Communication device and position estimation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535548-B2
Application number	US-202017791360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A communication device including: a plurality of wireless communicators configured to perform wireless communication with another communication device; and a controller configured to estimate a position at which the other communication device is located on the basis of a plurality of measured distance values which indicate distances between the plurality of wireless communicators and the other communication device and which are acquired through wireless communication performed by the plurality of wireless communicators.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A communication system comprising:
a first communication device; a second communication device; and a vehicle, wherein the first communication device transmits, to the second communication device, at least an electronic signal in a frequency band, and wherein the second communication device is disposed in a vehicle capable of movement, and comprises:
a pair of first wireless communication circuits configured to perform wireless communication with the first communication device;
a pair of second wireless communication circuits configured to perform wireless communication with the first communication device; and
a microprocessor configured to estimate a position at which the first communication device is located on the basis of a plurality of measured distance values and space information, wherein the microprocessor controls authentication based on the estimated position at which the first communication device is located and controls the vehicle to perform an operation based on a result of the authentication,
wherein
the space information is information indicating a space in which the first communication device is assumed to be located, indicates that the first communication device is assumed to be located in a direction closer to one of the pair of first wireless communication circuits, and is acquired through wireless communication performed by the pair of first wireless communication circuits,
the plurality of measured distance values indicate distances between the pair of second wireless communication circuits and the first communication device, and which are acquired through wireless communication performed by the pair of second wireless communication circuits,
the pair of first wireless communication circuits are mounted in left and right directions of the vehicle, separated from each other, and
the pair of second wireless communication circuits are mounted in front and rear directions of the vehicle, separated from each other.

2 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor estimates a position in the space in which the first communication device is assumed to be located and which is indicated by the space information out of a plurality of positions at which the first communication device is able to be located and which have been estimated on the basis of the plurality of measured distance values as the position at which the first communication device is located as the estimating of the position at which the first communication device is located.

3 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein a wireless communication standard to which the first wireless communicator conforms and a wireless communication standard to which the second wireless communicator conforms are different.

4 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the space information is information indicating a space including a position at which the first communication device was located and which was estimated in the past at the position at which the communication device is located as the space in which the first communication device is assumed to be located.

5 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication device is a device that is carried by a user of the vehicle.

6 . The communication system according to claim 5 , wherein the space information is information indicating the inside or the outside of a cabin of the vehicle as the space in which the first communication device is assumed to be located.

7 . The communication system according to claim 5 , wherein the microprocessor estimates the position at which the first communication device is located outside of the cabin.

8 . The communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the microprocessor determines, on the basis of the space information, the position at which the first communication device is located among a plurality of positions estimated on the basis of the plurality of measured distance values.

9 . The communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operation performed by the vehicle based on the result of the authentication includes a physical movement operation by one or more components of the vehicle.

10 . A position estimation method comprising:
transmitting, by a first communication device and to a second communication device, at least an electronic signal in a frequency band, wherein the second communication device is disposed in a vehicle capable of movement; acquiring, by a pair of first wireless communication circuits of the second communication device, space information, wherein the space information is acquired through wireless communication performed by the pair of first wireless communication circuits with the first communication device; acquiring, by a pair of second wireless communication circuits of the second communication device, a plurality of measured distance values, wherein the plurality of measured distance values is acquired through wireless communication performed by the pair of second wireless communication circuits with the first communication device; estimating, by a microprocessor of the second communication device, a position at which the first communication device is located on the basis of the plurality of measured distance values and the space information; and controlling, by the microprocessor, authentication based on the estimated position at which the first communication device is located, and controlling the vehicle to perform an operation based on a result of the authentication, wherein the space information is information indicating a space in which the first communication device is assumed to be located, and indicates that the first communication device is assumed to be located in a direction closer to one of the pair of first wireless communication circuits, the plurality of measured distance values indicate distances between the pair of second wireless communication circuits and the first communication device, the pair of first wireless communication circuits are mounted in left and right directions of the vehicle, separated from each other, and the pair of second wireless communication circuits are mounted in front and rear directions of the vehicle, separated from each other.

Assignees

• Tokai Rika Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohashi Yosuke
• Furuta Masateru
• Kono Yuki
• Nitta Shigenori

Classifications

• G01S5/0258 Primary

  by combining or switching between measurements derived from different systems · CPC title

• G01S5/0036 Primary

  of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station · 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

• G01S13/765

  with exchange of information between interrogator and responder · CPC title

• B60R25/245

  where the antenna reception area plays a role · CPC title