Geo-locating of wireless devices using a binning function

A wireless device, WD, configured to determine a geo-location of a target station using round-trip times (RTTs) of signals transmitted by a measuring station to the target station and response signals received from the target station corresponding to the transmitted signals, the WD comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to:
• receive a plurality of RTTs over a plurality of successive time intervals, each successive time interval being equal to a predetermined amount of time (T1),
• place the plurality of RTTs into a plurality of bins, each bin having a predetermined time width, TW, and a count of RTTs placed in the bin;
• select a bin with a highest count of RTTs (maxCb) and another bin with a next highest count of RTTs (nextCb);
• determine a maximum count ratio as maxCb/nextCb;
• set the bin with maxCb to a maximum bin value based at least on a predetermined threshold of the maximum count ratio;
• and
• select, during a next successive time interval, the RTTs that are placed in the bin that is set to the maximum bin value to determine the geo-location of the target station.

An airborne measuring station configured to determine a geo-location of a target station using round trip times (RTTs) associated with a target station, the airborne measuring station comprising:

• a transmitter receiver configured to:
• transmit a signal, the transmitted signal including at least a plurality of transmitted packets;
• and
• receive a response signal corresponding to the transmitted signal, the response signal including at least a plurality of response packets;
• and
• measure a plurality of RTTs based on the plurality of transmitted packets of the transmitted signal and the plurality of response packets of the received response signal;
• and
• processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being in communication with the transmitter receiver, the processing circuitry being configured to:
• receive a plurality of RTTs over a plurality of successive time intervals, each successive time interval being equal to a predetermined amount of time (T1);
• place the plurality of RTTs into a plurality of bins, each bin, B, having a predetermined time width (TW) and a count of RTTs placed in the bin, placing the plurality of RTTs into a plurality of bins comprising:
• determining an average value of the RTTs in each bin of the plurality of bins, the average value corresponding to the bin;
• and
• for each RTT (RTTn) of the received plurality of RTTs:
• placing the RTTn into the bin that corresponds to the average value if a difference between the RTTn and the average value is one of less than and equal to half of the TW of the bin;
• select a bin with a highest count of RTTs (maxCb) and another bin with a next highest count of RTTs (nextCb);
• determine a maximum count ratio as maxCb/nextCb;
• set the bin with maxCb to a maximum bin value based at least on a predetermined threshold of the maximum count ratio;
• and
• select, during a next successive time interval, the RTTs that are placed in the bin that is set to the maximum bin value to determine the geo-location of the target station.