Recursive real-time positioning system configuration method for immediate convergence of functional system configuration

Abstract

The present invention discloses a recursive real-time positioning system setup method for immediate convergence of functional system setup. In one disclosed embodiment, a method for loading a group of positioning devices onto a positioning system includes emitting a human-perceptible unconnected indicator from a first positioning device in the group of positioning devices. The method also includes detecting a connection using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device. The connection is a connection between the first positioning device and a second positioning device in the group of positioning devices. The method also includes directly and automatically responsive to detecting the connection, emitting a human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 049,097, filed on July 30, 2018. Background Art

[0003] Wireless positioning systems typically require the use of multiple devices that transmit and receive wireless signals to observe objects and determine their location within a given space. Information is often gathered through a combination of these signals to accurately determine the location of an object. In short, these devices need to work together to function properly. In order to work properly, these devices need to be able to communicate. In many positioning applications, devices need to be able to communicate directly through direct wireless transmissions and will not function properly if they need to communicate through a medium or if there is no direct communication path. Therefore, the location of a single positioning device relative to the system as a whole is very important when placing a system into service or troubleshooting the performance of an existing system.

[0004] Placing a multiple device positioning system into service involves installing each of the constituent devices into the system. This can be a challenging process, as the location of all the devices will set the range of observation available to the system and determine whether the system is operational. Therefore, in a system of any appreciable size, the devices will be far apart, and the time spent moving back and forth between devices to adjust them can itself be time consuming. Furthermore, the proper location of each device depends in part on the location of every other device in the system, so that the interrelationships of the multiple devices can increase the complexity of the system. It can be difficult to troubleshoot where each device should be placed, or to determine which device is causing a system malfunction, because the web of interrelationships between their locations can be difficult to visualize from the information available to the installer. Furthermore, if there is any appreciable degree of flexibility in terms of where each individual device can be placed, the number of potential configurations for the system can be large, and testing all of the different potential configurations, or even subsets of configurations, can be very time consuming. For these reasons, it can be difficult to find an ideal confirmation, or even a functional confirmation. Summary of the invention

[0005] Systems and methods for efficiently loading devices into a positioning system are disclosed. A positioning system may include a set of devices that need to receive and transmit signals directly between them, or indirectly through an object that the system uses to obtain a position value. For example, the positioning system may be used to track the position of an object by transmitting wireless signals from a set of positioning devices, which are reflected from tags located on the object. The information received from these reflections by different positioning devices in the system may then be fused to obtain a single position estimate of the object. The disclosed systems and methods may be used to guide a user through the placement of positioning devices, avoiding or correcting disconnected states that would otherwise cause the positioning system to fail or perform suboptimally.

[0006] The unconnected state includes a state in which the positioning device is not in line of sight (non-line-of-sight, NLOS), out of range, or cannot be effectively connected to another device in the positioning system. As defined, the group of unconnected states includes a subset of states, which can be referred to as partially connected states, in which the positioning device is positioned so that it can be operably connected to one or more other devices in the positioning system, rather than connected to one or more other devices in the positioning system. In some methods, the operable connection includes a connection between two devices in the positioning system, which allows the positioning system to locate the device using one or more wireless signals sent between the two devices.

[0007] The disclosed systems and methods may include generating a human-perceptible unconnected indicator indicating an unconnected state. In a specific embodiment, the system and method may also include generating a human-perceptible connection indicator. The connection state refers to the state in which the positioning device is operably connected to each other device in the positioning system. The positioning system is defined by multiple devices required to identify the precise location value of an object. The indicator can be issued by a device for issuing a human-perceptible indicator. The human-perceptible indicator can indicate a connection state. However, the indicator can also indicate a transition between unconnected states, in which more connections are made to a single device. The device for issuing a human-perceptible indicator can include a speaker, a display, a light, an automatic physical switch or sign, and any system or device for generating an auditory, visual, tactile or other human-perceptible signal.

[0008] A human-perceptible indicator may be emitted to indicate any change in the number of operational connections between positioning devices in the system. In a specific embodiment, a human-perceptible indicator indicating a connection state may be automatically generated in direct response to detecting a transition of an individual positioning device from an unconnected state to a connected state, or from an unconnected state to an unconnected state with more connections. In a specific embodiment, a human-perceptible indicator indicating an unconnected state may be automatically generated in direct response to the detection of an unconnected state. The real-time emission of such a signal provides highly responsive feedback to a user busy with the installation of the positioning system, so that the user is immediately notified when the user has properly positioned the device. The immediate feedback enables the user to continue with the installation immediately after the device is properly placed, and enables the user to effectively scan for appropriate locations by holding the device and moving the device within the space in which the device operates.

[0009] In a specific embodiment, the system status may be continuously monitored. In a specific embodiment, the monitoring of the system status may be continuously performed during the verification phase. In a specific embodiment, the system may be continuously prepared to emit a human-perceptible indicator while monitoring the status of the system. In a specific embodiment, the system may emit a human-perceptible indicator or signal to continuously indicate the status of the system. Providing continuous monitoring and / or continuous signaling provides benefits to busy users because the user does not need to manage the additional task of continuously triggering tests to see if the device is aligned.

