Preferred equipment selection

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for performing operations for selecting a device to be prioritized for a high-power link are disclosed. The operations include detecting a first available device and a second available device near a mobile device. The operations also include establishing a corresponding connection with each of the first available device and the second available device using a first radio access technology (RAT). In addition, the operations include using the corresponding connection to determine one or more measurements associated with the first available device and the second available device, wherein the one or more measurements include corresponding angles of arrival at the mobile device corresponding to the first available device and the second available device. In addition, the operations include determining, based at least on the one or more measurements, to establish a high-power link with the first available device using a second RAT, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and techniques for preferred device selection, for example, to be used to prioritize connections with mobile computing devices. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles have proximity key fobs that can perform an operation (e.g., unlock the vehicle's doors) when a user carrying the key fob approaches the vehicle. Recently, key fobs or at least a portion of their functionality are being replaced by mobile computing devices (such as smart phones and smart watches) that are commonly carried by users. For example, a smart phone can communicate with a vehicle to automatically unlock the vehicle's doors when a user carrying the smart phone approaches the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] In existing systems, a mobile computing device communicates wirelessly with a vehicle in order to perform operations related to the vehicle (e.g., determining the distance to the vehicle, communicating with the vehicle, sending instructions to the vehicle, etc.). For example, a mobile computing device can communicate with a vehicle available to a user carrying the mobile computing device (e.g., a vehicle with which the mobile computing device has previously communicated or has been configured to communicate). In some systems, the mobile computing device is configured to communicate with the vehicle using an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio component. The UWB radio component establishes a UWB link with the vehicle, and the mobile computing device uses the UWB link to communicate with the vehicle or perform operations related to the vehicle. For example, if a user is near the vehicle and is simultaneously moving toward the vehicle at a specific angle (or range of angles) relative to the vehicle, the vehicle can be unlocked and entry to the vehicle can be allowed (among other operations).

[0004] However, in some cases, the user may be near more than one available vehicle (e.g., multiple vehicles in a lane). In existing systems, the mobile computing device is configured to establish a UWB link with each vehicle and perform operations related to each vehicle, such as unlocking the door. However, it is unlikely that the user will use all available vehicles. Therefore, establishing a UWB link with each vehicle and performing operations related to each vehicle unnecessarily consumes resources (e.g., power resources and communication resources) of the mobile computing device. In addition, establishing a UWB link with each vehicle may cause potential coexistence problems (e.g., interference) between links, thereby affecting the reliability of the link. Therefore, it is expected that the mobile computing device avoids establishing a wireless link with each available vehicle, but instead establishes a wireless link with the vehicle that the user may be about to use. This is especially true when the radio component is a high-power radio component (such as a UWB radio component) that consumes more resources than other available radio components.

[0005] The present disclosure describes systems and methods for determining a vehicle to be prioritized for UWB link establishment, such as when more than one vehicle is available to a user. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device uses a second radio component to select a vehicle for UWB link establishment, and the second radio component uses fewer resources (e.g., more power efficient) than the UWB radio component. In one example, the mobile computing device uses the second radio component to establish a link with an available vehicle. When the user approaches the vehicle, the mobile computing device communicates with the vehicle to determine a measure that can be used to select a vehicle to be prioritized. Exemplary measures include a signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a signal received by the mobile computing device via the link, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a signal received by the mobile computing device via the link, and an angle of arrival of the mobile computing device to each vehicle. The mobile computing device may sample the link a threshold number of times or within a specified time period to monitor the measure over time.

[0006] The mobile computing device determines a vehicle to prioritize based on the analyzed metrics. In one example, if one of the vehicles has a constant angle of arrival over a period of time, while the other vehicles do not have a constant angle of arrival, the mobile computing device prioritizes the vehicle with the constant angle of arrival. As described herein, a constant angle of arrival over a period of time indicates that a user carrying the mobile computing device is moving toward the vehicle, thereby indicating that the user is attempting to use the vehicle.

[0007] Aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method comprising the following operations, which include: detecting multiple available devices in the vicinity of a mobile device; establishing corresponding connections with at least a first device and a second device of the multiple available devices using a first radio access technology (RAT); determining one or more measurements associated with the first device and the second device using the corresponding connections, wherein the one or more measurements include a corresponding arrival angle at the mobile device for each of the first device and the second device; and determining to establish a high power link with the first device using a second RAT based on the one or more measurements, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

[0008] The previously described implementations can be adapted to use a computer-implemented method; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions to perform the computer-implemented method; and a computer system comprising a computer memory operably coupled to a hardware processor configured to perform the computer-implemented method or instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium. These and other embodiments can optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0009] In some implementations, the method further involves establishing a high power link with the first device using the second RAT; and performing a ranging operation with respect to the first device using the high power link.

[0010] In some implementations, the first RAT is based on the Bluetooth (TM) protocol.

