High accuracy indoor locating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017134902-A1
Application number	US-201715406410-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A beacon anchor may include a signal generator configured to generate an ultra-wide band signal inclusive of a unique identifier associated with the beacon anchor, where the UWB signal is a pulse sequence. A transceiver may be in communications with the signal generator. Responsive to receiving the UWB signal from the signal generator, the UWB signal may be broadcast. A processing unit may be in communication with the transceiver, and, responsive to receiving a unicast communications session request from a portable device, be configured to establish a unicast communications session with the portable device to enable a distance between the portable device and beacon anchor to be determined. Through use of UWB signals, relative position (e.g., in front of or behind the beacon anchor) may be determined, thereby enabling different actions to be taken in response to determining the relative position.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A beacon anchor, comprising:
a signal generator configured to generate an ultra-wide band (UWB) beacon signal inclusive of a unique identifier associated with the beacon anchor, the UWB beacon signal being a pulse sequence; an input/output (I/O) unit in communication with said signal generator, and, responsive to receiving the UWB beacon signal from said signal generator, broadcast the UWB beacon signal; and a processing unit in communication with said signal generator and I/O unit, and, responsive to receiving a unicast communications session request from a portable device via said I/O unit, establish a unicast communications session with the portable device to enable a distance between the portable device and beacon anchor to be determined.

2 . The beacon anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said I/O unit includes a first circuit configured to broadcast the UWB beacon signal and a second circuit configured to communicate using a unicast communications session using UWB signals.

3 . The beacon anchor according to claim 2 , wherein the second circuit is configured to receive and respond to a timing signal received from the portable device.

4 . The beacon anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said processing unit is further configured to:
access a non-transitory memory storing a plurality of “fingerprints” derived from measurements of the UWB signal in relative positions around the beacon anchor; and responsive to establishing the unicast communication session request, communicate the plurality of “fingerprints” to the portable device.

5 . The beacon anchor according to claim 1 , wherein the portable device is a mobile telephone.

6 . The beacon anchor according to claim 1 , wherein the pulse sequence is periodically transmitted.

7 . The beacon anchor according to claim 1 , wherein said processing unit, in performing the unicast communication session, is configured to respond to a UWB timing signal to enable the portable device to determine time-of-flight of a unicast communications signal inclusive of the timing signal.

Assignees

• Datalogic IP Tech Srl

Inventors

• Bottazzi Marco
• Savioli Enrico
• Natali Federico

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

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

• G01S1/042

  Transmitters · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04B1/69

  Spread spectrum techniques · CPC title