Mesh networking for positioning and navigation

Abstract

The invention provides a method, equipment and a system for wireless positioning. An example method includes determining a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature, the first RSSI signature including a respective RSSI associated with each of a first plurality of access points (APs), where the first plurality of APs form at least a portion of a mesh network of APs; comparing the first RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature of a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature of the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures comprising a respective RSSI associated with each AP of the first plurality of APs; and identifying a first location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication and, more particularly, to using mesh networking for localization and navigation within a structure or grid such as a parking garage or parking lot. Background Art

[0002] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices (also referred to as wireless stations (STAs)). The basic building block of a WLAN that follows the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is a basic service set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a basic service set identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames so that any STA within the wireless range of the AP can establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0003] Parking structures are common in large, populated areas. In a large parking structure, users may have difficulty identifying and navigating to a nearby available parking space, especially when the parking structure is nearly full. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0005] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method includes: determining a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature that includes a respective RSSI associated with each access point (AP) in a first plurality of APs, the first plurality of APs forming at least a portion of a mesh network of APs; comparing the first RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature in a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures including a respective RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs, and each reference RSSI signature being associated with a respective potential location of the wireless STA; and identifying a first location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

[0006] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a wireless station (STA). The wireless STA includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory being communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code. Execution of the processor-readable code by the at least one processor causes the wireless STA to perform operations that include: determining a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature that includes an RSSI associated with each access point (AP) in a first plurality of APs, the first plurality of APs forming at least a part of a mesh network of APs; comparing the first RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature in a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures including a corresponding RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs, and each reference RSSI signature being associated with a corresponding potential location of the wireless STA; and identifying a first location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

[0007] In some specific implementations, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures is associated with corresponding grid coordinates within a location grid that are close to the first plurality of APs. In some specific implementations, identifying the first location of the wireless STA includes: associating the wireless STA with a first grid coordinate within the location grid based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature. In some aspects, identifying the first location of the wireless STA further includes: selecting a first reference RSSI signature from the first plurality of RSSI signatures based on the comparison, and associating the wireless STA with the grid coordinates associated with the first reference RSSI signature. In some aspects, the comparison of the first RSSI signature includes: determining the Euclidean distance between the first RSSI signature and each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, wherein the first reference RSSI signature is the reference RSSI signature having the shortest Euclidean distance from the first RSSI signature.

[0008] In some embodiments, these methods and the wireless STA may be configured to: identify second grid coordinates within the positioning grid corresponding to an empty parking space and cause a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the empty parking space to be displayed. In some aspects, these methods and the wireless STA may be configured to: determine a second RSSI signature that includes respective RSSIs associated with each of a second plurality of APs, where the second plurality of APs form at least a portion of the mesh network; compare the second RSSI signature with each of a second plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each of the second plurality of reference RSSI signatures including an RSSI associated with a respective one of the second plurality of APs; and identify a second positioning of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the second RSSI signature. In some aspects, these methods and the wireless STA may be configured to: determine that the second positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the second grid coordinates and set the second grid coordinates to correspond to an occupied parking space.

[0009] In some aspects, these methods and the wireless STA may be configured to: determine that the first positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to an occupied parking space and cause a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to exit coordinates within the positioning grid to be displayed. In some aspects, the exit coordinates indicate an exit of a parking structure associated with the positioning grid.

[0010] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in a method for generating a positioning signature for a positioning within a positioning grid. An example method includes: identifying a first plurality of access points (APs) having at least a threshold received signal strength indicator (RSSI), the first plurality of APs forming at least a portion of a mesh network of APs; measuring a first plurality of RSSIs, the first plurality of RSSIs including respective RSSIs associated with each of the first plurality of APs; and generating a first reference RSSI signature corresponding to first grid coordinates within the positioning grid, the first reference RSSI signature being generated at least in part based on the first plurality of RSSIs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Details of one or more aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. However, the drawings merely illustrate some typical aspects of the disclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims.

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0013] Figure 2Shows a schematic diagram of another example wireless communication network.

[0014] Figure 3 Shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device.

[0015] Figure 4A Shows a block diagram of an example access point (AP).

[0016] Figure 4B Shows a block diagram of an example station (STA).

[0017] Figure 5A Shows a simplified top view of a parking area according to an example implementation.

[0018] Figure 5B Shows a simplified top view of a parking area according to an example implementation.

[0019] Figure 6 Shows a flowchart of an example process for supporting wireless positioning according to some implementations.

[0020] Figure 7 Shows a flowchart of an example process for supporting the generation of a reference received signal strength indication (RSSI) signature according to some implementations.

[0021] Figure 8 Shows a flowchart of an example process for supporting positioning and navigation according to some implementations.

[0022] Figure 9 Shows a flowchart of an example process for supporting positioning and navigation according to some implementations.

[0023] Figure 10 Shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device for supporting wireless positioning and navigation according to some implementations.

[0024] Figure 11 Shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device for supporting wireless positioning and navigation according to some implementations.

[0025] Identical reference numerals and names in different figures indicate identical elements. Detailed Description

[0026] The following description is directed to some specific examples and is intended to describe innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. Some or all of the described examples can be implemented in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, IEEE 802.15 standards, such as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) Implemented in any device, system, or network that transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the following standards, such as the Long-Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The described specific implementation can be realized in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Single-User (SU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU) MIMO. The described specific implementation can also be achieved using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs), or Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

[0027] Aspects generally relate to using a mesh network to identify the location of a station (STA) within a vehicle located in a parking structure or lot based on the strength of signals received from nearby access points (APs) of the mesh network, and providing navigation assistance to the STA to direct it and the vehicle to an available space in the parking structure or area. In some examples, the STA can be a special-purpose STA configured for positioning and navigation within the parking structure or area. For example, upon entering the parking structure or area, such a special-purpose STA can be provided to the user to assist the user in identifying and navigating to an available parking space within the parking structure or area. In some examples, the STA determines its location based on measuring the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of signals received from multiple APs near the STA in the parking structure or area. In some other examples, a central AP among the multiple APs can determine the location of the STA based on the RSSI measured by the STA. In some such examples, the STA or the central AP can compare a set of RSSIs measured by the STA ("RSSI signature") with multiple sets of reference RSSI measurements (where each set can be referred to herein as a "reference RSSI signature") to identify the location of the STA. In some examples, the location can be expressed in terms of grid coordinates within a location grid. Additionally, each reference RSSI signature is associated with a specific location that can be defined relative to the location grid. That is, each reference RSSI signature includes multiple RSSI measurements, where each RSSI measurement among the multiple RSSI measurements is associated with grid coordinates indicating a specific location. In some such examples, the STA or the central AP determines the location of the STA as the grid coordinates associated with the reference RSSI signature having the minimum Euclidean distance from the RSSI measured by the STA. The STA can then present navigation instructions or cause a display within the vehicle to show directions, such as directions for navigating to an available parking space or to an exit of the parking structure or lot.