[0010] In a particular embodiment, the human-perceptible indicator emitted by the system may be emitted in such a way that a user can quickly and intuitively identify how the locating device needs to be changed to bring all devices in the locating system into a connected state. In a particular embodiment, the human-perceptible indicator may be emitted by the locating device itself. To this end, each locating device may have an integrated means to emit a human-perceptible indicator. For example, a locating device may include a light that changes color to indicate that the locating device is in a connected or unconnected state or that its number of connections has changed. In this example, a user would be able to immediately detect which device in the system caused the installation failure by simply evaluating the color of the light on each device. Furthermore, if monitoring and signaling is continued, the user would be able to monitor in real time how any number of potential new positions of one of the locating devices would affect the functionality of the entire system.

[0011] Indicating which devices are causing failures can provide significant benefits. In a positioning system with only four devices, there are 12 one-way wireless connections between the devices. Therefore, troubleshooting can be very difficult without any guidance as to which devices are causing failures, and an efficient method of identifying specific paths as problematic and providing that information to the user can make the installation process more efficient. In specific embodiments where the positioning devices themselves emit human-perceptible indicators, a pattern of unconnected and connected indicators momentarily displayed by the system as a whole can signal to the user what specific type of failure is occurring with the system. Specific methods for detecting which devices in a system are causing installation failures and for displaying that information to the user are provided in the detailed description section below.

[0012] In one embodiment, a method for loading a group of positioning devices onto a positioning system includes emitting a human-perceptible unconnected indicator from a first positioning device in the group of positioning devices. The method also includes detecting a connection using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device. The connection is between the first positioning device and a second positioning device in the group of positioning devices. The method also includes directly and automatically responsive to detecting the connection, emitting a human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device. Another embodiment includes a computer-readable medium storing instructions for performing the foregoing method.

[0013] Another embodiment includes a positioning system. The system includes a first positioning device having: (i) a wireless receiver; (ii) means for emitting a human-perceptible unconnected indicator; (iii) means for emitting a human-perceptible connected indicator; and (iii) a memory. The system also includes a second positioning device. The memory stores instructions to detect a connection between the first positioning device and the second positioning device via the wireless receiver and automatically emit a human-perceptible connected indicator in direct response to detecting the connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 A system and flow chart illustrating a set of methods for efficiently loading a device onto a positioning system according to specific embodiments disclosed herein.

[0015] Figure 2 Shown according to the reference Figure 1 The disclosed embodiments provide a timing process for a specific method of efficiently loading a device onto a positioning system.

[0016] Figure 3 Three indoor positioning systems (IPS) are shown in top view, which show the Figure 1 Certain conditions of the disclosed embodiments may result in the detection of an unconnected state.

[0017] Figure 4 A top view of three IPS is shown, illustrating how different states of the positioning system can be effectively reported to the user according to specific embodiments disclosed herein.

[0018] Figure 5 Different positioning system devices that issue a disconnected status indicator according to specific embodiments disclosed herein are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Systems and methods for efficiently loading devices onto a positioning system are disclosed in detail below. As described above, in specific embodiments, the positioning system may include generating human-perceptible indicators to guide a user to load the device onto the system. As described above, in specific embodiments, the device itself may generate human-perceptible indicators. Specific embodiments for detecting which devices in the system caused the installation to fail and for displaying this information to the user are provided below. The specific embodiments of these systems and methods disclosed in this section are for illustrative purposes and are not meant to limit the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims. Reference may be made to Figure 1 A set of these specific embodiments is described.

[0020] Figure 1 Two positioning devices 100 are shown, which form part of a positioning system for providing a position value for an object 101. For example, the positioning system may be an indoor positioning system (IPS), and the two positioning devices 100 may be dedicated wall-mounted beacons for tracking an object 101 located in an indoor space. The two positioning devices 100 may locate and provide a position value for the object 101 by directing a wireless signal toward the object 101 and detecting a reflected or returned signal from the object 101. The group of external positioning devices may include a wireless transceiver to transmit and measure wireless signals and perform a time of flight (TOF) analysis on the signal. The signal may be directed toward a tag or transceiver located on the object or another external positioning device in the system. Then, knowing the speed of the signal in the medium under consideration, the position of the object and other external positioning devices may be determined by measuring the TOF from the transmitted to the received signal. In a specific method, the position of the object may be inferred using methods such as multilateration (MLAT). The positioning system may include other devices not shown.

[0021] exist Figure 1In the example of FIG. 1 , the connection between device 1 and device 2 is necessary for the positioning system to operate properly and provide a position estimate for object 101. Thus, assuming that device 1 is already installed, loading device 2 onto the positioning system will include ensuring that device 1 and device 2 can communicate appropriately and are in operational communication with the positioning system. Reference will be made to the discussion of loading device 2. Figure 1 However, these steps are more generally applicable to the loading of each device in the positioning system.