[0011] In some implementations, the second RAT is based on an ultra-wideband communication protocol.

[0012] In some implementations, determining one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device using the corresponding connection involves receiving at least one corresponding signal from the first device and the second device; and determining the one or more metrics based at least on the at least one corresponding signal.

[0013] In some implementations, a respective angle of arrival from the mobile device to each of the first device and the second device is determined based at least on an angle of arrival of at least one respective signal received from the first device and the second device.

[0014] In some implementations, determining to establish a high power link with the first device using the second RAT based on the one or more measurements involves determining to establish the high power link in response to the mobile device having a substantially consistent angle of arrival relative to the first device over a period of time.

[0015] Details of one or more specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the drawings and the specification. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary system according to some implementations of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2A and Figure 2B An exemplary system for determining vehicles to prioritize for high power link establishment is shown according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method according to some specific implementations of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 It is used to implement reference according to some specific implementations of the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 3 A block diagram of an exemplary architecture of the described features and processes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure describes systems and methods for determining a vehicle to prioritize for high-power link establishment, such as in situations where more than one vehicle is available to carry a user of a mobile computing device configured to communicate with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device establishes a low-power link (e.g., a link that consumes less power than a high-power link) with the vehicle in order to determine the vehicle to prioritize. After establishing the low-power link, the mobile computing device exchanges communications with the vehicle to measure metrics that enable the mobile computing device to determine the vehicle to prioritize.

[0021] In some examples, these metrics include a signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a signal received via a low power link, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a signal received via a low power link, and an angle of arrival of the mobile computing device to each vehicle (e.g., determined based on the angle of arrival of the signal received via the low power link). The mobile computing device selects vehicles to prioritize based on an analysis of the metrics, possibly over a period of time. In one example, if the angle of arrival to one vehicle is constant over a period of time, and the angle of arrival to other vehicles is not constant, the mobile computing device prioritizes vehicles with constant angles of arrival. As described below, a constant angle of arrival toward a vehicle indicates that the user is moving toward the vehicle, thereby indicating that the user is likely to use the vehicle.

[0022] Figure 1 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary system 100 according to some implementations. The system 100 includes a mobile computing device 102 and one or more other devices or systems, such as vehicles 104A, 104B (collectively referred to as “vehicles 104”). Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , mobile computing device 102 is carried by user 120 (e.g., physically carried by user 120, attached to the body of user 120, or attached to an article of clothing worn by user 120). System 100 may be located indoors (e.g., in a parking garage), outdoors (e.g., in a driveway or parking lot), or partially indoors and partially outdoors.

[0023] The system 100 is shown for illustration purposes only, as the system may also include additional components or have one or more components without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the system 100 may include devices in addition to or in place of the vehicle 104. The additional or alternative devices may be vehicles, desktop computers, smart home devices (e.g., door locks, home security devices, displays, speakers, power outlets, entertainment centers, set-top boxes, climate control modules, smart home control modules, smart appliances), or any other device capable of wireless communication.

[0024] Additionally or alternatively, system 100 may include more than one user device (e.g., a smartphone or wearable device). In some examples, the user devices may use wireless communication protocols such as ultra-wideband (UWB), Wi-Fi, Low power consumption (BLE, LE Smart), the Internet, an intranet, a cellular communication network, a packet network, a short-range wireless network, a wireless personal area network and / or any other wired and / or wireless communication network to communicate with each other.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, mobile computing device 102 includes processor 106, sensor 108, and wireless hardware 110. Mobile computing device 102 can be any of many types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communications. Example devices include mobile phones, smart phones (e.g., iPhone-based TM 、Android TM ), portable gaming device, laptop, wearable device (e.g., smart watch, smart glasses), PDA, portable Internet device, music player, data storage device, or other handheld device. Note that mobile computing device 102 may include Figure 1 Other subsystems not shown in the example mobile computing device. Figure 4 and described in more detail below.

[0026] The wireless hardware 110 may include any of a variety of communication elements (e.g., antennas for wireless communication, analog and / or digital communication circuits / controllers, etc.), and enable the mobile computing device 102 to communicate wirelessly using one or more wireless communication protocols. The wireless hardware 110 may include one or more portions of a receive chain and / or a transmit chain that may be shared between multiple wireless communication standards. For example, the mobile computing device 102 may be configured to communicate using either Bluetooth or UWB using partially or completely shared wireless communication circuits (e.g., using a shared radio or at least a shared radio component). The shared communication circuit may include a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas for performing wireless communication (e.g., for MIMO). Alternatively, for those configured to communicate using it, the mobile computing device 102 may include independent transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol, which are configured to communicate using each wireless communication protocol. As another possibility, the mobile computing device 102 may include one or more radios or radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radios or radio components dedicated to a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the mobile computing device 102 may include a shared radio for communicating using either LTE or CDMA2000 1xRTT, and separate radios for communicating using each of UWB, Wi-Fi, and / or Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0027] Vehicles 104A, 104B include processors 112A, 112B, sensors 114A, 114B, and wireless devices 116A, 116B, respectively. Vehicle 104 is a machine for transporting people and / or goods. Vehicle 104 may be a land motor vehicle, a watercraft, an aircraft, or another type of vehicle. Vehicle 104 includes an engine or motor, such as an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or a hybrid engine configuration. Exemplary vehicles include cars, trucks, boats, and trains. Note that vehicle 104 may include Figure 1 Examples of such subsystems include, but are not limited to, imaging systems, radar, lidar, motor controllers and systems, battery controls, fuel cells or other energy storage systems or controls, autonomous or semi-autonomous processors and controllers, steering systems, braking systems, lighting systems, navigation systems, environmental controls, entertainment systems, etc. for such vehicles with hybrid or electric motor systems.