[0028] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, the techniques described can be used to provide increased efficiency and effectiveness to the process of parking a vehicle in a parking structure by identifying available parking spaces near the vehicle and providing navigation directions to the available parking spaces. This can limit the amount of time the user of the vehicle can drive around within the parking structure, thus saving the user time and reducing traffic for other users within the parking structure. Additionally, aspects of this disclosure can allow such navigation even in the absence of satellite or cellular navigation, as STAs often may not be able to receive satellite or cellular signals within large parking structures.

[0029] Figure 1FIG. shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as a Wi-Fi network) (and will be referred to hereinafter as WLAN 100). For example, WLAN 100 may be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 series of wireless communication protocol standards (such as the standards defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its revisions, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be). WLAN 100 may include a number of wireless communication devices, such as access points (APs) 102 and multiple stations (STAs) 104. Although only one AP 102 is shown, WLAN network 100 may also include multiple APs 102.

[0030] Each of the STAs 104 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile phone, wireless phone, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or subscriber unit, etc. The STA 104 may represent various devices, such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), other handheld devices, netbook, notebook computer, tablet computer, laptop device, display device (e.g., TV, computer monitor, navigation system, etc.), music or other audio or stereo device, remote control device ("remote control"), printer, kitchen or other household appliances, remote key (e.g., for a passive keyless entry and start (PKES) system), etc.

[0031] A single AP 102 and the associated set of STAs 104 may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the corresponding AP 102. Figure 1Additionally shown is an example coverage area 106 of the AP 102, which may represent the basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. The BSS can be identified to users by a service set identifier (SSID), and can also be identified to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which can be the media access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 periodically broadcasts a beacon frame ("beacon") including the BSSID so that any STA 104 within the wireless range of the AP 102 can "associate" or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish a corresponding communication link 108 (also hereinafter referred to as a "Wi-Fi link") with the AP 102 or maintain the communication link 108 with the AP. For example, the beacon can include an identification of the primary channel used by the corresponding AP 102 and a timing synchronization function for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 can provide access to an external network to each STA 104 in the WLAN via the corresponding communication link 108.

[0032] To establish a communication link 108 with the AP 102, each STA in the STA 104 is configured to perform a passive or active scanning operation ("scanning") on a frequency channel in one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, the STA 104 listens for beacons sent by the corresponding AP 102 at periodic time intervals (referred to as the target beacon transmission time (TBTT), measured in time units (TU), where one TU can be equal to 1024 microseconds (μs)). To perform active scanning, the STA 104 generates probe requests and sequentially sends these probe requests on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from the AP 102. Each STA 104 can be configured to identify or select the AP 102 to associate with based on the scanning information obtained through passive or active scanning, and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 108 with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operation, and the AP 102 uses this association identifier (AID) to track the STA 104.

[0033] As wireless networks become more prevalent, STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within the range of the STA or among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) (including multiple connected BSSs). Extended network stations associated with the WLAN 100 can connect to a wired or wireless distribution system that allows multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. Thus, STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can be associated with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after associating with an AP 102, STA 104 can also be configured to periodically scan its surroundings to look for a more suitable AP 102 to associate with. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 can perform a "roaming" scan to look for another AP 102 with more desirable network characteristics such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or reduced traffic load.

[0034] In some cases, STA 104 can form a network without an AP 102 or without other equipment other than the STA 104 itself. An example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network may alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, an ad hoc network can be implemented within a larger wireless network such as the WLAN 100. In such embodiments, while STA 104 may be able to communicate with each other through an AP 102 using communication link 108, STA 104 can also communicate directly with each other via a direct wireless link 110. Additionally, two STAs 104 can communicate via a direct communication link 110 regardless of whether the two STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more STAs 104 can assume the role that an AP 102 plays in a BSS. Such a STA 104 can be referred to as a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless links 110 include Wi-Fi direct connections, connections established through the use of Wi-Fi tunnel direct link setup (TDLS) links, and other P2P group connections.

[0035] AP 102 and STA 104 can operate and communicate (via the respective communication link 108) according to the IEEE 802.11 series of wireless communication protocol standards (such as the standards defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its revisions, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be). These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the PHY and media access control (MAC) layers. AP 102 and STA 104 send and receive wireless communications (also hereinafter referred to as "Wi-Fi communications") to and from each other in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs) (or physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) PPDUs). The AP 102 and STA 104 in the WLAN 100 can send PPDUs on an unlicensed spectrum, which can be part of a spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology (such as the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 60 GHz band, 3.6 GHz band, and 900 MHz band). Some specific implementations of the AP 102 and STA 104 described herein can also communicate in other frequency bands (such as the 6 GHz band) that support both licensed and unlicensed communications. AP 102 and STA 104 can also be configured to communicate on other frequency bands (such as shared licensed bands), where multiple operators may have licenses to operate in one or more identical or overlapping frequency bands.

[0036] Each of the frequency bands can include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs compliant with the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and 802.11be standard revisions can be sent on the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands, where each band is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are sent on physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs can be sent on physical channels that have a bandwidth of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or CCC20 MHz by bonding multiple 20 MHz channels together.

[0037] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble can be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances where the PPDU is transmitted on a bound channel, the preamble field can be replicated and transmitted in each of a plurality of component channels. The PHY preamble can include both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble can be used for other purposes such as packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation. The legacy preamble can also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, decoding, and information provided in the non-legacy portion of the preamble are based on the specific IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used for transmitting the payload.

[0038] Figure 2 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of another example wireless communication network 200. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 200 can be an example of a mesh network that can be used in conjunction with specific implementations of the present disclosure. The wireless network 200 can include a plurality of dedicated wireless stations 214. The dedicated wireless stations 214 can represent various special-purpose stations, such as stations associated with a parking structure and configured to be placed within a vehicle for navigating and parking within the parking structure, and so on. For example, each dedicated wireless station 214 can be disposed on the dashboard of a vehicle, or at another location within the vehicle.

[0039] In some specific implementations, the dedicated wireless stations 214 communicate with an intermediate device 212 for subsequent processing or distribution. Additionally or alternatively, the intermediate device 212 can send control information, navigation information, digital content (e.g., audio or video data), configuration information, or other instructions to the dedicated wireless stations 214. The intermediate device 212 and the dedicated wireless stations 214 can communicate with each other via a wireless link 216. In some specific implementations, the wireless link 216 includes Wi-Fi or another suitable wireless communication protocol. More specifically, with respect to the present disclosure, the intermediate device 212 can include a plurality of APs 212 that are located throughout the parking structure and are used to determine the location of the dedicated wireless stations 214 based on signals received from at least a portion of the plurality of intermediate devices 212.