[0022] Indicators provided by positioning system 120 may guide user 110 through the loading and installation process. Figure 1 The right side of shows the steps performed by the user 110, while Figure 1 The left side of shows the steps performed by the positioning system 120. The positioning system 120 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform any method steps described with reference to the actions of the positioning system. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be stored separately on a separate server 121, one or more positioning devices 122, or a third device 123 or divided between them. The third device may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a dedicated installation aid. The third device may also be a router or dedicated hub for the positioning system. The elements of the positioning system 120 may be connected via one or more wired and / or wireless networks, including the Internet.

[0023] The flowchart starts at step 130, where the positioning system is installed. This step is performed by the user 110 and may include removing the positioning device from the positioning device packaging and powering on the device for the first time. In IPS, this step may also include mounting the device on the wall. The positioning device can be placed on a wall where no other devices have been placed. The positioning device can be set to a point at a height of at least two meters, where the distance from any obstacle in the room (e.g., a door or furniture) seems to be the largest. Step 130 may include repeating the above actions for each positioning device in the system, or may include installing only a single device. This step may be performed under the guidance of the product manual accompanying the device. In the case of IPS, this step may include attaching the positioning device (or multiple devices) to the wall using screws, nails, tacks, or equivalent methods. This step may also include attaching the positioning device (or multiple devices) using an adhesive. The adhesive may be an integral part of the device when the adhesive is removed from the packaging. The adhesive may provide a secure connection to the wall, but may also be designed to be easily removed and repositioned. For example, the adhesive itself may be designed to be separated and then reattached, or the device may include multiple adhesive portions as well as packaging so that it can be installed and reinstalled multiple times in different locations.

[0024] The flowchart continues to step 140, where a first positioning device in the group of positioning devices issues a human-perceptible disconnection indicator. The human-perceptible disconnection indicator may alternatively be issued by an alternative device, such as a speaker or display on a dedicated hub for the positioning system, a smart phone, a tablet, or a separate computer. A single positioning device in the system may also be different from the other devices in the system and include dedicated means for emitting a human-perceptible indicator, while the other devices do not. The disconnection indicator may be issued once the device detects a lack of an operable connection between itself and another device in the positioning system, and after the device has been powered on or the authentication phase has begun. The first positioning device may be positioning device 1. This device may be the first device installed in the system, so no other devices can connect to it, or it may be any device installed in a fully installed system, but cannot connect to enough other devices in the system to operate properly.

[0025] The indicator may be emitted by a means for emitting a human-perceptible indicator integrated with the unconnected positioning device. Figure 1 In the example of . The positioning device 1 includes an LED 103, which can flash in a pattern or turn on a specific color to indicate that the device 1 is in an unconnected state. The following provides a method for detecting and issuing an unconnected indicator. Specifically, the unconnected indicator does not need to be issued by the first positioning device. Instead, the indicator can be issued by a device for issuing a human-perceptible indicator integrated with another positioning device in the system or a completely different device such as the third device 123.

[0026] The flow chart continues to step 131, in which the user 110 adjusts the installation of the positioning system. As shown, the user 110 performs this step in response to the issuance of a human-perceptible unconnected indicator. Specifically, in a method in which the positioning device issues its own unconnected indicator, step 131 may include adjusting the position of one of the devices that issued the human-perceptible unconnected indicator in step 140. For example, if the LED on device 1 turns on to indicate an unconnected state in step 140, step 131 may include the user removing device 1 from the wall and moving it toward device 2. The unconnected indicator issued in step 140 may lead the user 110 to the device that caused the system to malfunction. The indicator may also include information about how to fix the error, as described below. In a method in which step 130 includes placing a single device in the positioning system, step 131 may include placing more devices in the system. However, in a method in which step 130 includes placing all devices in the positioning system, step 131 may include changing the position of the device in the positioning system.

[0027] The flow chart continues to step 141, detecting the connection, and step 142, issuing a human-perceptible connection indicator. A wireless receiver on one of the positioning devices is capable of detecting the connection. The connection status indicator can indicate a connection between a first positioning device and a second positioning device in the group of positioning devices. For example, a signal received by a wireless receiver including antenna 104 can indicate a connection with device 2. The human-perceptible connection indicator can be issued by another part of the same device used in step 140 for issuing the human-perceptible indicator. For example, in step 140, a control signal for generating red light on an LED can be used to generate an unconnected indicator, and in step 142, a control signal for generating green light on the same LED can be used to generate a connected indicator. The human-perceptible connection indicator can also indicate that the human-perceptible unconnected indicator stops. Similarly, the human-perceptible unconnected indicator can also indicate that the human-perceptible connection indicator stops. In other words, LED 103 can be turned on in step 140 and turned off in step 142. Different variations of these two signals and how they are related to each other are provided below.

[0028] When executing step 131, the system can continuously monitor the status of the component positioning device so that the user does not need to continuously initiate a system check each time the device is moved to a new location. Subsequently, a human-perceivable connection indicator can be issued directly and automatically in response to detecting a connection. In some methods, such a system can provide real-time feedback to the user to greatly improve the efficiency of the system. Figure 2 To describe the benefits of this approach.

