# US 2023/0055286 A1 · System and method for determining location > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0055286 A1 - Document ID: US20230055286A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/860,150 - Filed: 2022-07-08 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-19 - Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation - Applicants: DENSO International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation - Inventors: Kyle Cooper; Eric Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230055286A1 ## CPC - H04B 17/27: for locating or positioning the transmitter - H04W 64/006: {with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination} - H04W 52/248: {where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter} - H04B 17/26: using historical data, averaging values or statistics - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system and method for determining location information with respect to a portable device and an object. The system and method may be based on UWB communications, and more particularly with respect to a first path power determined with respect the UWB communications. In one embodiment, a differential first path power may be determined based on first and second first path power values obtained respectively by first and second devices via UWB communications with the portable device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for determining location information with respect to a portable device and an object, the system comprising: a first device disposed in a first fixed position relative to the object, the first device capable of communicating with the portable device in accordance with an ultra-wideband communication protocol, the first device operable to determine a first power characteristic indicative of a first path power of communications between the first device and the portable device; a second device disposed in a second fixed position relative to the object, the second device capable of communicating with the portable device in accordance with the ultra-wideband communication protocol, the second device operable to determine a second power characteristic indicative of a first path power of communications between the second device and the portable device; a controller operable to determine a differential first path power based on a difference between the first and second power characteristics respectively indicative of a first path power of communications between the first device and the portable device and a first path power of communications between the second device and the portable device; and the controller operable to determine the location information based on the differential first path power with respect to communications with the portable device in accordance with the ultra-wideband communication protocol. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes a locator operable to output the location information based on the differential first path power. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the locator includes at least one parameter, wherein an output of the locator is based on the at least one parameter and the differential first path power. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 comprising a configuration processor operable to adjust the at least one parameter of the locator, the configuration processor including memory and operable to obtain truth information with respect to a location of the portable device relative to the object, the configuration processor operable to vary the at least one parameter of the locator based on a comparison of the output of the locator and the truth information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the locator includes an algorithmic model that is trainable via iterative adjustment of the at least one parameter based on a comparison of a model output for a given value of the at least one parameter and the truth information, wherein the algorithmic model is operable to receive as input the differential first path power, and wherein the differential first path power is correlated with the truth information with respect to the location of the portable device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein: the first device includes a first antenna operable to facilitate communications with a portable device antenna of the portable device; and the second device includes a second antenna operable to facilitate communications with the portable device antenna of the portable device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein: the first power characteristic indicative of the first path power of the communications between the first device and the portable device is a function of a first gain of the first antenna and a portable device gain of the portable device antenna; the second power characteristic indicative of the first path power of the communications between the second device and the portable device is a function of a second gain of the second antenna and the portable device gain of the portable device antenna; and the portable device gain of the portable device is substantially absent from the differential first path power, whereby the differential first path power is substantially unaffected by variations in the portable device gain from one type of portable device to another type of portable device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein an output of the locator is independent of variations in the portable device gain among various types of portable devices, such that the locator is operable to determine location information for multiple types of portable devices absent varying the at least one parameter for each type of the multiple types of portable devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first path power is a power indicator associated with a first path in a multi-path environment. ### Claim 10 A method of determining location information with respect to a portable device and an object, the method comprising: communicating between the portable device and a first device in accordance with an ultra-wideband communication protocol; generating a first power characteristic indicative of a first path power of communications between the first device and the portable device; communicating between the portable device and a second device in accordance with the ultra-wideband communication protocol; generating a second power characteristic indicative of a first path power of communications between the second device and the portable device; calculating a differential first path power based on a difference between the first and second power characteristics respectively indicative of a first path power of communications between the first device and the portable device and a first path power of communications between the second device and the portable device; and determining the location information based on the differential first path power with respect to communications with the portable device in accordance with the ultra-wideband communication protocol. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein said determining the location information includes determining the location information based on the differential first path power and at least one parameter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 comprising adjusting the at least one parameter based on truth information with respect to a location of the portable device relative to the object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 comprising iteratively adjusting the at least one parameter to reduce an error metric determined with respect to determined location information and the truth information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the differential first path power is substantially unaffected by variations in an antenna gain from one type of portable device to another type of portable device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the first path power is a power indicator associated with a first path in a multi-path environment. ### Claim 16 A device operable to determine location information with respect to a portable device and an object, the device comprising: a memory; a processor operably coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute one or more instructions stored in the memory to: obtain a first power characteristic indicative of a first path power of ultra-wideband communications between a first device and the portable device, wherein the first device is disposed in a fixed position relative to the object; obtain a second power characteristic indicative of a first path power of ultra-wideband communications between a second device and the portable device, wherein the second device is disposed in a fixed position relative to the object; calculate a differential first path power based on a difference between the first and second power characteristics respectively indicative of a first path power of communications between the first device and the portable device and a first path power of communications between the second device and the portable device; and determine the location information based on the differential first path power with respect to ultra-wideband communications with the portable device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the second power characteristic is received from the second device, and wherein the device is the first device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the differential first path power is substantially unaffected by variations in an antenna gain from one type of portable device to another type of portable device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the processor is operable to determine the location information based on the differential first path power and at least one parameter, wherein the at least one parameter is iteratively calculated by reducing an error metric calculated with respect to the location information and truth information pertaining to a location of the portable device relative to the object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the first path power is a power indicator associated with a first path in a multi-path environment.