[0040] In some examples, the intermediate device 212 may also be configured for wireless communication with other networks, such as with a Wi-Fi WLAN or a wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area network (WWAN), which in turn may provide access to an external network, including the Internet. For example, the intermediate device 212 may be configured to associate with and communicate with an AP 202 of a WLAN network via a Wi-Fi link 218, and the AP may also serve various STAs 204. In some specific implementations, the intermediate device 212 is an example of, for example, a network gateway. In this way, the intermediate device 212 may act as an edge bridge providing Wi-Fi core backhaul for a network including a dedicated wireless station 214. In some specific implementations, the intermediate device 212 may be configured to analyze, preprocess, and aggregate data received from the dedicated wireless station 214 local to the edge before sending the data to other devices or an external network via the Wi-Fi link 218. The intermediate device 212 may also be configured to provide additional security for the network and the data transmitted thereby. More specifically, with respect to the present disclosure, the AP 202 may be a central AP that may process signals measured by the dedicated wireless station 214 for determining the location of the dedicated wireless station 214, may store the current occupancy of parking spaces in a parking structure, and so on.

[0041] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 300 is shown. In some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 300 may be an example of a device for a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 described above with reference to Figure 1 or one of the dedicated wireless stations 214 described with reference to Figure 2 In some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 300 may be an example of a device for an AP, such as the AP 102 described above with reference to Figure 1 The wireless communication device 300 is capable of sending and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) that comply with the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard, such as the standard defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its amendments, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be.

[0042] The wireless communication device 300 can be or can include a chip, a system-on-chip (SoC), a chipset, a package, or a device having one or more modems 302 (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 compliant) modem). In some embodiments, one or more modems 302 (collectively referred to as "modems 302") additionally include a WWAN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 300 further includes one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements 304 (collectively referred to as "processors 304") coupled to the modems 302. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 300 additionally includes one or more radio components 306 (collectively referred to as "radio components 306") coupled to the modems 302. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 300 further includes one or more memory blocks or elements 308 (collectively referred to as "memory 308") coupled to the processors 304 or the modems 302.

[0043] The modem 302 can include intelligent hardware blocks or devices (such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.). The modem 302 is generally configured to implement the PHY layer and, in some embodiments, also implements a part of the MAC layer (e.g., the hardware part of the MAC layer). For example, the modem 302 is configured to modulate packets and output the modulated packets to the radio component 304 for transmission over the wireless medium. Similarly, the modem 302 is configured to obtain the modulated packets received by the radio component 304 and demodulate these packets to provide the demodulated packets. In addition to the modulator and demodulator, the modem 302 can also include digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry, automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry, encoders, decoders, multiplexers, and demultiplexers. For example, when in the transmit mode, the data obtained from the processor 306 can be provided to an encoder that encodes the data to provide coded bits. Subsequently, the coded bits can be mapped to several (N ss number) spatial streams for spatial multiplexing or several (N STSspace-time streams for space-time block coding (STBC). The decoded bits in each stream can then be mapped (using the selected MCS) to points in the modulation constellation to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols in the corresponding space stream or space-time stream can be multiplexed, transformed via an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block, and then provided to the DSP circuitry (e.g., for Tx windowing and filtering). The digital signal can then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signal can then be provided to a frequency upconverter and ultimately to radio component 304. In a particular implementation involving beamforming, the modulated symbols in the corresponding space stream are pre-coded via a steering matrix before being provided to the IFFT block.

[0044] When in the receive mode, the DSP circuitry is configured to acquire a signal including the modulated symbols received from radio component 304, e.g., by detecting the presence of the signal and estimating the initial timing and frequency offset. The DSP circuitry is further configured to digitally condition the signal, e.g., using channel (narrowband) filtering and analog impairment conditioning (such as correcting I / Q imbalance) and by applying digital gain to ultimately obtain a narrowband signal. The output of the DSP circuitry can then be fed to an AGC, which is configured to use the information extracted from the digital signal (e.g., in one or more received training fields) to determine the appropriate gain. The output of the DSP circuitry is also coupled to a demultiplexer, which demultiplexes the modulated symbols when multiple space streams or space-time streams are received. The demultiplexed symbols can be provided to a demodulator, which is configured to extract the symbols from the signal and, e.g., calculate the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for each bit location of each subcarrier in each space stream. The demodulator is coupled to a decoder, which can be configured to process the LLRs to provide the decoded bits. The decoded bits can then be descrambled and provided to the MAC layer (processor 306) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0045] The radio component 304 generally includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or "transmitter chain") and at least one RF receiver (or "receiver chain"), which can be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, each of the RF transmitter and receiver may include various analog circuits, respectively including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low noise amplifier (LNA). The RF transmitter and receiver can then be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some specific embodiments, the wireless communication device 300 may include multiple transmit antennas (each transmit antenna having a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each receive antenna having a corresponding receive chain) or be coupled to them. The symbols output from the modem 302 are provided to the radio component 304, which then transmits these symbols via the coupled antennas. Similarly, the symbols received via the antennas are obtained by the radio component 304, which then provides these symbols to the modem 302.

[0046] The processor 306 may include intelligent hardware blocks or devices designed to perform the functions described herein, such as, for example, processing cores, processing blocks, central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The processor 306 processes the information received through the radio component 304 and the modem 302, and processes the information to be output through the modem 302 and the radio component 304 for transmission through the wireless medium. For example, the processor 306 may implement at least a part of the control plane and the MAC layer, which is configured to perform various operations related to the generation, transmission, reception, and processing of MPDUs, frames, or packets. In some specific embodiments, the MAC layer is configured to generate MPDUs to be provided to the PHY layer for decoding, and to receive the decoded information bits from the PHY layer for processing as MPDUs. The MAC layer may be further configured to allocate time and frequency resources, for example, for OFDMA and other operations or technologies. In some specific embodiments, the processor 306 generally controls the modem 302 to cause the modem to perform the various operations described above.

[0047] The memory 304 may include a tangible storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM) or a combination thereof. The memory 304 may also store non-transitory processor or computer executable software (SW) code containing instructions that, when executed by the processor 306, cause the processor to perform various operations described herein for wireless communication, including the generation, transmission, reception, and interpretation of MDPUs, frames, or packets. For example, various functions of the components disclosed herein or various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein may be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0048] Figure 4A 4 shows a block diagram of an example AP 402. For example, AP 402 may be a reference Figure 1 The AP 102 or Figure 2 2 or intermediate device 212. AP 402 includes a wireless communication device (WCD) 410 (although AP 402 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, wireless communication device 410 may be a reference Figure 3 The example implementation of the wireless communication device 3000 described above. The AP 402 also includes a plurality of antennas 420 coupled to the wireless communication device 410 to send and receive wireless communications. In some implementations, the AP 402 additionally includes an application processor 430 coupled to the wireless communication device 410 and a memory 440 coupled to the application processor 430. The AP 402 also includes at least one external network interface 450 that enables the AP 402 to communicate with a core network or a backhaul network to obtain access to an external network including the Internet. For example, the external network interface 450 may include one or both of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) network interface and a wireless network interface (such as a WWAN interface). Components of the above components may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the components via at least one bus. The AP 402 also includes a housing that contains the wireless communication device 410, the application processor 430, the memory 440, and at least portions of the antenna 420 and the external network interface 450.