[0029] Figure 2 are timing diagrams showing the installation of a positioning system by a user 110 in an indoor environment. These images show the user 110 loading a new device 202 into the system. At time t 0 , the user has installed the first device 201, which is attached to the wall and powered on, and is installing the new device 202 on a different wall. 1 As shown, when a new device 202 is installed and powered on or set to verification mode, the device emits a human-perceivable unconnected indicator in the form of light 203 emitted from an LED on the device. Figure 2 In the method, the signal is provided almost immediately when the system enters the authentication phase or the device 202 is turned on. In fact, the device 202 does not need to be attached to the wall at this time, but can be taken out of the packaging and at time t 1 Regardless, the indicator will notify the user that the device is not connected and prompt the user to correct the problem.

[0030] When viewing the system status, user 110 may intuitively know from the signal emitted by device 202 that device 202 is out of range of device 201. Alternatively, the unconnected signal emitted by the device may include information on how to correct the problem. For example, the system may emit an audible statement, such as: "Device 2 is out of range." Regardless of how the user determines what the problem is, at time t 2 As shown, the user can then begin to move device 202 along the wall in direction 204 so that it is closer to device 201. Since device 202 continuously monitors its status and directly and automatically signals in response to the status, once device 202 is connected to device 201, the device can emit a human-perceptible connection indicator. In the illustrated case, the device emits a human-perceptible connection indicator in the form of ceasing the light emitted from the same LED 203. Upon receiving this information, the user can immediately mount device 202 on the wall in a new location, as shown at time t 3 By using this method and other similar methods in which a connection indicator is provided directly and automatically in response to a detected connection, particularly where the device continuously monitors its status, a user is provided with an efficient method of loading devices onto a network of located devices.

[0031] Back to Figure 1 , once the system issues a connection indicator at step 142, the user 110 can complete the installation at step 132. Taking the IPS as an example, completing the installation may include attaching the device to a location on the wall where the connection indicator provides an indication that the device will function properly. The process can then continue to install another device to add it to the system, or turn off the verification state and let the system run. As previously described, step 130 can include installing all devices at once before triggering the verification phase to determine whether the device is not properly connected. In these methods, steps 131 and 141 / 142 can be repeated multiple times as adjustments are made to individual devices in the system. Step 140 can even be re-executed because the movement of one device to a higher position in the system as a whole may cause another device to no longer be in the ideal position. In any of these methods, step 132 is not performed until each device is properly arranged and the system no longer issues an unconnected indicator. In addition, as previously described, step 130 can include loading a single device onto the system, and after completing the installation of the one device in step 132, it can return to step 130 to start with the new device.

[0032] refer to Figure 1Specific embodiments of the described systems and methods rely on the system's ability to determine when individual devices in the system are in a connected state, when they are in an unconnected state, and when a device gains a new connection or loses a connection. As described above, an unconnected state includes a state in which the positioning device is out of line of sight (NLOS), out of range, or otherwise unable to connect with at least one other device in the positioning system. An unconnected state includes a state in which the placement of at least one positioning device does not contribute appropriately to the position estimate generated by the positioning system. Because the positioning system may require that each device be able to determine its own location (i.e., to perform automatic positioning), a device may need to make sufficient contact with other devices to identify its location in multiple ways in order for the device to be in a connected state. Automatic positioning assumes that inter-device measurements are feasible and reliable and that there are a sufficient number of alternative devices. If this is not the case, the device may be in an unconnected state. Reference Figure 3 , describes various positioning errors that may cause the device to operate in an unconnected state. Figure 3 The examples provided in are all IPS, but the methods disclosed in this article are more broadly applicable to any positioning system.

[0033] The room diagram 301 includes a single positioning device 302 mounted on a wall of the room. As shown, the device is cross-hatched to indicate that the device is not connected. Figure 3 In the figure below, the cross-hatched device can also be used to represent the device that currently emits the unconnected device indicator. For example, device 302 may include an LED and may continuously emit a red light because it has detected that it is in an unconnected state. In the illustrated case, device 302 is not connected because no other devices are installed. Room diagram 310 highlights the fact that a device that is out of range of other devices in the system may inherently be unable to distinguish whether it is in an unconnected state because it is indeed out of range of other devices in the system, or if all devices in the system have not been installed. In the method of installing the group of devices and then triggering the verification phase, there is no reason to distinguish the state of device 302 from the state in room diagrams 310 and 320. In the case where all devices have been installed before the verification phase is triggered, each device can be pre-programmed to know how many devices are in the system, so that if these devices are not connected to that number of devices, they are recognized as being in an unconnected state. However, in the case where the verification phase continues from the time the device first enters the system, it may be necessary to track how many devices are installed. This can be achieved by another system that collects information and provides it to each device. The alternative system may be able to provide information to the device, but cannot locate the device. For example, connecting to a wireless data network can provide each device installed in the system with a count of the number of devices installed. Thus, using this information, a device 302 in the room diagram 301 will be able to determine that it is the only device installed and will not issue a no connection indicator.