[0028] The mobile computing device 102 and the vehicle 104 are configured to communicate wirelessly using their respective wireless hardware. A wireless communication link, such as links 118A, 118B (collectively, “links 118”), may be established between the mobile computing device 102 and the vehicle 104. The links 118 use a radio access technology (RAT) such as ultra-wideband (UWB), Wi-Fi, Low power consumption (BLE, LE The communication exchanged via link 118 may be RF signals, packets, messages, or other communications using a common protocol (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)). The mobile computing device 102 and / or the vehicle 104 may also communicate with Figure 1 The device may communicate with other computing devices not shown.

[0029] In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 102 is configured to establish a link with the vehicle once the distance between it and the vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold distance, once the vehicle is within the RAT range of the mobile computing device 102, and / or once the mobile computing device 102 enters a geo-fenced area. In these embodiments, the vehicle may be parked and the mobile computing device 102 may be carried by a user 120 approaching the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle may be moving toward the user 120 carrying the mobile computing device 102, while the user 120 is also moving toward the vehicle or the user 120 is stationary. Establishing a link with the vehicle enables the mobile computing device 102 to perform operations related to the vehicle, such as ranging the vehicle, communicating with the vehicle, and / or instructing the vehicle to perform an action.

[0030] In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 102 is configured to communicate using a specific RAT for a specific purpose. Various RATs may have advantages and disadvantages relative to other RATs, which may result in each RAT being advantageous for a specific application. For example, in the case of longer distances (e.g., greater than a predetermined threshold distance), the mobile computing device 102 and the vehicle 104 communicate using a cellular communication network. And, in the case of closer distances (e.g., less than or equal to a predetermined threshold distance), the mobile computing device 102 and the vehicle 104 communicate using a short-range wireless communication network (such as UWB, Wi-Fi and BLE) for communication.

[0031] In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 102 is configured to use a specific RAT to communicate with the vehicle over a short distance. As previously described, various RATs may have advantages and disadvantages relative to other RATs. In one embodiment, as described in IEEE802.15.4-2015, UWB (also known as "impulse radio") can provide wireless communication across a large bandwidth (e.g., 500 MHz or more) with precise timing. UWB uses radio frequency pulses and has high gain. This allows UWB communications to penetrate walls and obstacles and provide highly accurate ranging. Therefore, UWB is very suitable for short-range communications, especially in situations where multipath interference is a problem. Therefore, UWB is very suitable for ranging and positioning applications. Therefore, the mobile computing device 102 is configured to establish a UWB link with the vehicle in order to perform ranging operations (e.g., determining the position of the vehicle relative to the mobile computing device).

[0032] However, in some cases, more than one vehicle may be near the mobile computing device 102 (e.g., within a threshold distance or within the range of the mobile computing device's RAT). Although more than one vehicle is available, the user 120 may only use one vehicle. Therefore, it would be inefficient to establish links with all vehicles and perform operations related to all vehicles (e.g., ranging). This is especially true in cases where the RAT used to perform the operation consumes more power than other available RATs. Such RATs are referred to as "high-power RATs." For example, a UWB radio component typically consumes a large amount of power in a full power state. Therefore, it is a waste of power for the mobile computing device 102 to have the UWB radio component communicate with each vehicle.

[0033] In some embodiments, instead of establishing a high-power link (e.g., a UWB link) with each vehicle, the mobile computing device 102 first determines the vehicle to be prioritized for the high-power link. Specifically, the mobile computing device 102 determines the vehicle that the user 120 is likely to use, and then establishes a high-power link with the vehicle. By doing so, the mobile computing device 102 avoids establishing a high-power link with a vehicle that the user 120 will not use, thereby avoiding unnecessary consumption of power resources and system resources.

