# US 2021/0344362 A1 · Wireless Ranging Using Physical and Virtual Responders > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0344362 A1 - Document ID: US20210344362A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/371,225 - Filed: 2021-07-09 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-26 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Ayman F. Naguib; Arun Yadav; Robert Golshan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344362A1 ## CPC - G01S 11/02: using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence) - H04B 1/0053: {with common antenna for more than one band} - G01S 5/021: {Calibration, monitoring or correction (G01S5/0252 takes precedence)} - G01S 5/0215: {Interference} - G01S 5/0218: {Multipath in signal reception} - G01S 13/762: {with special measures concerning the radiation pattern, e.g. S.L.S. (aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns, e.g. providing sum and difference patterns, H01Q25/00)} - G01S 13/765: {with exchange of information between interrogator and responder} - G01S 13/767: {Responders; Transponders (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26)} - G01S 13/876: {Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver (G01S13/874 takes precedence)} - G01S 13/88: Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) - H04B 1/38: Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An electronic device configures two or more virtual responders associated with different subsets of capabilities of a physical responder in the electronic device, where the physical responder comprises a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver and multiple antennas, and where a given virtual responder corresponds to the RF transceiver and a given antenna. Then, the electronic device performs, based at least in part on wirelessly communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on wireless signals from the second electronic device to the electronic device, where the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals. Next, the electronic device determines, based at least in part on the measurements, a range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, where the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders to correct for an environmental condition and/or increase an accuracy of the determined range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit, comprising: control logic configured to: provide instructions or electrical signals to a physical responder to configure two or more virtual responders with different subsets of capabilities of the physical responder, wherein the physical responder comprises: a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver configured to receive wireless signals; and multiple antennas; and wherein a given virtual responder corresponds to the RF transceiver and a given antenna in the multiple antennas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the control logic is configured to: perform, based at least in part on wireless communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on the wireless signals associated with the second electronic device and intended for the electronic device, wherein the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals; and determine, based at least in part on the measurements, a range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein a field of view of the given virtual responder, at least in part, spatially overlaps a second field of view of another of the two or more virtual responders. ### Claim 4 An electronic device, comprising: a physical responder, comprising: a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver configured to receive wireless signals; and multiple antennas; and an integrated circuit coupled to the physical responder, wherein the electronic device is configured to: configure two or more virtual responders associated with different subsets of capabilities of the physical responder, wherein a given virtual responder corresponds to the RF transceiver and a given antenna in the multiple antennas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device is configured to: perform, based at least in part on wireless communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on the wireless signals associated with the second electronic device and intended for the electronic device, wherein the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals; and determine, based at least in part on the measurements, a range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein, when the determined range is within a threshold distance, the integrated circuit performs an action. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the action comprises: unlocking the electronic device, transitioning the electronic device from a first power state to a second power state, or changing a state of the electronic device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein at least the virtual responders perform the measurements at different spatial locations on the electronic device, at different times at a same location on the electronic device, or both. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the measurements are also performed by the physical responder. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the determination corrects for an environmental condition, increases an accuracy of the determined range or both. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the environmental condition comprises interference or a multipath signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the second electronic device comprises a cellular telephone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the RF transceiver is configured to transmit second wireless signals; and wherein the range is determined based at least in part in a second time of flight of the second wireless signals associated with the electronic device and intended for the second electronic device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device comprises: a second physical responder, comprising: a second RF transceiver; and multiple second antennas; and wherein the integrated circuit is configured to configure two or more second virtual responders associated with different subsets of capabilities of the second physical responder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is configured to: perform, based at least in part on wireless communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on the wireless signals associated with the second electronic device and intended for the electronic device, wherein the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals; and determine, based at least in part on the measurements, a range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders; and wherein the measurements are performed by two or more of: the physical responder, the second physical responder, the virtual responders, or the second virtual responders. ### Claim 16 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the integrated circuit dynamically configures the virtual responders. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication uses ultra-wideband (UWB). ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the two or more virtual responders comprise a first virtual responding and a second virtual responder; and wherein the first virtual responder comprises a first antenna in the multiple antennas having a polarization and the second virtual responder comprises a second antenna in the multiple antennas having the polarization. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein a field of view of the given virtual responder, at least in part, spatially overlaps a second field of view of another of the two or more virtual responders. ### Claim 20 A method for determining a range, comprising: by an electronic device: configuring two or more virtual responders associated with different subsets of capabilities of a physical responder in the electronic device, wherein the physical responder comprises a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver that receives wireless signals and multiple antennas, wherein a given virtual responder corresponds to the RF transceiver and a given antenna in the multiple antennas; performing, based at least in part on wireless communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on the wireless signals associated with the second electronic device and intended for the electronic device, wherein the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals; and determining, based at least in part on the measurements, the range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders.