Power efficient user tracking

A system for implementing an improved tracking approach of mobile devices, comprising:

• a transceiver of a vehicle;
• a plurality of UWB anchors of the vehicle;
• and
• one or more computing devices, configured to:
• activate a designated ultra-wideband (UWB) anchor of the plurality of UWB anchors to perform time of flight (TOF) distance measurements between the vehicle and a mobile device responsive to detecting, using the transceiver, the mobile device reaching a first distance from the vehicle;
• activate the plurality of UWB anchors to perform trilateration between the vehicle and the mobile device to identify a position of the mobile device responsive to the TOF distance measurements between the mobile device and the designated UWB anchor indicating the mobile device has reached a closer, second distance from the vehicle;
• utilize a subset of the UWB anchors of the vehicle to continue to perform the trilateration based on the position, and inhibit a remainder of the UWB anchors other than the subset of the UWB anchors to save power;
• and
• actuate a component of the vehicle based on a result of the trilateration.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for implementing an improved tracking approach of mobile devices that, when executed by one or more computing devices of a vehicle having a transceiver and a plurality of UWB anchors, cause the vehicle to perform operations including to:

• activate a designated ultra-wideband (UWB) anchor of the plurality of UWB anchors to perform time of flight (TOF) distance measurements between the vehicle and a mobile device responsive to detecting, using the transceiver, the mobile device reaching a first distance from the vehicle;
• activate the plurality of UWB anchors to perform trilateration between the vehicle and the mobile device to identify a position of the mobile device responsive to the TOF distance measurements between the mobile device and the designated UWB anchor indicating the mobile device has reached a closer, second distance from the vehicle;
• utilize a subset of the UWB anchors of the vehicle to continue to perform the trilateration based on the position, and inhibit a remainder of the UWB anchors other than the subset of the UWB anchors to save power;
• and
• actuate a component of the vehicle based on a result of the trilateration.