[0034] In some embodiments, to determine a vehicle to prioritize when more than one available vehicle is nearby (also referred to as a preferred vehicle), the mobile computing device 102 establishes a low-power link (e.g., a link with higher power efficiency than a high-power link) with each vehicle. As described in more detail below, the mobile computing device 102 uses the low-power link to measure metrics for each vehicle that can be used to determine the vehicle to prioritize. In one example, the low-power link is Bluetooth. Typically, Bluetooth is more powerful and has a longer range than UWB. Therefore, Bluetooth is well suited to determine metrics that can be used to determine the vehicle to prioritize. Other low-power links are also possible.

[0035] In some embodiments, these metrics include a signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a signal received via a low-power link, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a signal received via a low-power link, a corresponding angle of arrival of the mobile computing device 102 to each vehicle, a corresponding angle of departure of a signal received via a low-power link, a packet error rate (PER), a bit error rate (BER), and / or a vehicle delay for sending back packets. Specifically, the mobile computing device 102 uses communication with the vehicle via a low-power link to determine at least a subset of the metrics for each vehicle. Other metrics that are not determined using a low-power link include the location of the mobile computing device 102, the motion behavior of the user 120, and historical user behavior.

[0036] In one example, after establishing a low-power link with the vehicle, the mobile computing device 102 transmits a first communication to the vehicle. The first communication may be an RF signal or a packet including an angle of arrival payload. In response to receiving the first communication, the vehicle is configured to transmit a second communication (e.g., an RF signal or a packet including an angle of arrival payload) to the mobile computing device. In another example, the vehicle may be configured to transmit a communication to the mobile computing device 102 when establishing a low-power link (i.e., without receiving a first communication from the mobile computing device).

[0037] The mobile computing device 102 uses communications received from the vehicle to determine a metric that can be used to determine a vehicle to prioritize. For example, the mobile computing device 102 uses communications with the vehicle to determine an angle of arrival to the vehicle. In this technique, the mobile computing device 102 determines the angle of arrival to the vehicle based on the time distance of arrival (TDoA) and / or the phase difference of arrival (PDoA) of the communications received from the vehicle. The angle of arrival payload may include an identification of the transmitting vehicle, the location of the vehicle, and / or the time at which the payload was transmitted. The mobile computing device 102 calculates the angle of arrival based on measurements of the communications using two different antennas and based on the information included in the payload. For example, the mobile computing device 102 uses the phase difference between the two different antennas and the known distance between the two antennas to determine the angle of arrival of the communication (and, in turn, the angle of arrival to the vehicle).

[0038] In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 102 is configured to sample the low power link over a period of time (e.g., 1 second) to determine a metric for each vehicle over the period of time. The mobile computing device 102 determines the vehicle to be prioritized based on the metric of the vehicle over the period of time. In some examples, the mobile computing device 102 applies weights to the metric to control the impact of each metric on determining the vehicle to be prioritized.

[0039] In one example, if all metrics except the angle of arrival for a vehicle remain constant over a period of time, the mobile computing device 102 analyzes the angle of arrival to each vehicle. If one of the vehicles has a constant angle of arrival and the other vehicles do not have a constant angle of arrival, the mobile computing device 102 prioritizes the vehicle with the constant angle of arrival for the high-power link.

[0040] In some embodiments, if the system 100 includes more than one device associated with the user 120 (e.g., another device carried by the user 120), each device associated with the user 120 establishes a low-power link with an available vehicle. Each device then determines a metric for high-power link priority. These metrics are received by the mobile computing device 102. The mobile computing device 102 performs a priority calculation using the measured metrics from the user's device. Doing so improves the accuracy of the calculation.

[0041] Figure 2A and Figure 2B An exemplary system for determining a vehicle to be prioritized for high power link establishment is shown in accordance with some implementations. Figure 2A , 2B In the scenario of FIG. 1 , a user carrying a mobile computing device 102 is approaching an area where vehicles 104A, 104B are parked. Vehicles 104A, 104B are vehicles available to user 120 (also referred to as preferred vehicles). Available vehicles are vehicles that a user can use, for example, as determined by previous authorization. For example, vehicles 104A, 104B may be vehicles owned by the user or vehicles that the user can select in a rental parking lot. Other examples are also possible. Note that in this example, vehicles 104A, 104B are stationary, but in other examples, at least one of the vehicles may be moving.

[0042] As the user 120 approaches the vehicles 104A, 104B, the mobile computing device 102 detects that the vehicles are nearby. For example, the mobile computing device 102 determines that the distance to the vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold distance, determines that the vehicle is within a particular RAT (e.g., UWB) range of the mobile computing device 102, or determines that the mobile computing device 102 has entered a geo-fenced area. In response to detecting that more than one available vehicle is nearby, the mobile computing device 102 determines to perform a priority operation in order to determine a vehicle to prioritize for a high-power link. In a first step of the priority operation, the mobile computing device 102 establishes a low-power link 202A, 202B with the vehicles 104A, 104B, respectively. The mobile computing device 102 then measures a metric that can be used to determine a vehicle to prioritize.

[0043] like Figure 2A As shown, at a first time t, the mobile computing device 102 uses the low power links 202A, 202B to measure a first instance of a measurement. In this example, the mobile computing device 102 receives communications from the vehicles 104A, 104B via the low power links 202A, 202B. The mobile computing device 102 uses the communications to calculate the RSSI of the communications, the SNR of the communications, and the angle of arrival to each vehicle. In order to determine the angle of arrival to each vehicle, the mobile computing device receives a first communication from each vehicle via antennas 206A, 206B. The mobile computing device 102 uses the phase difference between the antennas 206A, 206B and the known distance between the two antennas to determine the angle of arrival of the communication (and subsequently the angle of arrival to the vehicle). As shown in FIG. Figure 2A As shown, the angle of arrival to vehicle 104A is 0 degrees, and the angle of arrival to vehicle 104B is 20 degrees.

[0044] like Figure 2B As shown, at a second time t+Δ, the mobile computing device 102 uses the low power links 202A, 202B to measure a second instance of the measurement. In some examples, the second time can be based on the maximum walking speed of the user. The mobile computing device 102 then uses these two instances of the measurement to determine which vehicle to prioritize. In this example, in both cases, the RSSI and SNR remain constant (or nearly constant within a threshold). Therefore, the mobile computing device 102 analyzes the angle of arrival of the signal from the vehicle. Figure 2B As shown, the angle of arrival of the signal from vehicle 104A is still 0, while the angle of arrival from vehicle 104B has changed to 20 degrees. Since the constant angle of arrival over a period of time indicates that the user carrying the mobile computing device is moving toward the vehicle, mobile computing device 102 determines that the user is likely to use vehicle 104A and establishes a high power link with vehicle 104A.

[0045] Figure 3An exemplary method according to some specific implementations is shown. Method 300 is used to select a device to be preferentially used for a high power link. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes method 300 in the context of other figures in this specification. However, it should be understood that method 300 can be performed as appropriate, for example, by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware. In some specific implementations, the various steps of method 300 can be run in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0046] At step 302, method 300 involves detecting a plurality of available devices in proximity to a mobile device.

[0047] At step 304, method 300 involves establishing respective connections with at least a first device and a second device of a plurality of available devices using a first radio access technology (RAT).

[0048] At step 306 , method 300 involves determining one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device using the respective connections, wherein the one or more metrics include respective angles of arrival at the mobile device for each of the first device and the second device.

[0049] At step 308 , method 300 involves determining, based on the one or more measurements, to establish a high power link with the first device using a second RAT, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

[0050] In some implementations, the method 300 further involves establishing a high power link with the first device using the second RAT; and performing a ranging operation with respect to the first device using the high power link.

[0051] In some implementations, the first RAT is based on the Bluetooth (TM) protocol.

[0052] In some implementations, the second RAT is based on an ultra-wideband communication protocol.

[0053] In some implementations, determining one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device using the corresponding connection involves receiving at least one corresponding signal from the first device and the second device; and determining the one or more metrics based at least on the at least one corresponding signal.

[0054] In some implementations, the respective angle of arrival from the mobile device to each of the first device and the second device is determined based at least on the angle of arrival of at least one respective signal received from the first device and the second device.

[0055] In some implementations, determining to establish a high power link with the first device using the second RAT based on the one or more measurements involves determining to establish a high power link in response to the mobile device having a substantially consistent angle of arrival relative to the first device over a period of time. A substantially consistent angle is an angle that remains within a threshold (e.g., a predetermined threshold) over a period of time (e.g., a predetermined period of time). For example, a substantially consistent angle is an angle that remains within a threshold of a starting angle over a period of time.

[0056] Figure 4 It is used to implement reference Figures 1 to 3 A block diagram of an example device architecture 400 for describing the features and processes described herein. For example, the architecture 400 may be used to implement subsystems of the mobile computing device 102 and / or the vehicle 104. The architecture 400 may be used to generate reference Figures 1 to 3 The described features may be implemented in any device including, but not limited to, desktop computers, server computers, portable computers, smart phones, tablet computers, game consoles, wearable computers, set-top boxes, media players, smart televisions, etc.

[0057] The architecture 400 may include a memory interface 402, one or more data processors 404, one or more data coprocessors 474, and a peripheral device interface 406. The memory interface 402, one or more processors 404, one or more coprocessors 474, and / or the peripheral device interface 406 may be separate components or may be integrated into one or more integrated circuits. One or more communication buses or signal lines may couple the various components.