[0049] Figure 4B 404. For example, STA 404 may be a reference Figure 1 The STA 104 or Figure 2 STA 404 includes a wireless communication device 415 (although STA 404 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, wireless communication device 415 may be a reference Figure 3Example specific implementation of the wireless communication device 300 described above. The STA 404 also includes one or more antennas 425 coupled to the wireless communication device 415 to transmit and receive wireless communications. The STA 404 additionally includes an application processor 435 coupled to the wireless communication device 415 and a memory 445 coupled to the application processor 435. In some specific implementations, the STA 404 also includes a user interface (UI) 455 (such as a touch screen or keyboard) and a display 465, which may be integrated with the UI 455 to form a touch screen display. In some specific implementations, the STA 404 may also include one or more sensors 475, such as for example one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors. Components among the above components may communicate directly or indirectly with other components among the components via at least one bus. The STA 404 also includes a housing that houses at least a portion of the wireless communication device 415, the application processor 435, the memory 445, and the antennas 425, the UI 455, and the display 465.

[0050] As described above, large parking structures are becoming increasingly common. For example, large parking structures are common in city centers, shopping malls, train stations, airports, and other locations. As the size of such structures increases, users may find it increasingly difficult to navigate from the entrance to an available parking space, especially when the parking structure is nearly full. Additionally, the use of satellite (e.g., GPS) or cellular navigation may be unavailable because the parking structure may be underground or may otherwise be inaccessible to such technologies, for example because satellite or cellular signals cannot reach the interior of the parking structure. Therefore, it is desirable to simplify the user's location and navigation to an available parking space in a parking structure.

[0051] Aspects generally relate to using a mesh network to identify the location of a station (STA) within a vehicle located in a parking structure or lot based on the strength of signals received from nearby access points (APs) of the mesh network, and providing navigation assistance to the STA to direct it and the vehicle to an available space in the parking structure or area. In some examples, the STA may be a special-purpose STA configured for location and navigation within the parking structure or area. For example, upon entering the parking structure or area, such a special-purpose STA may be provided to the user to assist the user in identifying and navigating to an available parking space within the parking structure or area. In some examples, the STA determines its location based on measuring the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of signals received from multiple APs in the vicinity of the STA in the parking structure or area. In some other examples, a central AP among the multiple APs may determine the location of the STA based on the RSSI measured by the STA. In some such examples, the STA or the central AP may compare a set of RSSIs measured by the STA ("RSSI signature") with multiple sets of reference RSSI measurements (where each set may be referred to herein as a "reference RSSI signature") to identify the location of the STA. In some examples, the location may be expressed in terms of grid coordinates within a location grid. Additionally, each reference RSSI signature is associated with a specific location that may be defined relative to the location grid. That is, each reference RSSI signature includes multiple RSSI measurements, and each RSSI measurement among the multiple RSSI measurements is associated with grid coordinates indicating a specific location. In some such examples, the STA or the central AP determines the location of the STA as the grid coordinates associated with the reference RSSI signature having the minimum Euclidean distance from the RSSI measured by the STA. The STA may then present navigation instructions or cause a display within the vehicle to show directions, such as directions for navigating to an available parking space or to an exit of the parking structure or lot.

[0052] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, the techniques described can be used to provide increased efficiency and effectiveness to the process of parking a vehicle in a parking structure by identifying available parking spaces near the vehicle and providing navigation directions to the available parking spaces. This can limit the amount of time that a user of the vehicle can drive around within the parking structure, thus saving the user time and reducing traffic for other users within the parking structure. Additionally, aspects of this disclosure can allow such navigation even in the absence of satellite or cellular navigation, since STAs may often be unable to receive satellite or cellular signals within large parking structures.

[0053] Figure 5AA simplified top view of a parking area 500A implemented according to an example is shown. For example, the parking area may represent all or a part of a level of a parking structure. The parking area 500A is shown as being divided into a positioned two-dimensional grid such that positions within the grid can be represented by unique coordinates within the parking area 500A. More specifically, each position within the grid may correspond to a single coordinate ranging from 1 to 7 along a first axis 502 and a single coordinate also ranging from 1 to 7 along a second axis 504. Note that although the parking area 500A is shown as being generally square, in other implementations, the parking area may have other sizes and corresponding shapes. Similarly, although each position in the grid within the parking area 500A is shown as being square, this is for simplicity only, and the positions in the grid may generally be rectangular. For example, the grid positions may generally be the size of the parking spaces within the parking area 500A. Additionally, although each position in the grid of the parking area 500A is shown as having an equal size, in some other implementations, the positions in the grid may have different sizes depending on their use. For example, the grid representing the parking spaces may have one size, while the grid positions representing the traffic lanes may have different sizes. Similarly, the parking spaces within the parking area 500A may have different sizes, and the positions of these parking spaces within the grid may also be different. For example, a parking space may be designated for a compact car and have a size smaller than the average size, while another parking space may be designated for a disabled person and thus have a size larger than the average size.

[0054] The parking area 500A may also have at least one entrance 506 and at least one exit 508. The entrance 506 and the exit 508 may be the corresponding entrances to and from the entire parking structure, or may be connected to other parts of the level of the parking structure, connected to other levels of the parking structure, and so on. The entrance 506 allows a vehicle entering the parking area 500A to enter at the coordinates (7, 1), where 7 is the coordinate along the first axis 502 and 1 is the coordinate along the second axis 504. Similarly, the exit 508 allows a vehicle to leave the parking area 500A from the coordinates (7, 7).

[0055] Parking area 500A is shown as including a plurality of parking spaces, namely, 14 occupied parking spaces 540 marked with an X, and two vacant parking spaces 520 at coordinates (3, 2) and a vacant space 530 at coordinates (2, 6). Parking area 500A is also shown as including traffic lanes between and around the parking spaces. For example, parking area 500A includes three horizontal lanes: a first horizontal traffic lane extending between coordinates (1, 1) and (7, 1); a second horizontal traffic lane extending between coordinates (1, 4) and (7, 4); and a third horizontal traffic lane extending between coordinates (1, 7) and (7, 7). Similarly, parking area 500A is shown as including three vertical traffic lanes: a first vertical traffic lane extending between coordinates (1, 1) and (1, 7); a second vertical traffic lane extending between coordinates (4, 1) and (4, 7); and a third vertical traffic lane extending between coordinates (7, 1) and (7, 7).

[0056] To determine the positioning of a vehicle within parking area 500A, an STA is located within each vehicle. For example, when entering parking area 500A or a parking structure that includes parking area 500A, a special-purpose STA may be provided to the vehicle. Although in fact most people may already carry an STA (such as a cellular phone or a tablet computer) when entering a parking structure, it may be preferred to use a special-purpose STA because they may have known hardware and produce more reliable measurements for positioning and navigation.

