Determining access point orientation based on neighbor access point locations
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorSantosh Pandey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an example embodiment, the orientation of a wireless device, such as an access point (AP) can be determined based on the location of neighboring wireless devices and the observed angle of arrival of signals from the wireless device at the neighboring wireless devices. For example, the angle of orientation can be determined by comparing an observed angle of arrival with the known actual angle between wireless devices. If a plurality of wireless devices measure the signal, the mean or median of the difference between observed angle of arrival of a signal from the wireless device with the actual angle for the plurality of wireless devices may be employed to determine the angular orientation.
Claims20
Logic encoded in a tangible, non-transitory computer readable media for execution by a processor, and when executed, the logic is operable to:
- obtain data representative of a location of a wireless device;
- obtain data representative of an angle of arrival of a signal from a wireless device whose orientation is to be determined from the wireless device;
- obtain data representative of an actual angle between the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined and the wireless device;
- and
- determine an orientation of the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined based on a difference of the angle of arrival and the actual angle between the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined and the wireless device.
An apparatus, comprising:
- an interface for receiving data;
- and
- a controller, the controller comprises orientation logic for determining an orientation of the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined;
- the controller is operable to obtain data representative of a location of a wireless device;
- the controller is operable to obtain via the interface, data representative of an angle of arrival of a signal from the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined from the wireless device;
- the controller is operable to obtain data representative of an actual angle between the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined and the wireless device;
- and
- the controller is operable to determine an orientation of the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined with respect to a predefined axis based on a difference of the angle of arrival and the actual angle between the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined and the wireless device.
A method, comprising:
- obtaining data representative of respective locations for a plurality of wireless devices;
- obtaining data representative of respective actual angles between a wireless device whose orientation is to be determined and wireless devices belonging to the plurality of wireless devices;
- obtaining data representative of an angle of arrival of a signal from the wireless device whose orientation is to be determined from wireless devices belonging to the plurality of wireless devices;
- and
- generating a heat map for a predefined grid around wireless devices belonging to the plurality of wireless device, the heat map comprises data representative of phase angles for a signal received from predefined points on the grid for a plurality of antennas associated with the wireless devices belonging to the plurality of wireless devices;
- determining a likelihood that a signal came from predefined angles of arrival for the wireless devices belonging to the plurality of wireless devices;
- determining, by a processor, an aggregate likelihood for predefined angles of orientation;
- and
- selecting, by the processor, an angle with the highest likelihood as the angle of orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.