Systems and methods for opportunistic time of arrival estimation for opportunistic localization with 5G signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12401558-B2
Application number	US-202117926000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	May 18, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

Processes and device configurations are provided for extracting observables from communications signals. Methods include performing a frequency extraction on received communication signals to determine a carrier frequency, acquiring an estimation of channel frequency response and a frame start time. Signal tracking is performed to update frame start time of a signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal, and at least one observable is extracted from the communications signal based on the updated estimate of frame start time. Characteristics of communications signal, such as frame structure including a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) may be used to opportunistically extract time of arrival (TOA) from communications signals. Symbols and subcarriers of new radio signals may be used to extract reference signals, and to determine one or more navigation observables based on communication signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for extracting observables from a communications signal, the method comprising:
receiving, by a device, a communication signal, the communication signal transmitted with a frame structure including a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH);
performing, by the device, a frequency extraction on the received communication signal to determine a carrier frequency of the communication signal;
acquiring, by the device, an estimation of the channel frequency response and a frame start time by
removing the carrier frequency of the communication signal to generate samples of the communication signal into a baseband domain,
converting the samples of the communication signal in a baseband domain to frame structure components, and
extracting a signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) from the frame structure components to estimate channel frequency response (CFR) and frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal;

performing, by the device, signal tracking to update frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal; and
extracting, by the device, at least one observable from the communications signal based on the updated estimate of frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication signal is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation with a cyclic prefix (CP).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing frequency extraction includes finding at least one synchronization channel raster frequency associated with a signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) center frequency.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein acquiring an estimate of channel frequency response includes extraction of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block structure from the communications signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) to provide symbol timing and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to provide frame timing, wherein samples of the communication signal in the baseband are correlated to PSS sequences to determine SS/PBCH symbol start time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the samples of the communication signal in a baseband domain removes a cyclic prefix (CP) and includes performing a fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to construct OFDM symbols of a frame of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating channel frequency response (CFR) and frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal includes using a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) to estimate the CFR and decoding a physical broadcast channel message of the frame structure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein signal tracking includes using a tracking loop structure including a phase-locked loop (PLL)-aided delay-locked loop (DLL), the tracking loop structure configured to perform discriminator function, a low-pass filter (LPF), and a numerically-controlled oscillator (NCO).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein signal tracking includes a discriminator function to determine normalized timing error.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting at least one observable from the communications signal includes determining at least one of time of arrival of the communication signal and pseudorange measurement for the device.

11. A device configured for extracting observables from a communications signal, the device comprising
a communications module configured to receive a communication signal, the communication signal transmitted with a frame structure including a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH); and
a controller, coupled to the communications module, wherein the controller is configured to
perform a frequency extraction on the received communication signal to determine a carrier frequency of the communication signal;
acquire an estimation of the channel frequency response and a frame start time by
removing the carrier frequency of the communication signal to generate samples of the communication signal into a baseband domain,
converting the samples of the communication signal in a baseband domain to frame structure components, and
extracting a signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) from the frame structure components to estimate channel frequency response (CFR) and frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal;

perform signal tracking to update frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal; and
extract at least one observable from the communications signal based on the updated estimate of frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the communication signal is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation with a cyclic prefix (CP).

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein performing frequency extraction includes finding at least one synchronization channel raster frequency associated with a signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) center frequency.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein acquiring an estimate of channel frequency response includes extraction of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block structure from the communications signal.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the frame structure includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) to provide symbol timing and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to provide frame timing, wherein samples of the communication signal in the baseband are correlated to PSS sequences to determine SS/PBCH symbol start time.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein converting the samples of the communication signal in a baseband domain removes a cyclic prefix (CP) and includes performing a fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to construct OFDM symbols of a frame of the signal.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein estimating channel frequency response (CFR) and frame start time of the signal physical broadcast channel block structure (SS/PBCH) in the communication signal includes using a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) to estimate the CFR and decoding a physical broadcast channel message of the frame structure.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein signal tracking includes using a tracking loop structure including a phase-locked loop (PLL)-aided delay-locked loop (DLL), the tracking loop structure configured to perform discriminator function, a low-pass filter (LPF), and a numerically-controlled oscillator (NCO).

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein signal tracking includes a discriminator function to determine normalized timing error.

20. The device of claim 11 , wherein extracting at least one observable from the communications signal includes determining at least one of time of arrival of the communication signal and pseudorange measurement for the device.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Kassas Zak
• Shamaei Kimia

Classifications

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04L27/2662

  Symbol synchronisation · CPC title

• H04L27/265 Primary

  Fourier transform demodulators, e.g. fast Fourier transform [FFT] or discrete Fourier transform [DFT] demodulators (H04L27/26524 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S11/02 Primary

  using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence) · CPC title