[0057] Parking area 500A also includes a plurality of APs 510(1), 510(2), 510(3), 510(4) and 510(5) (collectively referred to as "AP 510"). It should be noted that the APs 510 are associated with a predetermined order (that is, 510(1)-510(5)). It should be noted that although Figure 5A five APs 510 are shown, in other specific embodiments, any suitable number of APs 510 may be present in the parking area. Each AP 510 can be a proxy AP or a central AP of a mesh network. For example, a proxy AP can be Figure 2 an intermediate device 212 of Figure 3 a wireless communication device 300 of Figure 4A or an example of an AP 402 of Figure 2 an AP202 of Figure 3 a wireless communication device 300 of Figure 4AAn example of the AP 402. In some specific embodiments, only one of the APs 510 is a central AP, and the remaining APs 510 are proxy APs. In some specific embodiments, the central AP may be centrally located within the parking area. For example, the AP 510(3) located at the coordinates (4, 4) may be the central AP. In some aspects, as discussed in more detail below, in addition to the occupancy data and signature data associated with each location within the grid of the parking area 500A, the central AP may also store a map of the parking area 500A. In addition to indicating whether each parking space is occupied, the occupancy data may also indicate the location of each parking space within the parking space 500A. In some aspects, the occupancy data may also indicate the vehicle identifier associated with each occupied parking space, such as the identifier of a special purpose STA assigned to the vehicle occupying each occupied parking space.

[0058] Determining the location of a vehicle within the parking structure 500A may be based on measurements performed at the vehicle using a special purpose STA, where these measurements are related to signals received at the special purpose STA from one or more of the APs 510. Such signals may include, for example, beacons transmitted by the APs 510. Such signals may be broadcast periodically by the APs 510. In some aspects, these measurements may include the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with each of the APs 510. In some other aspects, these measurements may include the multipath structure of the signals received from one or more of the APs 510, or the presence or absence of the signals received from one or more of the APs 510. In some specific embodiments, the special purpose STA may measure the RSSI associated with each of the multiple APs 510, where the multiple APs 510 may be less than the entire APs 510, since the special purpose STA cannot measure the RSSI associated with one or more of the APs 510. This ordered set of multiple RSSI measurements may be referred to as an RSSI signature. For example, for the parking area 500A, the RSSI signature may include an ordered set of multiple RSSIs (RSSI(1), RSSI(2), RSSI(3), RSSI(4), RSSI(5)) corresponding respectively to the RSSIs measured from the APs 510(1) to 510(5). Note that when the special purpose STA cannot measure the RSSI associated with an AP 510, its corresponding RSSI in the RSSI signature may be zero. Similarly, in some aspects, when the RSSI associated with an AP 510 is below a predetermined threshold, its corresponding RSSI in the RSSI signature may also be zero. Determining the location of the vehicle may include comparing the RSSI signature with a reference RSSI signature associated with the grid points of the parking area 500A.

[0059] To compare the RSSI signature with a reference RSSI signature, the reference RSSI signature must be determined and stored for each grid point within the parking area 500A. For example, the reference RSSI signature can be determined and stored during the setup operation of the parking area 500A. Determining the reference RSSI signature for a grid point can include first positioning a special-purpose STA at a first location corresponding to the grid point. Then, the special-purpose STA can receive signals transmitted by one or more of the APs 510. For example, the special-purpose STA can identify a subset of the APs 510 from which the transmitted signals can be received and the corresponding RSSIs measured. For example, the special-purpose STA can determine that it can only measure the RSSI for APs 510(2) to 510(5), that is, it cannot detect the signals transmitted by AP 510(1), or does not have sufficient signal strength at the grid point to measure the RSSI. In this context, insufficient signal strength can refer to a signal strength below a predetermined threshold. Then, the RSSI of the signals transmitted from each of the APs 510 in the subset can be measured, resulting in a first RSSI signature (RSSI(1) RSSI(2) … RSSI(5))1 for the first location. For example, if the signals transmitted by AP 510(1) cannot be received at the grid point, such a first RSSI signature can be given as (0, RSSI(2) … RSSI(5)). 1 . In some aspects, the special-purpose STA can then be moved to a second location within the same grid point, and the process can be repeated, thereby measuring the RSSI values again and determining a second RSSI signature (RSSI(1) … RSSI(5)). 2 . The process can be repeated any suitable number of times, and then the RSSI signatures can be combined to determine a single reference RSSI signature (RSSI ref (1) … RSSI ref (5)) for the grid point. For example, the RSSI signatures measured for the grid point can be averaged to determine the reference RSSI signature for the grid point. In this way, the reference RSSI signature can be determined for each grid point of the parking area 500A. Such reference RSSI signatures can be stored, for example, in the central AP of the APs 510 or in a memory coupled to the central AP.

[0060] Once the reference RSSI signatures have been measured and stored, they can be used to locate and navigate vehicles within the parking area 500A. For example, vehicle 560 can enter the parking area 500A via the entrance 506. In some aspects, after entering the parking area 500A, vehicle 560 can be provided with a special purpose STA for use while parked in the parking area 500A. Additionally, in some aspects, identification information of vehicle 560, such as license plate number, vehicle make, model, and color, etc., can be obtained. Such identification information can be obtained, for example, using one or more cameras proximate to the entrance 506 and associated with the special purpose STA, such as associating the identification information with the media access control (MAC) address of the special purpose STA. Then, the special purpose STA can determine the current location of vehicle 560 (represented as a grid point within the parking area 500A) and provide navigation instructions to an available parking space.

[0061] Determining the location of vehicle 560 can include receiving signals transmitted by at least one subset of APs 510 and measuring the RSSI associated with each AP in the subset of APs 510. If a signal cannot be received from one of the APs 510, or its signal strength is below a predetermined threshold, its corresponding RSSI can be given as zero. Thus, an RSSI signature of vehicle 560 including an ordered plurality of RSSI measurements can be determined. Then the RSSI signature can be compared with the reference RSSI signature to determine the location of vehicle 560. In some aspects, the special purpose STA can use channel scanning to obtain signals for measuring RSSI values, and the channel scanning can be a fast channel scanning.

[0062] More specifically, the location of vehicle 560 can be determined based on a distance measurement between the RSSI signature and the reference RSSI signature. An example distance measurement is the Euclidean distance measurement, which can be given as where RSSI vehicle (i) represents the RSSI measured at vehicle 560 associated with AP 510(i). The location of vehicle 560 can be determined as the grid point associated with the minimum distance measurement. In other words, where RSSI ref(x，y) (i) represents the reference RSSI associated with AP 510(i) at the grid point (x,y).

