signal characteristic of communications, wherein the output is indicative of a location of the portable device relative to the object.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first set of the one or more samples includes one sample pertaining to time of flight for communications according to the first communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the object is a vehicle having a vehicle cabin that defines an interior space of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is operable to obtain a third set of one or more samples that include a signal characteristic pertaining to a signal strength of communications between the portable device and the object device system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more devices includes a plurality of object sensor devices, wherein each of the plurality of object sensor devices is disposed in a fixed position relative to the object, and wherein a time of flight of communications is obtained with respect to each of the plurality of object sensor devices.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of signal characteristics other than a time of flight characteristic is obtained by the object device system, and wherein the plurality of signal characteristics are different from each other.

10. A method of determining location information pertaining to a location of a remote device relative to an object, the method comprising:
providing an object device system including one or more devices capable of communicating wirelessly with the remote device, wherein each of the one or more devices is operable to at least one of transmit and receive wireless communications with respect to the remote device;
disposing the remote device at a first position relative to the object;
obtaining one or more first samples for a time of flight characteristic of first communications with the remote device at the first position, wherein the first communications are conducted according to a first communication protocol;
obtaining one or more second samples for a time of flight characteristic of second communications with the remote device at the first position, wherein the second communications are conducted according to a second communication protocol; and
determining a location of the remote device based on the one or more first samples and the one or more second samples.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising:
moving the remote device from the first position to a second position;
obtaining one or more third samples for a time of flight characteristic of the first communications with the remote device at the second position; and
obtaining one or more fourth samples for a time of flight characteristic of the second communications with the remote device at the second position.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first communication protocol corresponds to Bluetooth communications.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second communication protocol corresponds to Ultrawide band communications.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Smith Eric J
• Stitt R Michael
• Jager Karl

Classifications

• H04B17/21

  for calibration; for correcting measurements · CPC title

• H04W4/026 Primary

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title

• B60R25/245

  where the antenna reception area plays a role · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title