[0058] One or more processors 404 and / or one or more coprocessors 474 may operate in concert to perform the operations described herein. For example, one or more processors 404 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs) configured to act as a main computer processor of the architecture 400. For example, one or more processors 404 may be configured to perform generalized data processing tasks of the architecture 400. In addition, at least some of the data processing tasks may be offloaded to one or more coprocessors 474. For example, specialized data processing tasks (such as processing motion data, processing image data, encrypting data, and / or performing certain types of arithmetic operations) may be offloaded to one or more dedicated coprocessors 474 for processing these tasks. In some cases, one or more processors 404 may be relatively more powerful than one or more coprocessors 474 and / or may consume more power than one or more coprocessors 474. For example, this may be useful because it enables one or more processors 404 to quickly process generalized tasks while also offloading certain other tasks to one or more coprocessors 474 that can perform those tasks more efficiently and / or more effectively. In some cases, one or more coprocessors may include one or more sensors or other components (e.g., as described herein) and may be configured to process data acquired using these sensors or components and provide the processed data to one or more processors 404 for further analysis.

[0059] Sensors, devices, and subsystems may be coupled to the peripheral device interface 406 to facilitate multiple functions. For example, the motion sensor 410, the light sensor 412, and the proximity sensor 414 may be coupled to the peripheral device interface 406 to facilitate the orientation, lighting, and proximity functions of the architecture 400. For example, in some implementations, the light sensor 412 may be utilized to help adjust the brightness of the touch surface 446. In some implementations, the motion sensor 410 may be used to detect the movement and orientation of the device. For example, the motion sensor 410 may include one or more accelerometers (e.g., for measuring the acceleration experienced by the motion sensor 410 and / or the architecture 400 over a period of time) and / or one or more compasses or gyroscopes (e.g., for measuring the orientation of the motion sensor 410 and / or the mobile device). In some cases, the measurement information obtained by the motion sensor 410 may take the form of one or more time-varying signals (e.g., a time-varying graph of acceleration and / or orientation over a period of time). In addition, a display object or media may be presented according to the detected orientation (e.g., according to a "portrait" orientation or a "landscape" orientation). In some cases, the motion sensor 410 may be integrated directly into a coprocessor 474 that is configured to process measurements acquired by the motion sensor 410. For example, the coprocessor 474 may include one or more accelerometers, compasses, and / or gyroscopes, and may be configured to acquire sensor data from each of these sensors, process the sensor data, and transmit the processed data to the one or more processors 404 for further analysis.

[0060] Other sensors may also be connected to the peripheral device interface 406, such as temperature sensors, biometric sensors, or other sensing devices to facilitate related functions. Figure 4 As shown, the architecture 400 may include a heart rate sensor 432 that measures the beating of a user's heart. Similarly, these other sensors may also be integrated directly into one or more coprocessors 474 that are configured to process the measurements obtained from those sensors.

[0061] A location processor 415 (e.g., a GNSS receiver chip) can be connected to the peripheral device interface 406 to provide geographic reference. An electronic magnetometer 416 (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) can also be connected to the peripheral device interface 406 to provide data that can be used to determine the direction of magnetic north. Thus, the electronic magnetometer 416 can be used as an electronic compass.

[0062] Camera subsystem 420 and optical sensor 422 (eg, a charge coupled device [CCD] or complementary metal oxide semiconductor [CMOS] optical sensor) may be utilized to facilitate camera functions, such as taking pictures and video clips.

[0063] The communication functions may be facilitated by one or more communication subsystems 424. The communication subsystems 424 may include one or more wireless and / or wired communication subsystems. For example, a wireless communication subsystem may include a radio frequency receiver and transmitter and / or an optical (e.g., infrared) receiver and transmitter. As another example, a wired communication system may include a port device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) port) or some other wired port connection that can be used to establish a wired connection to other computing devices, such as other communication devices, network access devices, personal computers, printers, display screens, or other processing devices capable of receiving or transmitting data.

[0064] The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem 424 may depend on the communication network(s) or medium(s) through which the architecture 400 is intended to operate. For example, the architecture 400 may include a communication subsystem 424 designed to communicate over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a GPRS network, an Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) network, an 802.x communication network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Max), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, NFC, and Bluetooth. TM The wireless communication subsystem may also include a host protocol so that the architecture 400 can be configured as a base station for other wireless devices. As another example, the communication subsystem may use one or more protocols such as TCP / IP, HTTP, UDP, and any other known protocols to allow the architecture 400 to synchronize with a host device.

[0065] The audio subsystem 426 may be coupled to a speaker 428 and one or more microphones 430 to facilitate voice-enabled functions such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephony functions.

[0066] I / O subsystem 440 may include touch controller 442 and / or other input controller 444. Touch controller 442 may be coupled to touch surface 446. Touch surface 446 and touch controller 442 may detect contact and movement or interruption thereof, for example, using any of a variety of touch-sensitive technologies, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with touch surface 446. In one specific implementation, touch surface 446 may display virtual buttons or soft buttons and a virtual keyboard, which a user may use as an input / output device.

[0067] Other input controllers 444 may be coupled to other input / control devices 448, such as one or more buttons, a rocker switch, a thumb wheel, an infrared port, a USB port, and / or a pointer device (e.g., a stylus). One or more buttons (not shown) may include an up / down button for volume control of the speaker 428 and / or microphone 430.