[0063] In some aspects, some grid points of the parking area 500A can be disregarded as locations for the vehicle 560. In some specific implementations, one or more grid points can be removed from consideration based on the corresponding RSSI measurements associated with those APs in the AP 510 that are close to these grid points. For example, if the RSSI measured at the vehicle 560 associated with the AP 510(1) is zero, one or more grid points close to the AP 510(1) can be removed from consideration, and distance measurements do not need to be calculated for those one or more grid points. More generally, if the RSSI measured at the vehicle 560 associated with the AP 510(i) is less than a threshold RSSI, one or more grid points close to the AP 510(i). Removing grid points in this way can simplify the determination of the location of the vehicle 560, which can be important when a large number of vehicles are present in the parking area 500A, thereby reducing the considerable amount of computation required to determine the locations of all such vehicles, especially when such computations can be repeated periodically to monitor the location of each vehicle.

[0064] Once the location of the vehicle 560 has been determined, for example, it is determined that the vehicle 560 is located at the grid point (5, 1), the special-purpose STA in the vehicle 560 can be presented with navigation instructions to an available parking space in the parking area 500A. For example, the available parking space can be the nearest available parking space. For example, the special-purpose STA in the vehicle 560 can present navigation instructions to the available space 520 rather than the available space 530 because the available space 520 is closer to the vehicle 560. In some specific implementations, the vehicle 560 can be associated with special needs information, such as the need for accessible parking for the disabled, or the need for a parking space larger than the average parking space. When the vehicle is associated with such special needs information, the vehicle 560 can alternatively be guided towards the nearest available parking space that meets these requirements. For example, the available space 520 can be a compact parking space that is too small for the vehicle 560, and navigation instructions can be provided to the available space 530 that is more suitable for parking the vehicle 560.

[0065] Navigation instructions can guide vehicle 560 along the lanes of parking area 500A to a suitable available parking space. In some aspects, the navigation instructions can incorporate traffic flow information, such as information indicating that some traffic lanes are one-way only, in order to guide vehicle 560 to an available parking space. For example, to guide vehicle 560 to available space 520, the navigation instructions can guide vehicle 560 left to grid coordinates (4, 1) and (3, 1), and then to available space 520. In some aspects, the location of vehicle 560 can be determined periodically in order to monitor the progress of vehicle 560 and update the navigation instructions. Once the location of vehicle 560 is determined to be an available parking space, such as available space 520, the occupancy data associated with that available space can be updated to reflect that the space is now occupied. Additionally, the occupancy data for available space 520 can be updated to include a reference to the identification information associated with vehicle 560 to indicate that vehicle 560 is occupying (now previously) available space 520.

[0066] In some aspects, in order to conserve battery power of the special purpose STA, once vehicle 560 reaches an available parking space and does not move for a threshold period of time, the special purpose STA can reduce its power consumption, for example, by disconnecting from the wireless network associated with AP 510 or by entering a low-power state.

[0067] When the driver of vehicle 560 wishes to leave, aspects of the present disclosure can determine the location of vehicle 560 as discussed above and present navigation instructions to the exit of parking area 500A. More specifically, the special purpose STA in vehicle 560 can first determine that vehicle 560 is likely to resume motion immediately. For example, the special purpose STA can detect movement, vibration, or sound indicating that vehicle 560 is likely to resume motion. Additionally or alternatively, a user within vehicle 560 can select one or more buttons or interface options of the special purpose STA, thereby indicating that the user wishes to leave parking area 500A.

[0068] Figure 5B A simplified top view of parking area 500B according to an example implementation is shown. Parking area 500B can represent parking area 500A after vehicle 560 has parked at a previously available space 520. Then, the location of vehicle 560 can be determined in the same manner as discussed above. For example, the location of vehicle 560 can be determined to be at the same location as Figure 5Aat the coordinate (3, 2) corresponding to the free space 520. In response to determining that the positioning of the vehicle 560 is at a grid point corresponding to a parking space (such as an occupied parking space associated with the vehicle 560), a special purpose STA in the vehicle 560 may present navigation instructions to the exit of the parking area 500B. For example, the navigation instructions may guide the vehicle 560 to the exit 508 via one or more traffic lanes of the parking area 500B. In some aspects, once the vehicle 560 has left the parking space, the occupancy data associated with that parking space may be updated to reflect that it is no longer occupied, and another vehicle may be guided to the new free space. The positioning of the vehicle 560 may be determined or monitored as discussed above, and the navigation instructions may be updated accordingly to guide the user to the exit 508. When the vehicle 560 reaches the exit 508, the special purpose STA may disconnect from the wireless network associated with the AP 510. In some embodiments, the identification information associated with the vehicle 560 may be detected, such as via one or more cameras or other sensors at the exit 508, to verify that the vehicle 560 has left the parking area 500B. In some aspects, the driver of the vehicle 560 may return to the special purpose STA before leaving the parking area 500B.

[0069] Note that the above positioning and navigation operations may be performed using the special purpose STA, the central AP using the AP 510, or both the special purpose STA and the central AP. For example, in some aspects, the special purpose STA may perform RSSI measurements and send them to the central AP, which may store reference RSSI signatures, determine the positioning of the vehicle 560, and provide navigation instructions to the special purpose STA. For such aspects, the special purpose STA may have limited processing resources and may not be able to determine the positioning of the vehicle or store the reference RSSI signatures. In some other aspects, the special purpose STA may also store reference RSSI signatures and may thus not only perform RSSI measurements but also use the reference RSSI signatures to determine the positioning of the vehicle 560. For some such aspects, the special purpose STA may send the determined positioning of the vehicle 560 to the central AP, receive the positioning of the free parking space, and then determine the navigation instructions for navigating to the free parking space. For other such aspects, the special purpose STA may periodically send the positioning of the vehicle 560 to the central AP and receive navigation instructions from the central AP.

[0070] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 600 supporting wireless positioning according to some embodiments. The operations of the process 600 may be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as the wireless communication device 300 referenced above Figure 3 described). In some embodiments, the process 600 may be performed by a wireless STA, such as by Figure 2one of the stations 214, by Figure 4B the STA 404, or by an AP coupled to the wireless STA (such as the APs 102 and 402 respectively referenced above Figure 1 and Figure 4A one of).

[0071] In some specific embodiments, in block 602, the wireless communication device determines a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature, the first RSSI signature including a respective RSSI associated with each access point (AP) in a first plurality of APs, wherein the first plurality of APs form at least a part of a mesh network of APs. In some aspects, the wireless communication device is a wireless STA, and determining the first RSSI signature includes the wireless STA measuring the RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs. In some other aspects, the wireless communication device is an AP, and determining the first RSSI signature includes receiving, from a wireless STA that measures the RSSI, the RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs.

[0072] In block 604, the wireless communication device compares the first RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature in a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures including a respective RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs, and each reference RSSI signature being associated with a respective potential location of the wireless STA.