[0034] Room diagram 310 includes two additional devices 303 and 304. The straight path connections between these two devices are 312, 313, and 314. Room diagram 310 shows an arrangement of three positioning devices, which can be used to explain out-of-range and NLOS errors. In room diagram 310, solid exterior wall 311 presents a convex angle of 90 degrees from the center of the room. Therefore, the geometry of the room is such that path 313 between devices 303 and 304 is blocked by multiple walls, as is the case on both sides of wall 311. Therefore, devices 303 and 304 are NLOS to each other. In addition, if the range of the devices is limited and room 310 is large enough, paths 312 and 314 may be too far for the devices to communicate properly. In these cases, the devices may be able to detect each other to know that they should have a connection, but may not be able to connect reliably enough to report that they are connected and can use signals transmitted between themselves for automatic positioning. For example, the device may detect that the time-of-arrival (TOA) of the transmitted signal is too high or the signal strength of the received signal is not high enough. As a result, device 302 may be out of range of devices 303 and 304. Figure 3 As shown in the figure below, the dashed path shows the straight path that did not make the appropriate connection.

[0035] Room diagram 320 is similar to room diagram 310, except that device 302 has been moved closer to the other devices and an obstacle 321 has been added in the middle of the room. In this case, device 302 is still not connected to devices 303 and 304, even though it has moved within range of those devices. Diagram 320 also includes an indirect path 315 between devices 304 and 302. This diagram highlights that devices in a positioning system can benefit from measuring the angle-of-arrival (AOA) of the signal so that they can ensure that they are measuring the signal from a given device that takes the same path through the environment from one measurement to the next, without the need to perform multipath analysis on the received signal.

[0036] The positioning system according to the present disclosure may use any one or more of a variety of different methods to detect the unconnected state. Devices may enter the verification mode independently or in groups. These devices may monitor the unconnected and connected states in a verification mode different from the normal operating mode. The device may enter the verification mode automatically periodically, or enter the verification mode when receiving a trigger from the user, the trigger being, for example, an explicit command or an implicit command to perform verification, such as power-on or reset of the system or a single device. For example, the device may enter verification when it is removed from the package and its battery is connected to the power rail of the device. As another example, the user may press a verification button on the positioning device, which will send a signal to the entire system to enter the verification phase. Another example is that the system can detect when all devices in the system are added, or when a new device is loaded, and cause the device to enter the verification mode. The implicit command to enter the verification mode may also include placing the device on the wall so that the pressure sensor on the back of the device is pressed down, or the proximity sensor on the back of the device is covered.

[0037] The positioning system according to the present disclosure can be designed to detect faults on individual devices using various methods, and to detect one or more different types of faults. The positioning system can detect the status of a single device using any of the following methods: pre-programmed knowledge of the size of the positioning system; measured counts of the number of devices already installed; and information collected from alternative sources such as wireless data networks. In addition, since the positioning device can essentially be pre-configured to transmit wireless signals for positioning, a beneficial method is to measure and analyze those signals to determine whether a given device is operably connected to another device. The signal can be analyzed based on time of arrival (TOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and / or received signal strength indication (RSSI) metrics. In a specific embodiment, the signal will be strong enough to notify the device that it needs to connect to another device, but too weak to pass the RSSI measurement. In this way, the device can both determine the presence of other devices in the system and determine that it is not operably connected to other devices.

[0038] If the system cannot estimate the relative distance of the positioning devices in the system, the positioning system can detect an NLOS condition or other condition that leads to an unconnected state. This may occur in TAO and AOA systems that require detection of the first peak of the impulse response. If the signal is too weak, it means that the positioning device is too far away or in NLOS, the first peak of the impulse response cannot be separated from the noise, and the measurement will fail. The successful average of N repeated measurements can be performed to reduce the sensitivity of the verification system to isolated failures. In some methods, even if the measurement is successful, the received signal power may be too weak or inconsistent with the measured distance. This is especially likely to happen if some form of solid object obstructs the measurement path. The positioning system can still determine that there is a device that should be connected by any of the following ways: programming to enter verification only when all devices are installed, receiving a different and stronger signal from another device that is different from the one normally used to measure the location, and indirectly receiving information from an external source such as a wireless data network.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, if the positioning system knows that a sufficient number of devices are installed, but cannot reliably estimate the relative distances and positions of the positioning devices in the system, the system can report an unconnected state. If the system does manage to estimate the relative distances of the positioning devices in the system, but these positions are not reconcilable, the positioning system can also detect NLOS conditions or other conditions that lead to unconnected conditions. For example, given three anchor locations A, B, and C. The distance AC cannot be greater than the added distance AB+BC. If the positioning system determines that AC is greater than AB+BC, the system can determine that some devices are NLOS. In fact, in the case of NLOS, since the reported distances between devices are usually exaggerated, distances greater than expected may be determined as the source of system failure, and distance AC is most likely to be suspected. As another example, if a fourth anchor D is added to the system, the cumulative measured distance DA+DB+DC must be greater than the cumulative distance MA+MB+MC of the midpoint M of the ABC triangle. If this is not the case, then the path between A, B, and C is suspected to be in NLOS. The mathematical expression of this concept is as follows. Given N anchors, their indices are i∈S=[1,N], and the corresponding positions are r i ;for We have where a is the position r l The median value of and l∈Sj, where d k,j represents the measured distance from the kth anchor to the jth anchor.