[0068] In some implementations, the architecture 400 can present recorded audio files and / or video files, such as MP3, AAC, and MPEG video files. In some implementations, the architecture 400 can include the functionality of an MP3 player and can include pin connectors for connecting to other devices. Other input / output devices and control devices can be used.

[0069] The memory interface 402 may be coupled to a memory 450. The memory 450 may include a high-speed random access memory or a non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices, one or more optical storage devices, or a flash memory (e.g., NAND, NOR). The memory 450 may store an operating system 452, such as Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system (such as VxWorks). The operating system 452 may include instructions for handling basic system services and for performing hardware-related tasks. In some specific implementations, the operating system 452 may include a kernel (e.g., a UNIX kernel).

[0070] The memory 450 may also store communication instructions 454 to facilitate communication with one or more additional devices, one or more computers or servers, including peer-to-peer communication. The communication instructions 454 may also be used to select an operating mode or communication medium for use by the device based on the device's geographic location (obtained by GPS / navigation instructions 468). The memory 450 may include graphical user interface instructions 456 that facilitate graphical user interface processing, including a touch model for interpreting touch inputs and gestures; sensor processing instructions 458 that facilitate sensor-related processing and functions; phone instructions 460 that facilitate phone-related processes and functions; electronic message processing instructions 462 that facilitate electronic message processing and functions; web browsing instructions 464 that facilitate web browsing-related processes and functions; media processing instructions 466 that facilitate media processing and functions; GPS / navigation instructions 469 that facilitate GPS and navigation-related processes; camera instructions 470 that facilitate camera-related processes and functions; and other instructions 472 for performing some or all of the processes described herein.

[0071] Each of the instructions and applications identified above may correspond to an instruction set for performing one or more functions described herein. These instructions need not be implemented as separate software programs, processes, or modules. Memory 450 may include additional instructions or fewer instructions. In addition, various functions of the device may be performed in hardware and / or software, including in one or more signal processing and / or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0072] The features described may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of these. The features may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier (e.g., in a machine-readable storage device) for execution by a programmable processor; and the method steps may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform the functions of the embodiment described by operating on input data and generating output.

[0073] The described features may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs executable on a programmable system, the programmable system comprising at least one input device, at least one output device, and at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from a data storage system and transmit data and instructions to the data storage system. A computer program is a set of instructions that can be used directly or indirectly in a computer to perform some activity or produce some result. A computer program may be written in any form of programming language (e.g., Objective-C, Java), including compiled and interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.

[0074] For example, suitable processors for executing a program of instructions include both general-purpose microprocessors and special-purpose microprocessors, and one or the only processor of multiple processors or cores of any type of computer. Generally speaking, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memories for storing instructions and data. Generally speaking, a computer can communicate with mass storage devices to store data files. These mass storage devices may include disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include: all forms of non-volatile memory, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) or incorporated into ASICs.

[0075] To provide for interaction with the user, these features may be implemented on a computer having a display device, such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the author, and a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, which the author can use to provide input to the computer.

[0076] These features can be implemented in a computer system that includes back-end components such as a data server or that includes middleware components such as an application server or an Internet server, or that includes front-end components such as a client computer with a graphical user interface or an Internet browser, or any combination thereof. The components of the system can be connected by any form of digital data communication (such as a communication network) or the medium of the digital data communication. Examples of communication networks include LANs, WANs, and the computers and networks that form the Internet.

[0077] A computer system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0078] An application programming interface (API) may be used to implement one or more features or steps of the disclosed embodiments. The API may define one or more parameters passed between a calling application and other software code (e.g., an operating system, a library program, a function) that provides a service, provides data, or performs an operation or calculation.

[0079] An API can be implemented as one or more calls in program code that send or receive one or more parameters through a parameter list or other structure based on the calling convention defined in the API specification document. A parameter can be a constant, a key, a data structure, an object, an object class, a variable, a data type, a pointer, an array, a list, or another call. API calls and parameters can be implemented in any programming language. A programming language can define the vocabulary and calling conventions that programmers will use to access the functions that support the API.

[0080] In some implementations, the API call may report to the application the capabilities of the device to run the application, such as input capabilities, output capabilities, processing capabilities, power capabilities, communication capabilities, etc.

[0081] As described above, some aspects of the subject matter of this specification include the collection and use of data from various sources to improve the services that mobile devices can provide to users. This disclosure contemplates that, in some cases, the collected data may identify a specific location or address based on device usage. Such personal information data may include location-based data, addresses, subscriber account identifiers, or other identifying information.

[0082] The disclosure also contemplates that entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage or other purposes of such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and adhere to the use of privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding the industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information data. For example, personal information from users should be collected for the legal and reasonable purposes of the entity, and not shared or sold outside these legal purposes. In addition, such collection should only be carried out after the user's informed consent. In addition, such entities should take any necessary steps to safeguard and protect access to such personal information data, and ensure that others who can access personal information data comply with their privacy policies and procedures. In addition, such entities can subject themselves to third-party assessments to prove that they comply with widely accepted privacy policies and practices.

