Communication devices and methods for rf-based communication and position determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019200339-A1
Application number	US-201716330102-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Communication devices and corresponding methods for RF-based communication and position determination are disclosed. An initiator communication device ( 1 ) comprises an antenna unit ( 10 ) configured to transmit and receive RF signals, a beamforming unit ( 11 ) configured to perform beamforming and to control the antenna unit to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected beams, a control unit ( 12 ) configured to control the beamforming unit ( 11 ) in a training phase to perform beamforming for determining an initiator line of sight (LOS), beam to a responder communication device ( 2 ), and a processing unit ( 13 ) configured to determine the initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam and to determine the position of said communication device using the determined initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information in a measurement phase.

First claim

1 . A communication device for RF-based communication and position determination, said communication device comprising:
an antenna unit configured to transmit and receive RF signals, a beamforming unit configured to perform beamforming and to control the antenna unit to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected beams, a control unit configured to control the beamforming unit in a training phase to perform beamforming for determining an initiator line of sight, LOS, beam to a responder communication device, and a processing unit configured to determine the initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam and to determine the position of said communication device using the determined initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information in a measurement phase.

2 . The communication device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the angle of arrival and/or the angle of departure of the initiator LOS beam as initiator angular information.

3 . The communication device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the initiator LOS beam by evaluating one or more of the time of flight of RF signals transmitted to the responder communication device, the time of arrival of RF signals received from the responder communication device and/or the receive signal power of RF signals transmitted from the responder communication device.

4 . The communication device as claimed in claim 3 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the initiator LOS beam by determining the beam resulting in the minimum time of flight or time of arrival and/or having a maximum receive power for the first arrival path above a predetermined receive power threshold.

5 . The communication device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit in a training phase to perform beamforming by performing a first sector sweep, during which RF signals are transmitted with different beams or with an omnidirectional beam pattern, and one or more further sector sweeps, during which RF signals are received and/or transmitted with different beams or with an omnidirectional beam pattern.

6 . The communication device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit and the antenna unit in the measurement phase to exchange RF signals with the responder communication device via a communication channel using the determined initiator LOS beam, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the time of flight of RF signals exchanged with the responder communication device in the measurement phase and to determine the position of the communication device from the determined time of flight and/or the initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam.

7 . The communication device as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to receive responder angular information of a responder LOS beam of the responder communication device that corresponds to the LOS path between the communication device and the responder communication device and to additionally use the responder angular information for determining the position of the communication device.

8 . The communication device as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to receive and use the angle of arrival and the angle of departure of the responder LOS beam as responder angular information.

9 . The communication device as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain responder position and/or orientation information of the responder communication device and to additionally use the obtained responder position information for determining the position of the communication device.

10 . The communication device as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit in the measurement phase to perform beamforming for confirming and/or updating the initiator LOS beam and the processing unit is configured to confirm and/or update the initiator LOS beam and initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam.

11 . The communication device as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit and the antenna unit to apply a fine time measurement, FTM, procedure in the measurement phase for exchanging RF signals with the responder communication device, said RF signals including time information allowing the processing unit to determine the time of flight of exchanged RF signals.

12 . The communication device as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit and the antenna unit to embed the time information and/or angular information in FTM frames and/or in one or more training subfields appended to FTM frames of exchanged RF signals.

13 . The communication device as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit and the antenna unit in the measurement phase to append training subfields to FTM frames and to exchange at least the last training subfield with the responder communication device via the communication channel using the determined initiator LOS beam.

14 . The communication device as claimed in claim 6 ,
comprising at least two RF chains, each connected to at least two antennas separated in space, wherein the control unit is configured to estimate the time of arrival difference of RF signals received at said at least two antennas to compute angular orientation of the communication device with respect to the responder communication device.

15 . The communication device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the beamforming unit and the antenna unit in the measurement phase to exchange RF signals with the responder communication device via a communication channel using the determined initiator LOS beam, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the time of flight of RF signals exchanged with the responder communication device in the measurement phase and to receive the position of the communication device determined by an external entity from the determined time of flight and/or the initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam.

16 . A communication method for use by an initiator communication device for RF-based communication with a responder communication device and for position determination of the initiator communication device, said communication method comprising:
controlling the initiator communication device to perform beamforming in a training phase for determining an initiator line of sight, LOS, beam from the initiator communication device ( 1 ) to the responder communication device, determining the initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information of the initiator LOS beam, and determine the position of the initiator communication device using the determined initiator LOS beam and/or initiator angular information in a measurement phase.

17 . A communication device for RF-based communication and position determination, said communication device comprising:
an antenna unit configured to transmit and receive RF signals, a beamforming unit configured to perform beamforming and to control the antenna unit to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected beams, a control unit configured to control the beamforming unit in a training phase to perform beamforming for

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Handte Thomas
• Ciochina Dana
• Schneider Daniel
• Loghin Nabil Sven
• Eitel Ben
• Fellhauer Felix

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• G01S5/0273

  using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination · CPC title

• H04B7/0617 Primary

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04W72/046 Primary

  the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams · CPC title

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title