[0040] Now consider adding a fifth device to the system. Given an object to be located and four positioning devices, a first object position estimate T' can be obtained by triangulation using three of the four positioning devices. Then, the estimated distance from the fourth positioning device to the first object position estimate T' should be close to the actual measured distance from the fourth device to the object. In these methods, an unconnected state can be detected if the triangulated distance does not exactly match the distance of the object measured using four devices. The mathematical expression of this concept is as follows. Given a set of nodes with indices i∈S=[1,N], N>4 and corresponding positions r i Anchor for and j≠k, the jth anchor estimated position is given by the multilateral measurement of the anchors indexed by l∈Sjk Should satisfy where d k,j represents the measured distance from the kth anchor to the jth anchor.

[0041] The positioning system can report an unconnected state, a new connection, a dropped connection, or a connected state in a variety of ways. As described above, the system can emit a human-perceptible unconnected indicator or a human-perceptible connection indicator in the form of visible light, sound, tactile output, or any other human-perceptible type of signal. The indicator can also identify a specific positioning device that is itself in an unconnected state or causes other devices to be in an unconnected state. These indicators can also provide guidance on how to remedy the unconnected state. In one instance, the indicator is generated by a specific device that is in an unconnected or connected state, or by a specific device that recently gained or lost a connection, thereby inherently identifying itself. In other instances, the signal will be emitted by a device different from the device to which the signal is associated, and the signal will include information that identifies the device, such as through symbols on the device, such as numbers, colors, or shapes.

[0042] In certain cases where the human perceptible signal is emitted by the locating device itself, the emission pattern of the signal can provide information to the user as to what specific malfunction has occurred in the system. Figure 4 An example of this approach is provided with reference to the IPS in three different states represented by room diagrams 401 , 410 , and 420 . Figure 4 The IPS of FIG. 4 includes three devices 402, 403, and 404. In the diagram, the devices represented by the cross-hatching emit a human-perceivable unconnected indicator in the form of red light, and the devices represented by the solid fill emit a human-perceivable connected indicator in the form of green light. In addition, the dotted lines represent NLOS connections, and the solid lines represent qualified line-of-sight connections. Figure 4 In the example of , the user can combine and understand the disconnected and connected indicators issued by the device to troubleshoot and adjust the installation. Obstacle 405 is also shown in Figure 4 middle.

[0043] In room diagram 401, all three paths between devices are blocked, and each device emits a human-perceptible unconnected indicator. While viewing this situation, the user can select any red device and adjust it. For example, the user can move device 404 so that the system presents the state shown in room diagram 410. In room diagram 410, one device is in NLOS relative to the other two devices, and device 402 continues to emit a human-perceptible unconnected indicator. In a real-time feedback implementation, once device 404 has a clear path with device 403, devices 403 and 404 will immediately switch from red to green. After viewing the updated situation in room diagram 410, the user can again use simple rules to select any red device and adjust it because only one device is causing the problem. For example, the user can move device 402 so that the system presents the state shown in room diagram 420.

[0044] The configuration of the selected room diagram 420 illustrates the specific working mode of the indicator mode of this specific embodiment. Using the method according to this embodiment, the indicator mode in the three-device system can specifically identify the specific cause of the unconnected state. For example, two devices send out unconnected indicators, while the third device does not send out unconnected indicators, which can specifically identify the path between the two devices as causing the positioning system to fail. As another example, a single device sends out an unconnected indicator, while the other two devices do not send out unconnected indicators, which can specifically identify the two paths to the device as causing the positioning system to fail. As shown, the device 402 has been moved, and compared with the two such paths in the room diagram 410, only one straight path does not produce a proper connection. However, in the transition from room diagram 410 to room diagram 410, the number of devices that send out human-perceivable unconnected indicators has increased. This method is somewhat counterintuitive because although there are now more completely sufficient connections, there are also more unconnected indicators. However, using this specific method, the indicator pattern sent out by the positioning device determines the specific path that fails in the system.

[0045] Figure 4The method shown is able to represent every form of unconnected combination of three devices using basic binary signaling patterns for each device. A single device issuing an unconnected indicator always has two failed connected devices, which are the only two failed paths. Only two devices issuing an unconnected indicator always represent a failure in the connection between them. All three devices issuing an unconnected indicator represent a failure in all three paths. Although the roles of the devices in these configurations may change, this is a full library of potential states for a three-device system. Therefore, if a user is provided with instructions on how the system operates, the user will immediately know which paths in the localization system are failed when viewing it.

[0046] Figure 4 The method can be extended to positioning systems with more than three devices. For example, in the case of a four-device positioning system, if one device is NLOS with two or more other anchors, it will issue an unconnected indicator. The system then checks each pair of potential devices that have not issued an unconnected indicator, and if an NLOS path is detected between them, the devices that form the NLOS path all issue an unconnected indicator. The user can then be encouraged to find new locations for the remaining devices. As the device moves, the device can issue an unconnected or connected indicator in real time when the location satisfies or cannot provide an appropriate connection with other devices in the system. The optimization process can end when all anchors issue connected indicators.

