Techniques for estimating distance between wireless communication devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016227368-A1
Application number	US-201514612270-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2015
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques and apparatus for estimating a distance between a first and second apparatus. For example, the first apparatus may obtain a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus and estimate, based on the plurality of training signals, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus. In certain aspects, the distance may be estimated based on a ratio of receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A first apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
an interface for obtaining a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus; and a processing system configured to estimate, based on the plurality of training signals, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

2 . The first apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

3 . The first apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the first training signal is received from a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and the second training signal is received from a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

4 . The first apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the second apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

5 . The first apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

6 . The first apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on at least one difference in measured receive powers for one or more pairs of the training signals.

7 . The first apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance by comparing at least one difference in measured receive powers for one or more pairs of training signals to at least one difference in previously measured receive powers for the one or more pairs of training signals obtained at known distances.

8 . A first apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a first interface for outputting, for transmission, a plurality of training signals in a plurality of directions to a second apparatus; a second interface for obtaining, from the second apparatus, parameters corresponding to the training signals as received at the second apparatus; and a processing system configured to estimate, based on the parameters, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

9 . The first apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the parameters comprise receive powers of first and second training signals; and the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

10 . The first apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the first training signal is transmitted in a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and the second training signal is transmitted in a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

11 . The first apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the first apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

12 . The first apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processing system is further configured to estimate the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

13 . The first apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the parameters comprise receive powers for a plurality of the training signals; and the processing system is configured to estimate the distance based on at least one difference in measured receive powers for one or more pairs of the training signals.

14 . The first apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to estimate the distance by comparing at least one difference in measured receive powers for the one or more pairs of training signals to at least one difference in previously measured receive powers for the one or more pairs of training signals obtained at known distances.

15 . The first apparatus of claim 8 , wherein outputting, for transmission, the plurality of training signals comprises outputting the plurality of training signals for transmission using different antenna configurations.

16 . A method for wireless communication by a first apparatus, comprising:
obtaining a plurality of training signals received in a plurality of directions from a second apparatus; and estimating, based on the plurality of training signals, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of receive powers of first and second training signals of the plurality of training signals.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the first training signal is received from a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and the second training signal is received from a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the second apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on at least one difference in measured receive powers for one or more pairs of the training signals.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance by comparing at least one difference in measured receive powers for one or more pairs of training signals to at least one difference in previously measured receive powers for the one or more pairs of training signals obtained at known distances.

23 . A method for wireless communication by a first apparatus, comprising:
outputting, for transmission, a plurality of training signals in a plurality of directions to a second apparatus; obtaining, from the second apparatus, parameters corresponding to the training signals as received at the second apparatus; and estimating, based on the parameters, a distance between the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein:
the parameters comprise receive powers of first and second training signals; and the estimation comprises estimating the distance based on a ratio of the receive powers of the first and second training signals.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the first training signal is transmitted in a first direction and has a highest receive power of the training signals; and the second training signal is transmitted in a second direction offset from the first direction at a known angle.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known or estimated distance from the first apparatus to an obstruction in a signal path of the second training signal.

27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on a known beam-width of the training signals.

28 . The method of claim 23 , wherein:
the parameters comprise receive powers for a plurality of the training signals; and the estimating comprises estimating the distance based on at least one differen

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Sanderovich Amichai
• Alpert Reuven

Classifications

• G01S11/06

  using intensity measurements · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• G01S11/04 Primary

  using angle measurements · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title