[0073] In block 606, the wireless communication device identifies a first location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

[0074] In some specific embodiments, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures is associated with corresponding grid coordinates within a location grid that are close to the first plurality of APs. In some specific embodiments, identifying the first location of the wireless STA in block 606 includes associating the wireless STA with a first grid coordinate within the location grid based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature. In some aspects, identifying the first location of the wireless STA in block 606 further includes determining a first reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of RSSI signatures based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature, and associating the wireless STA with the grid coordinates associated with the first reference RSSI signature. In some aspects, the comparison of the first RSSI signature in block 604 includes determining the Euclidean distance between the first RSSI signature and each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, wherein the first reference RSSI signature is the reference RSSI signature having the shortest Euclidean distance from the first RSSI signature.

[0075] In some specific implementations, process 600 further includes: identifying second grid coordinates within the positioning grid corresponding to the available parking space, and causing a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the available parking space to be displayed. In some aspects, process 600 further includes: determining a second RSSI signature, the second RSSI signature including respective RSSIs associated with each of the second plurality of APs, the second plurality of APs forming at least a part of the mesh network; comparing the second RSSI signature with each of a second plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each of the second plurality of reference RSSI signatures including an RSSI associated with the corresponding AP among the second plurality of APs; and identifying a second positioning of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the second RSSI signature. In some aspects, process 600 further includes: determining that the second positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the second grid coordinates, and setting the second grid coordinates to correspond to the occupied parking space.

[0076] In some aspects, process 600 further includes: determining that the first positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the occupied parking space, and causing a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the exit coordinates within the positioning grid to be displayed. In some aspects, the exit coordinates indicate an exit of the parking structure associated with the positioning grid.

[0077] Figure 7 A flowchart showing an example process 700 that supports generating a reference received signal strength indication (RSSI) signature according to some specific implementations is shown. Process 700 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as the wireless communication device 300 described above with reference to Figure 3 ). In some specific implementations, process 700 may be performed by a wireless STA, such as by one of the stations 214 of Figure 2 , by the STA 404 of Figure 4B , or by an AP coupled to the wireless STA (such as one of the APs 102 and 402 respectively described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 4A ). Process 700 may be a method for generating each of the reference RSSI signatures compared in block 604 of Figure 6 .

[0078] In some specific implementations, in block 702, a wireless communication device identifies a first plurality of APs having at least a threshold RSSI, where the first plurality of APs form at least a part of a mesh network of APs. At block 704, the wireless communication device measures a first plurality of RSSIs, the first plurality of RSSIs including a respective RSSI associated with each of the first plurality of APs. At block 706, the wireless communication device generates a first reference RSSI signature corresponding to first grid coordinates within a positioning grid, the first reference RSSI signature being generated based at least in part on the first plurality of RSSIs.

[0079] Figure 8 FIG. shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 800 that supports positioning and navigation according to some specific implementations. Process 800 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as the wireless communication device 300 described above with reference to Figure 3 ). In some specific implementations, process 800 may be performed by a wireless STA, such as by Figure 2 one of the stations 214 of Figure 4B , by the STA 404 of Figure 1 and Figure 4A , or by an AP coupled to the wireless STA (such as one of the APs 102 and 402 described above with reference to Figure 5A and Figure 5B ). Process 800 may be a method for identifying the location of a vehicle and enabling navigation instructions to an available parking space, as discussed above with respect to Figure 5A and Figure 5B .

[0080] In block 802, the wireless communication device identifies a first location of the wireless STA. For example, the first location of the wireless STA may be identified as discussed above with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 . In block 804, the wireless communication device identifies the available parking space closest to the identified first location. In block 806, the wireless communication device causes a navigation route from the first location to the nearest available parking space to be displayed. In block 808, the wireless communication device determines a second location of the wireless STA. In block 810, the wireless communication device determines that the second location corresponds to an available parking space. In block 812, the wireless communication device sets the grid coordinates of the second location to correspond to the occupied parking space.

[0081] Figure 9 FIG. shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 900 that supports positioning and navigation according to some specific implementations. Process 900 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as the wireless communication device 300 described above with reference to Figure 3 ). In some specific implementations, process 900 may be performed by a wireless STA, such as by Figure 2 one of the stations 214 ofFigure 4B The STA 404, or is performed by an AP (such as one of the APs 102 and 402 respectively referred to above Figure 1 and Figure 4A coupled to the wireless STA). The process 900 can be a method for identifying the location of a vehicle and presenting navigation instructions from a parking space to an exit of a parking structure, as described above with respect to Figure 5A and Figure 5B .

[0082] In block 902, the wireless communication device identifies a first location of the wireless STA. For example, the first location of the wireless STA can be identified as described above with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 . In block 904, the wireless communication device determines that the first location corresponds to an occupied parking space. In block 906, the wireless communication device presents a navigation route from the first location to an exit of the parking structure. In block 908, the wireless communication device determines a second location of the wireless STA. In block 910, the wireless communication device determines that the second location corresponds to an exit of the parking structure.

[0083] Figure 10 FIG. shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1000 that supports wireless positioning and navigation according to some specific implementations. In some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 1000 is configured to perform one or more of the processes 600 to 900 respectively referred to above Figures 6 to 9 . The wireless communication device 1000 can be an example specific implementation of the wireless communication device 300 described above with respect to Figure 3 . For example, the wireless communication device 1000 can be a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device that includes at least one processor (such as the processor 302), at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as the modem 304), at least one memory (such as the memory 308), and at least one radio component (such as the radio component 306). In some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 1000 can be a device used in an AP (such as one of the APs 102 and 402 respectively referred to above Figure 1 and Figure 4A ). In some other specific implementations, the wireless communication device 1000 can be an AP that includes such a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device and at least one antenna (such as the antenna 420).

[0084] The wireless communication device 1000 includes an RSSI determination component 1002, an RSSI signature comparison component 1004, a positioning component 1006, and a navigation component 1008. Portions of one or more of the components 1002, 1004, 1006, and 1008 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the RSSI signature comparison component 1004 may be implemented at least partially by a modem (such as modem 302). In some specific implementations, at least some of the components 1002, 1004, 1006, and 1008 are implemented at least partially as software stored in a memory (such as memory 308). For example, portions of one or more of the components 1002, 1004, 1006, and 1008 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor (such as processor 306) to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0085] The RSSI determination component 1002 is configured to determine the RSSI associated with an AP (such as Figures 5A to 5B AP 510) or the RSSI of the first RSSI signature determined in Figure 6 block 602.

[0086] The RSSI signature comparison component 1004 is configured to compare the RSSI signature including the RSSI determined by the RSSI determination component 1002 with the determined reference RSSI signature as discussed, for example, with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 block 604 above.

[0087] The positioning component 1006 is configured to determine the location of the wireless STA based on the RSS signature comparison performed by the RSSI signature comparison component 1004, as discussed, for example, with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 block 606 above.

[0088] The navigation component 1008 is configured to provide navigation instructions to the wireless STA based on the location determined using the positioning component 1006, as discussed, for example, with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figures 8 to 9 above.