[0047] The positioning system can provide information on how to troubleshoot the system's connectivity in a variety of other ways. Connected and unconnected indicators can identify the specific device that needs adjustment and clearly describe how the device should be moved to correct the situation. Figure 5Some examples of how this can be done are provided. In a basic case, a device such as device 501 may include an LED 503 for issuing a connected or unconnected indicator. In addition, the LED may smoothly transition from red to green to indicate to the user that they are moving the device in the correct direction as the device is repositioned, with the device becoming greener as the position becomes better. In another case, a device such as device 510 may include a speaker 511 to issue audible instructions 512. The instructions may identify the specific device and the specific error that caused the specific device to not connect properly, such as "Device 1 is out of range" or "Device 1 is NLOS." The instructions may also explicitly provide instructions for repositioning, such as "Move device 1 two meters to the left." In another case, device 520 may include a display for issuing text directions 521 having features similar to the audible instructions 512. In another case, a device such as device 530 may include a display 531 for presenting instructions in the form of symbols, such as an arrow indicating the direction the device should be moved to improve its connectivity. In the example of device 530, the instructions inform the user to move device 530 to the left along the wall. The arrow can point in any direction, or be limited to two dimensions, and can include a gradual change in size or color as it is moved to the optimal position found by the positioning system. The direction of the arrow can also change as the device moves along a wall or through space to guide the user to the optimal position in real time.

[0048] The object tracked by the positioning system disclosed herein can be any object whose position needs to be determined by an automated system with a high degree of accuracy. The object can be a pointing device, such as a remote control, a presentation pointer, an inventory management device, or a toy for wireless tagging. The pointing device will have a defined pointing direction that is associated with the direction the user is pointing at the target when pointing. In other embodiments, the object can be a drone, a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable computing device, or any other computing device. Figure 1 In the specific example of , object 101 is a dedicated device that operates as a general purpose controller. The controller can be operated to control one or more electronic devices and can transmit signals to these devices using any form of wireless transmitter. The tracking system can be used to determine the device at which the controller is pointed at at any given time.

[0049] Although the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that those skilled in the art, after understanding the foregoing, can easily conceive of changes, variations and equivalents of these embodiments. For example, although the example of the positioning system has been used as an example environment in the present disclosure, some of the methods disclosed herein are more widely applicable to other operating environments, such as assisting users in installing wireless mesh networks (motes) in a mesh network. These and other modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, the scope of the present invention being more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for loading a set of positioning devices onto a positioning system, comprising: emitting a human-perceptible disconnection indicator from a first positioning device in the group of positioning devices; emitting a second human-perceptible disconnection indicator from a second positioning device in the group of positioning devices; wherein the positioning system uses the human-perceptible disconnection indicator and the second human-perceptible disconnection indicator to specifically identify whether a path between the first positioning device and the second positioning device is faulty; detecting a connection using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device, wherein the connection is a connection between the first positioning device and the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices; and directly and automatically in response to detecting the connection, emitting a human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device, The method further comprises: determining a position value of the object using a set of signals transmitted from a subset of positioning devices in the set of positioning devices; determining a position value of the first positioning device using a second set of signals transmitted from the subset of positioning devices; Determine a first distance value using the position value of the object and the position value of the first positioning device; determining a second distance value from the object to the first positioning device using the signal transmitted from the first positioning device; and By evaluating the first distance value and the second distance value, an unconnected state is detected.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the position of the first positioning device using: (i) the wireless receiver; and (ii) multilateration of a set of signals transmitted by the positioning system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The human-perceptible disconnect indicator is an audible text message; and The human-perceptible disconnect indicator identifies a disconnected positioning device in the positioning system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device to detect a disconnected state; The unconnected state is one of the following: (i) the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices is out of sight; and (ii) the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices is out of range; and The human-perceivable disconnection indicator is continuously emitted from the time when the disconnection state is determined until the connection is detected.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, using a processor on the first positioning device, an unconnected state; wherein, starting from when the disconnected state is determined until when the connection is detected, the human-perceivable disconnected indicator is continuously emitted; and Wherein, the human-perceptible disconnect indicator is in the form of visible light.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: After detecting the connection, continuously emitting the human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device; The human-perceptible unconnected indicator is in the form of visible light of a first color; The human-perceptible connection indicator is in the form of visible light of a second color; and The first color and the second color are different.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: Using the set of positioning devices, determining a first distance between the first positioning device and the second positioning device; using the set of positioning devices, determining a second distance between the first positioning device and a third positioning device; using the set of positioning devices, determining a third distance between the second positioning device and the third positioning device; and Wherein, determining the unconnected state includes evaluating the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, using a processor on the first positioning device, an unconnected state; Wherein the unconnected state is inferred from pre-programmed knowledge of the size of the group of positioning devices stored by the positioning system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The human-perceptible unconnected indicator and the second human-perceptible unconnected indicator are in the form of visible light of a first color; The human-perceptible connection indicator is in the form of visible light of a second color; and The first color and the second color are different.

