Systems, methods, and devices for utilizing radar with smart devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12262289-B2
Application number	US-202217584653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for determining locations of an electronic device. In one aspect, a method is performed at a computing system having one or more processors and memory. The method includes obtaining device identification information for the electronic device; broadcasting a request based on the device identification information that the electronic device be enabled to transmit or reflect location information using a radar technique; receiving a signal from the electronic device, the signal indicating a location of the electronic device using a radar technique; and determining the location of the electronic device based on the received signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining information associated with an electronic device, comprising:
obtaining, by a hub device, device identification information for the electronic device;
transmitting, by the hub device, via a close-range wireless communication protocol for direct device-to-device communication, a request that the electronic device enable radar circuitry of the electronic device, wherein the request comprises the device identification information;
receiving, by the hub device, a radar signal from the radar circuitry of the electronic device; and
determining, from the received radar signal, a distance, a direction, or both, from the hub device to the electronic device.

2. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hub device receives the radar signal from the radar circuitry of the electronic device in response to the radar circuitry being enabled based on the request.

3. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the hub device, an initial radar signal to the electronic device, wherein the initial radar signal is modulated by the radar circuitry of the electronic device and transmitted to the hub device as the radar signal in response to receiving the initial radar signal.

4. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the determined distance, direction, or both, from the hub device to the electronic device with a predefined boundary around the hub device;
determining, based on the comparison with the predefined boundary, that the electronic device is outside the predefined boundary; and
generating an alert indicating that the electronic device is outside the predefined boundary.

5. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the radar signal is transmitted by the radar circuitry of the electronic device, and the electronic device disables the radar circuitry after transmitting the radar signal.

6. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the hub device, a second radar signal from the radar circuitry of the electronic device; and
determining, from the second radar signal, whether the distance, the direction, or both, from the hub device to the electronic device has changed.

7. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the hub device, via the close-range wireless communication protocol, a second request that a second electronic device enable radar circuitry of the second electronic device, wherein the request comprises second device identification information for the second electronic device;
receiving, by the hub device, a second radar signal from the radar circuitry of the second electronic device; and
determining, from the second radar signal, a second distance, a second direction, or both, from the hub device to the second electronic device.

8. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the request further comprises instructions that cause the electronic device to enable the radar circuitry of the electronic device to transmit the radar signal at predefined time intervals.

9. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hub device receives the radar signal from the radar circuitry of the electronic device in response to detecting movement of the electronic device.

10. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting, by the hub device and in response to determining the distance, the direction, or both from the hub device to the electronic device, a setting of a smart home environment.

11. A system comprising:
an electronic device comprising:
communication circuitry configured to receive requests via a close-range wireless communication protocol for direct device-to-device communication;
radar circuitry configured to transmit a radar signal; and
a controller configured to enable and disable the radar circuitry based on requests received by the communication circuitry; and

a hub device configured to:
obtain device identification information associated with the electronic device;
transmit, via the close-range wireless communication protocol, a request that the electronic device enable the radar circuitry of the electronic device, wherein the request comprises the device identification information;
receive the radar signal from the radar circuitry of the electronic device; and
determine, from the received radar signal, a distance, a direction, or both from the hub device to the electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an application executed on a mobile device, the application configured to provide the device identification information to the hub device.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of electronic devices, the plurality of electronic devices comprising the electronic device, wherein the hub device is further configured to:
receive respective radar signals from each of the plurality of electronic devices; and
determine, from each respective radar signal, respective distances, directions, or both, from the hub device to each of the plurality of electronic devices.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a smart home environment, the smart home environment comprising the hub device, the electronic device, and one or more smart appliances, wherein the hub device is further configured to adjust one or more settings associated with the smart home environment based on the determined distance, direction, or both, from the hub device to the electronic device.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a smart home provider server system, wherein the hub device is further configured to transmit information regarding the received radar signal to the smart home provider server system for additional data processing.

16. A method for determining information associated with an electronic device, comprising:
obtaining, by a control device, device identification information for the electronic device;
broadcasting, by the control device, via a wireless communication protocol operating according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, a request that the electronic device enable radar circuitry of the electronic device and transmit a radar signal using the radar circuitry, wherein the request comprises the device identification information;
receiving, by the control device, the requested radar signal transmitted by the radar circuitry of the electronic device; and
determining, from the received radar signal, a distance, a direction, or both, from the control device to the electronic device.

17. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device enables the radar circuitry of the electronic device in response to a determination that the request comprises the device identification information for the electronic device.

18. The method for determining information associated with the electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the request is broadcast to a plurality of electronic devices comprising the electronic device, and the req

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Marschalkowski Eric
• Silverstein Brian
• Sherry Eden
• Goldenson Andrew

Classifications

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/86

  Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder · CPC title

• G01S13/58

  Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems · CPC title

• G01S13/42

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