Method and apparatus for performing a fine timing measurement in a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018109970-A1
Application number	US-201715845176-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first wireless communication device includes a timing module to provide a timing synchronization function (TSF) time. A fine timing measurement module is to transmit a first request to perform a fine timing measurement to determine a distance between the first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. The first request includes a first value of the TSF time at which to start a burst period of the fine timing measurement, and the first value is determined in accordance with the TSF time provided by the timing module. The fine timing measurement module is further to receive a first response as transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to the first request and transmit a second request to start the burst period at a TSF time indicated by the first value. The first response includes the first value of the TSF time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A first wireless communication device in a wireless network including the first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device comprising:
a timing module to provide a timing synchronization function (TSF) time, wherein values of the TSF time correspond to a common time shared between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device; and a fine timing measurement module to
transmit a first request to perform a fine timing measurement to determine a distance between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device, wherein the first request includes a first value of the TSF time at which to start a burst period of the fine timing measurement, and wherein the first value is determined in accordance with the TSF time provided by the timing module,
receive a first response as transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to the first request, wherein the first response includes the first value of the TSF time, and
transmit a second request to start the burst period of the fine timing measurement at a TSF time indicated by the first value.

2 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the fine timing measurement module is further to receive a second response transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to a determination that transmission of the first response was unsuccessful, wherein the second response includes a same first value of the TSF time.

3 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the fine timing measurement module is further to (i) transmit a second request to perform the fine timing measurement and (ii) receive a second response including the first value of the TSF time.

4 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter to transmit the first request from the first wireless communication device and a receiver to receive the first response transmitted from the second wireless communication device.

5 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the timing module includes a timer that maintains the TSF time.

6 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first value corresponds to a predetermined time subsequent to a time that the first request is transmitted.

7 . The first wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the fine timing measurement module is further to calculate the first value based on scheduled communication behavior of the first wireless communication device.

8 . A system comprising the first wireless communication device of claim 1 and further comprising the second wireless communication device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second wireless communication device is to (i) receive the first request from the first wireless communication device and (ii) perform the fine timing measurement in the burst period starting at the TSF time indicated by the first value included in the first request.

10 . A method of operating a first wireless communication device in a wireless network including the first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, the method comprising:
providing, at the first wireless communication device, a timing synchronization function (TSF) time, wherein values of the TSF time correspond to a common time shared between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device; transmitting, from the first wireless communication device, a first request to perform a fine timing measurement to determine a distance between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device, wherein the first request includes a first value of the TSF time at which to start a burst period of the fine timing measurement, and wherein the first value is determined in accordance with the provided TSF time,
receiving, at the first wireless communication device, a first response as transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to the first request, wherein the first response includes the first value of the TSF time, and
transmitting a second request to start the burst period of the fine timing measurement at a TSF time indicated by the first value.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving, at the first wireless communication device, a second response transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to a determination that transmission of the first response was unsuccessful, wherein the second response includes a same first value of the TSF time.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising (i) transmitting, from the first wireless communication device, a second request to perform the fine timing measurement and (ii) receiving, at the first wireless communication device, a second response including the first value of the TSF time.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising maintaining the TSF time using a timer.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first value corresponds to a predetermined time subsequent to a time that the first request is transmitted.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating the first value based on scheduled communication behavior of the first wireless communication device.

Assignees

• Marvell World Trade Ltd

Inventors

• Chu Liwen
• Tamhane Sagar A
• Wagholikar Sarang Shrikrishna
• Zhang Hongyuan
• Lou Hui-Ling

Classifications

• H04W4/006

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W24/10 Primary

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title

• H04W64/00

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

• G01S13/74 Primary

  Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title