10. A computer readable medium storing instructions for performing a method by a positioning system, wherein the method comprises: emitting a human-perceptible disconnect indicator from a first positioning device in a group of positioning devices; emitting a second human-perceptible disconnection indicator from a second positioning device in the group of positioning devices; wherein the positioning system uses the human-perceptible disconnection indicator and the second human-perceptible disconnection indicator to specifically identify whether a path between the first positioning device and the second positioning device is faulty; detecting a connection using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device, wherein the connection is a connection between the first positioning device and the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices; and directly and automatically in response to detecting the connection, emitting a human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device, Wherein, the method further comprises: determining a position value of the object using a set of signals transmitted from a subset of positioning devices in the set of positioning devices; determining a position value of the first positioning device using a second set of signals transmitted from the subset of positioning devices; Determine a first distance value using the position value of the object and the position value of the first positioning device; determining a second distance value from the object to the first positioning device using the signal transmitted from the first positioning device; and By evaluating the first distance value and the second distance value, an unconnected state is detected.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The method further comprises: The position of the first positioning device is determined using: (i) the wireless receiver; and (ii) multilateration of a set of signals transmitted by the set of positioning devices.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The human-perceptible disconnect indicator is an audible text message; and The human-perceptible disconnect indicator identifies a disconnected positioning device in the group of positioning devices.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The method further comprises: Using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device to detect a disconnected state; The unconnected state is one of the following: (i) the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices is out of sight; and (ii) the second positioning device in the group of positioning devices is out of range; and The human-perceivable disconnection indicator is continuously emitted from the time when the disconnection state is determined until the connection is detected.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The method further comprises: determining, using a processor on the first positioning device, an unconnected state; wherein, starting from when the disconnected state is determined until when the connection is detected, the human-perceivable disconnected indicator is continuously emitted; and Wherein, the human-perceptible disconnect indicator is in the form of visible light.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein: The method further comprises: After detecting the connection, continuously emitting the human-perceptible connection indicator from the first positioning device; The human-perceptible unconnected indicator is in the form of visible light of a first color; The human-perceptible connection indicator is in the form of visible light of a second color; and The first color and the second color are different.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein: The method further comprises: Using the set of positioning devices, determining a first distance between the first positioning device and the second positioning device; using the set of positioning devices, determining a second distance between the first positioning device and a third positioning device; using the set of positioning devices, determining a third distance between the second positioning device and the third positioning device; and Wherein determining the unconnected state comprises evaluating the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The method further comprises: determining, using a processor on the first positioning device, an unconnected state; Wherein the unconnected state is inferred from pre-programmed knowledge of the size of the group positioning device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: The human-perceptible unconnected indicator and the second human-perceptible unconnected indicator are in the form of visible light of a first color; The human-perceptible connection indicator is in the form of visible light of a second color; and The first color and the second color are different.

19. A positioning system, comprising a group of positioning devices, the group of positioning devices comprising: A first positioning device having: (i) a wireless receiver; (ii) means for providing a human-perceptible disconnection indicator; (iii) means for emitting a human-perceptible connection indicator; and (iii) a memory; as well as a second positioning device having means for emitting a second human-perceptible disconnection indicator; Wherein, the memory storage instruction is used for: detecting, via the wireless receiver, a connection between the first positioning device and the second positioning device; and directly responsive to detecting the connection, automatically emitting the human-perceptible connection indicator, wherein the positioning system uses the human-perceptible disconnection indicator and the second human-perceptible disconnection indicator to specifically identify whether a path between the first positioning device and the second positioning device fails, and The positioning system is configured to: determining a position value of the object using a set of signals transmitted from a subset of positioning devices in the set of positioning devices; determining a position value of the first positioning device using a second set of signals transmitted from the subset of positioning devices; Determine a first distance value using the position value of the object and the position value of the first positioning device; determining a second distance value from the object to the first positioning device using the signal transmitted from the first positioning device; and By evaluating the first distance value and the second distance value, an unconnected state is detected.

20. The positioning system according to claim 19, wherein: The memory also stores instructions for: The position of the first positioning device is determined using: (i) the wireless receiver; and (ii) multilateration of a set of signals transmitted by the positioning system.

21. The positioning system according to claim 19, wherein: The human-perceptible disconnect indicator is an audible text message; and The human-perceptible disconnect indicator identifies a disconnected positioning device in the positioning system.

22. The positioning system of claim 19, wherein the memory further stores instructions for: Using a wireless receiver on the first positioning device to detect a disconnected state; in, The unconnected state is one of the following: (i) the second positioning device is out of sight; and (ii) an out-of-range condition of the second positioning device; and The human-perceivable disconnection indicator is continuously emitted from the time when the disconnection state is determined until the connection is detected.

23. The positioning system according to claim 19, wherein: The memory also stores instructions for: determining, using a processor on the first positioning device, an unconnected state; wherein, starting from when the disconnected state is determined until when the connection is detected, the human-perceivable disconnected indicator is continuously emitted; and Wherein, the human-perceptible disconnect indicator is in the form of visible light.

Images