# US 12,114,226 B2 · Vehicle-mounted ranging system and method of operating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,226 B2 - Document ID: US12114226B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/231,137 - Filed: 2023-08-07 - Published: 2024-02-08 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-14 - Assignees: Qorvo US, Inc. - Applicants: Qorvo US, Inc. - Inventors: Kerry Cloyce Glover - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114226B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - B60R 25/241: {whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers} - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - B60R 25/245: {where the antenna reception area plays a role} - H01Q 1/3275: {mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) ## Abstract Disclosed is a vehicle-mounted ranging system and method. The vehicle-mounted ranging system has a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one external communication transceiver and a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers configured to transmit and receive ranging pulses to and from at least one external UWB transceiver associated with the at least one external communication transceiver. A controller is interfaced between the communication transceiver and the plurality of UWB transceivers. The controller is configured to communicate with the associated at least one external communication transceiver to schedule transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver and to calculate ranges between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver based upon time-of-arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB ranging transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system having a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one external communication transceiver, a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers configured to transmit and receive ranging pulses to and from a UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver, and a controller interfaced with the communication transceiver and the plurality of UWB transceivers, the method comprising: communicating wirelessly with the at least one external communication transceiver to schedule transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external communication transceiver by way of the communication transceiver under control of the controller; configuring by way of the controller the plurality of UWB transceivers with the schedule of the transmission of the ranging pulses; and calculating by way of the controller ranges between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and at least one UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver based upon time-of-arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 1 further comprising setting up a secure communications link between the communication transceiver and the at least one external communication transceiver by way of the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 2 further comprising providing by way of the controller the plurality of UWB transceivers with secure scrambling codes for UWB ranging. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 3 wherein at least one object on which the communication transceiver and the at least one external communication transceiver are held is a pedestrian. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 3 wherein at least one object on which the communication transceiver and the at least one external UWB transceiver are held is a vulnerable road user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 3 wherein at least one object on which the communication transceiver and the at least one external UWB transceiver are mounted is an infrastructure component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of UWB transceivers has a corresponding antenna that is configured to transmit and receive the ranging pulses. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 7 wherein a first vehicle has a front-side, a left-side laterally spaced from a right-side, and a backside coupled to the front-side by the left-side and the right-side, wherein the corresponding antenna of a first one of the plurality of UWB transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a first location that is proximal to both the front-side and the left-side, the corresponding antenna of a second one of the plurality of UWB transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a second location that is proximal to the front-side and the right-side, the corresponding antenna of a third one of the plurality of UWB transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a third location that is proximal to the backside and the right-side, and the corresponding antenna of a fourth one of the plurality of UWB transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a fourth location that is proximal to the backside and the left-side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 8 wherein the at least one external communication transceiver and at least one external UWB transceiver are mounted to at least a second vehicle that is different from the first vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 9 wherein the at least a second vehicle has a front-side, a left-side laterally spaced from a right-side, and a backside coupled to the front-side by the left-side and the right-side, wherein the corresponding antenna of a first one of the at least one external UWB transceiver is mounted to the second vehicle at a fifth location that is proximal to both the front-side and the left-side, the corresponding antenna of a second one of the at least one external UWB transceiver is mounted to the second vehicle at a sixth location that is proximal to the front-side and the right-side, the corresponding antenna of a third one of the at least one external UWB transceiver is mounted to the second vehicle at a seventh location that is proximal to the backside and the right-side, and the corresponding antenna of a fourth one of the at least one external UWB transceiver is mounted to the second vehicle at an eighth location that is proximal to the backside and the left-side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10 further comprising calculating by way of the controller a distance between the first location and the seventh location, and measuring distance between the second location and the eighth location when the first vehicle is following the second vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 11 wherein the communication transceiver has a communication antenna mounted to the first vehicle at a location that is proximal to a topside of the first vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10 further comprising calculating a distance between the second location and the eighth location, and measuring distance between the third location and the fifth location when the first vehicle is substantially beside the second vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10 further comprising calculating by way of the controller a distance between the fourth location and the sixth location and measuring distance between the third location and the fifth location when the second vehicle is following the first vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13 further comprising calculating by way of the controller a distance between the fourth location and the fifth location, and measuring a distance between the third location and the sixth location when the second vehicle is following the first vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10 further comprising calculating by way of the controller a distance between the first location and the eighth location, and measuring distance between the second location and the seventh location when the first vehicle is following the second vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10 further comprising calculating by way of the controller a distance between the second location and the fifth location, and measuring distance between the third location and the eighth location when the first vehicle is substantially beside the second vehicle using ranging pulse time-of-arrival measurements made by the plurality of UWB transceivers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 8 wherein the corresponding antenna of a fifth one of the plurality of UWB transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a location that is proximal to a topside of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of UWB transceivers has an extra antenna that is configured to transmit and receive the ranging pulses that is spaced from the corresponding antenna to measure angle-of-arrival of the ranging pulses. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 19 further comprising, by way of the controller, calculating distance measurements by both time-of-arrival and angle-of arrival. ### Claim 21 A method of operating a vehicle-mounted ranging system having a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one external communication transceiver, at least one ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver configured to transmit and receive ranging pulses to and from an external UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver, and a controller interfaced with the communication transceiver and the at least one UWB transceiver, the method comprising: communicating wirelessly with the at least one external communication transceiver to schedule transmission of ranging pulses between the at least one UWB transceiver and the at least one external communication transceiver by way of the communication transceiver under control of the controller; configuring by way of the controller the plurality of UWB transceivers with the schedule of the transmission of the ranging pulses; and calculating by way of the controller ranges between the at least one UWB transceiver and at least one external UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver based upon time-of-arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the at least one UWB transceiver and the at least one external UWB transceiver of the at least one external communication transceiver. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 21 wherein the at least one external communication transceiver and at least one external UWB transceiver are mounted to at least a second vehicle that is different from the first vehicle. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 22 wherein the at least one UWB transceiver is two UWB transceivers spaced apart and mounted proximal to a first surface of the first vehicle and the at least one external UWB transceiver is two external UWB transceivers spaced apart and mounted proximal to a second surface of the second vehicle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 23 further comprising measuring range by way of the controller utilizing ranging pulses received in crossbar fashion between the two UWB transceivers spaced apart and mounted proximal to the first surface of the first vehicle and the two external UWB transceivers spaced apart and mounted proximal to the second surface of the second vehicle. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 21 wherein the at least one external transceiver is a plurality of external transceivers mounted or carried by different vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 21 further comprising measuring range between the at least one UWB transceiver and the at least one external UWB transceiver by way of the controller measuring time-of-arrival of the ranging pulses. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method of operating the vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 21 further comprising measuring range between the at least one UWB transceiver and the at least one external UWB transceiver by measuring angle-of-arrival of the ranging pulses.