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US 11,153,708 B2Granted
Method and system for establishing microlocation zones
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsEric John Smith, Raymond Michael Stitt, Warren Guthrie, Steven Petersen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system of creating microlocation zones by defining virtual boundaries using a system of one or more transmitters and receivers with one or more spatially-correlated antennas.
Claims29
A system for establishing location information with respect to a portable device and a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a master device disposed in a fixed position relative to the vehicle, said master device capable of communicating with at least one of the portable device and one or more sensor devices;
- a plurality of antennas, each of said plurality of antennas configured to receive wireless communications and provide an antenna output corresponding to the wireless communications, wherein a first time of flight characteristic is determined for at least one antenna output based on a first plurality of time-spaced measurements of the at least one antenna output, wherein the first plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a first communication protocol via at least one first communication protocol channel;
- wherein a second time of flight characteristic is determined based on a second plurality of time-spaced measurements of the at least one antenna output, wherein said second plurality of said time-spaced measurements are conducted with respect to wireless communications that occur on different frequencies, wherein the second plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a second communication protocol via at least one second communication protocol channel, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol such that an encoding of communications received according to the second communication protocol is different from an encoding of communications received according to the first communication protocol;
- wherein location information of the portable device is determined relative to the vehicle as a function of said first time of flight characteristic and said second time of flight characteristic, wherein said function reduces multipath interference in at least one of said first time of flight characteristic and the second time of flight characteristic, whereby said function mitigates environmental effects in said at least one antenna output;
- wherein the first time of flight characteristic is determined based on UWB communications, and wherein the second time of flight characteristic is determined based on BLE communications, and wherein the function is applied to the first time of flight characteristic and the second time of flight characteristic to reduce multipath interference in the first and second time of flight characteristics.
2 more elements
A method of determining position with respect to a portable device and a vehicle, said method comprising:
- receiving, in a first antenna disposed on the vehicle, wireless communications transmitted from a target device;
- obtaining a first plurality of time-spaced measurements of a first output of the first antenna with respect to wireless communications received in the first antenna, wherein the first plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a first communication protocol via at least one first communication protocol channel;
- determining a first time of flight (TOF) characteristic based on the first plurality of time-spaced measurements of the first output of the first antenna;
- obtaining a second plurality of time-spaced measurements with respect to wireless communications that occur on different frequencies, wherein the second plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a second communication protocol via at least one second communication protocol channel, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol such that an encoding of data for communications received according to the second communication protocol is different from an encoding of data for communications received according to the first communication protocol;
- determining a second time of flight (TOF) characteristic based on the second plurality of time-spaced measurements;
- receiving, in a second antenna disposed on the vehicle, wireless communications transmitted from the target device;
- determining a second characteristic based on the wireless communications received in the second antenna;
- determining, as a function of the first TOF characteristic and the second characteristic, a position of the target device relative to the vehicle, wherein the function reduces multipath interference in at least one of the first TOF characteristic and the second characteristic, whereby the function mitigates environmental effects on wireless communications received by at least one of the first and second antennas;
- and
- wherein the first TOF characteristic is determined based on UWB communications, and wherein the second TOF characteristic is determined based on BLE communications, and wherein the function is applied to the first time of flight characteristic and the second time of flight characteristic to reduce multipath interference in the first and second time of flight characteristics.
7 more elements
A method of determining position with respect to a portable device and a vehicle, said method comprising:
- receiving, in a first antenna disposed on the vehicle, wireless communications transmitted from a target device;
- obtaining a first plurality of time-spaced measurements of a first output of the first antenna with respect to wireless communications received in the first antenna;
- determining a first time of flight (TOF) characteristic based on the first plurality of time-spaced measurements of the first output of the first antenna, wherein the first plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a first communication protocol via at least one first communication protocol channel;
- receiving, in a second antenna disposed on the vehicle, wireless communications transmitted from the target device;
- obtaining a second plurality of time-spaced measurements of a second output of the second antenna with respect to wireless communications received in the second antenna, wherein the second plurality of time-spaced measurements are conducted with respect to wireless communications that occur on different frequencies, wherein the second plurality of time-spaced measurements are based on wireless communications received according to a second communication protocol via at least one second communication protocol channel, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol such that an encoding of data for communications received according to the second communication protocol is different from an encoding of data for communications received according to the first communication protocol;
- determining a second time of flight (TOF) characteristic based on the second plurality of time-spaced measurements, wherein the second TOF characteristic is indicative of a position of the target device relative to the vehicle;
- locating the target device relative to the vehicle as a function of the first TOF characteristic and the second TOF characteristic, wherein said function reduces multipath interference in at least one of said first TOF characteristic and the second TOF characteristic, whereby said function mitigates environmental effects in at least one of the first and second outputs;
- and
- wherein the first TOF characteristic is based on UWB communications, wherein the second TOF characteristic is based on BLE communications, and wherein the function is applied to the first TOF characteristic and the second TOF characteristic to reduce multipath interference in the first and second TOF characteristics.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.