US 11,307,299 B2 · Radio frequency based sensing using communication signals

Abstract

Embodiments are presented herein of apparatuses, systems, and methods for a wireless device to perform sensing applications using communication signals. The first wireless device may determine to perform a sensing application and to perform the sensing application using a communication signal to be transmitted to a second device. In other words, the first wireless device may use a transmission that is scheduled for communication purposes to additionally perform sensing of one or more types. Example sensing or radar-like applications include estimating distance, motion, and/or angle to one or more objects or structures in the vicinity of the first wireless device. After transmitting the communication signal to the second wireless device, the first wireless device may receive a reflection of the communication signal. The first wireless device may use the reflection to perform the sensing application.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for managing a first wireless device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to cause the first wireless device to:
determine to perform a measurement of distance to a reflector using one or more communication transmissions scheduled for transmission to a second wireless device, wherein the measurement of the distance to the reflector is concurrent with communication with the second wireless device;
transmit the one or more communication transmissions to the second wireless device;
receive at least one reflection of the one or more communication;
transmissions;
perform, based on the at least one reflection, the measurement of the distance to the reflector;
and
determine to perform a second measurement of the distance to the reflector using a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar (FMCW) signal, wherein the determination to perform the second measurement of the distance to the reflector using the FMCW signal is based on a determination that an expected amount of communication is below a threshold.

5 more elements

A first wireless device, comprising:

at least one antenna;
and
a processor coupled to the at least one antenna and configured to cause the first wireless device to:
determine to perform a communication transmission to a second wireless device, wherein the communication transmission includes a plurality of data symbols;
determine to perform a first sensing measurement of a first reflector using a reflection of the communication transmission, wherein the first sensing measurement of the first reflector is based on a plurality of reflections corresponding to the plurality of data symbols;
transmit the communication transmission to the second wireless device;
receive, from the first reflector, the reflection of the communication transmission;
and
perform the first sensing measurement of the first reflector using the reflection of the communication transmission, wherein at least one of a modified zero forcing estimator or a modified minimum mean square error estimator is used to perform a channel estimate of the plurality of reflections and the first sensing measurement of the first reflector is based on the channel estimate.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Radio frequency based sensing using communication signals

Life of this patent

Radio frequency based sensing using communication signals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20