[0083] In the case of an advertisement delivery service, the present disclosure also contemplates implementations in which users selectively block the use or access of personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates providing hardware elements and / or software elements to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, in the case of an advertisement delivery service, the technology of the present invention may be configured to allow a user to choose to "opt in" or "opt out" of participating in the collection of personal information data during registration for the service.

[0084] Thus, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may also be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology will not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. For example, content may be selected and delivered to a user by inferring preferences based on non-personal information data or an absolute minimum amount of personal information, such as content requested by a device associated with the user, other non-personal information available to a content delivery service, or publicly available information.

[0085] A plurality of specific implementations have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications may be made. Elements in one or more specific implementations may be combined, deleted, modified or supplemented to form other specific implementations. As another example, the logic flow shown in the accompanying drawings does not require the specific order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In addition, other steps may be provided or steps may be eliminated from the described process, and other components may be added to the described system or removed from the described system. Therefore, other specific implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a device to be preferentially used for a high power link, the method include: Detect multiple available devices in the vicinity of the mobile device; establishing respective connections with at least a first device and a second device of the plurality of available devices using a first radio access technology (RAT); determining one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device using the respective connections, wherein the one or more metrics include respective angles of arrival at the mobile device for each of the first device and the second device; as well as A determination is made based on the one or more measurements to establish a high power link with the first device using a second RAT, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: establishing the high power link with the first device using the second RAT; as well as A ranging operation is performed with respect to the first device using the high power link. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first RAT is based on the Bluetooth (TM) protocol. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second RAT is based on an ultra-wideband communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding connection is used to determine one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device. include: receiving at least one corresponding signal from the first device and the second device; as well as The one or more metrics are determined based at least on the at least one corresponding signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the respective angle of arrival of the mobile device to each of the first device and the second device is determined based at least on an angle of arrival of the at least one respective signal received from the first device and the second device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to establish the high power link with the first device using the second RAT is based on the one or more measurements. include: Establishing the high power link is determined in response to the mobile device having a substantially consistent angle of arrival relative to the first device over a period of time.

8. A processor, include: circuitry for executing one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: detecting a first available device and a second available device in proximity to the mobile device; establishing a respective connection with each of the first available device and the second available device using a first radio access technology (RAT); determining one or more metrics associated with the first available device and the second available device using the respective connections, wherein the one or more metrics include respective angles of arrival at the mobile device corresponding to the first available device and the second available device; as well as A determination is made based at least on the one or more metrics to establish a high power link with the first available device using a second RAT, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

9. The processor of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises: include: establishing the high power link with the first available device using the second RAT; as well as A ranging operation is performed with respect to the first available device using the high power link.

10. The processor of claim 8, wherein the first RAT is based on the Bluetooth (TM) protocol.

11. The processor of claim 8, wherein the second RAT is based on an ultra-wideband communication protocol.

12. The processor of claim 8, wherein the corresponding connection is used to determine one or more metrics associated with the first available device and the second available device. include: receiving at least one corresponding signal from the first available device and the second available device; as well as The one or more metrics are determined based at least on the at least one corresponding signal.

13. The processor of claim 12, wherein the respective angle of arrival of the mobile device to each of the first available device and the second available device is determined based at least on an angle of arrival of the at least one respective signal received from the first available device and the second available device.

14. The processor of claim 8, wherein determining to establish the high power link with the first available device using the second RAT is based on the one or more measurements. include: Establishing the high power link is determined in response to the mobile device having a substantially consistent angle of arrival relative to the first available device over a period of time.

15. A system, include: antenna; and At least one processor configured to perform operations comprising: detecting a first available device and a second available device in proximity to the mobile device; establishing a respective connection with each of the first available device and the second available device using a first radio access technology (RAT); determining one or more metrics associated with the first available device and the second available device using the respective connections, wherein the one or more metrics include respective angles of arrival at the mobile device corresponding to the first available device and the second available device; and A determination is made based at least on the one or more metrics to establish a high power link with the first available device using a second RAT, wherein the second RAT utilizes more power than the first RAT.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises: include: establishing the high power link with the first device using the second RAT; as well as A ranging operation is performed with respect to the first device using the high power link.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first RAT is based on the Bluetooth (TM) protocol.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second RAT is based on an ultra-wideband communication protocol.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the corresponding connection is used to determine one or more metrics associated with the first device and the second device. include: receiving at least one corresponding signal from the first device and the second device; as well as The one or more metrics are determined based at least on the at least one corresponding signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the respective angle of arrival of the mobile device to each of the first device and the second device is determined based at least on an angle of arrival of the at least one respective signal received from the first device and the second device.

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