[0089] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1100 that supports wireless positioning and navigation according to some specific implementations is shown. In some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 is configured to perform one or more of the processes 600 to 900 described above with reference to Figures 6 to 9 respectively. The wireless communication device 1100 may be the one referred to above with reference to Figure 3Example embodiments of the wireless communication device 300 described. For example, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that includes at least one processor (such as processor 302), at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as modem 304), at least one memory (such as memory 308), and at least one radio component (such as radio component 306). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a device for a STA (such as one of the STAs 104 and 404 respectively described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 4B . In some other embodiments, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a STA that includes such a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device and at least one antenna (such as antenna 425).

[0090] The wireless communication device 1100 includes an RSSI measurement component 1102, an RSSI signature comparison component 1104, a positioning component 1106, and a navigation component 1108. Portions of one or more of the components 1102, 1104, 1106, and 1108 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the RSSI signature comparison component 1104 may be implemented at least partially by a modem (such as modem 302). In some embodiments, at least some of the components 1102, 1104, 1106, and 1108 are implemented at least partially as software stored in a memory (such as memory 308). For example, portions of one or more of the components 1102, 1104, 1106, and 1108 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor (such as processor 306) to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0091] The RSSI measurement component 1102 is configured to measure the RSSI associated with an AP (such as Figures 5A to 5B the AP 510) or the RSSI associated with the first RSSI signature determined in Figure 6 box 602.

[0092] The RSSI signature comparison component 1104 is configured to compare the RSSI signature including the RSSI determined from the RSSI measurement component 1102 with the determined reference RSSI signature discussed, for example, as above with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 box 604.

[0093] The positioning component 1106 is configured to determine the location of the wireless STA based on the RSS signature comparison performed by the RSSI signature comparison component 1104, such as as above with respect toFigures 5A to 5B and Figure 6 as discussed with respect to frame 606 of Figure 6 .

[0094] The navigation component 1108 is configured to provide navigation instructions to a wireless STA based on a location determined using the location component 1106, such as as discussed above with respect to Figures 5A to 5B and Figures 8 to 9 as discussed with respect thereto.

[0095] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly stated, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, "a or b" can include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b. As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one" or "one or more" of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover examples such as only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0096] The various illustrative components, logics, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in connection with the specific implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or any combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been described generally in terms of their functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0097] For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications to the specific implementations described in this disclosure will be apparent, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other specific implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the specific implementations shown herein but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0098] Additionally, the various features described in the context of separate specific implementations in this specification may also be implemented in combination in a single specific implementation. Conversely, the individual features described in the context of a single specific implementation may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple specific implementations. Thus, although the features may be described above as acting in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from the claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination.

[0099] Similarly, although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the example processes schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the operations illustrated. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Further, the separation of various system components in the specific embodiments described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all specific embodiments, but rather it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A method for wireless positioning by a wireless station (STA), the method comprises: determining a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature, the first RSSI signature including respective RSSIs associated with each access point (AP) in a first plurality of APs, the first plurality of APs forming at least a part of a mesh network of APs; comparing the first RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature in a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures including a respective RSSI associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs, and each reference RSSI signature being associated with a respective potential location of the wireless STA; and identifying a first location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures is associated with corresponding grid coordinates within a location grid that are close to the first plurality of APs.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein identifying the first location of the wireless STA comprises: associating the wireless STA with a first grid coordinate within the location grid based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein identifying the first location of the wireless STA comprises: determining a first reference RSSI signature among the first plurality of RSSI signatures based on the comparison, and associating the wireless STA with the grid coordinates associated with the first reference RSSI signature.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the comparison of the first RSSI signature comprises: determining the Euclidean distance between the first RSSI signature and each reference RSSI signature in the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, wherein the first reference RSSI signature is the reference RSSI signature having the shortest Euclidean distance from the first RSSI signature.

6. The method according to claim 2, the method further comprises: identifying second grid coordinates within the location grid corresponding to an available parking space; and causing a display of a navigation route from the first location of the wireless STA to the available parking space.

7. The method according to claim 6, the method further comprises: determining a second RSSI signature, the second RSSI signature including respective RSSIs associated with each AP in a second plurality of APs, the second plurality of APs forming at least a part of the mesh network of APs; comparing the second RSSI signature with each reference RSSI signature in a second plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each reference RSSI signature in the second plurality of reference RSSI signatures including an RSSI associated with each AP in the second plurality of APs; and identifying a second location of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the second RSSI signature.

8. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprises: Determine that the second positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the second grid coordinates, and set the second grid coordinates to correspond to the occupied parking space.

9. The method according to claim 2, the method further comprises: Determine that the first positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the occupied parking space; and Cause a navigation route to be displayed from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the exit coordinates within the positioning grid.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the exit coordinates indicate an exit of a parking structure associated with the positioning grid.

11. A wireless station (STA), the wireless station (STA) comprises: At least one processor; and At least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to cause the STA: Determine a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signature, the first RSSI signature including respective RSSIs associated with each of a first plurality of access points (APs), the first plurality of APs forming at least a part of a mesh network of APs; Compare the first RSSI signature with each of a first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each of the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures including respective RSSIs associated with each of the first plurality of APs, and each reference RSSI signature being associated with a respective potential positioning of the wireless STA; and Identify a first positioning of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

12. The wireless STA according to claim 11, wherein each of the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures is associated with corresponding grid coordinates within a positioning grid that are close to the first plurality of APs.

13. The wireless STA according to claim 12, wherein identifying the first positioning of the wireless STA comprises: Associate the wireless STA with first grid coordinates within the positioning grid based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature.

14. The wireless STA according to claim 13, wherein identifying the first positioning of the wireless STA comprises: Determine a first reference RSSI signature among the first plurality of RSSI signatures based on the comparison of the first RSSI signature, and associate the wireless STA with the grid coordinates associated with the first reference RSSI signature.

15. The wireless STA according to claim 14, wherein the comparison of the first RSSI signature comprises: Determine the Euclidean distance between the first RSSI signature and each of the first plurality of reference RSSI signatures, wherein the first reference RSSI signature is the reference RSSI signature having the shortest Euclidean distance from the first RSSI signature.

16. The wireless STA according to claim 12, wherein the wireless STA further comprises: identifying second grid coordinates within the positioning grid corresponding to the available parking spaces; and causing a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the available parking space to be displayed.

17. The wireless STA according to claim 16, wherein the wireless STA further comprises: determining a second RSSI signature, the second RSSI signature including respective RSSIs associated with each of a second plurality of access points (APs), the second plurality of APs forming at least a part of the mesh network; comparing the second RSSI signature with each of a second plurality of reference RSSI signatures, each of the second plurality of reference RSSI signatures including respective RSSIs associated with each of the second plurality of APs; and identifying a second positioning of the wireless STA based on the comparison of the second RSSI signature.

18. The wireless STA according to claim 17, wherein the wireless STA further comprises: determining that the second positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the second grid coordinates and setting the second grid coordinates to correspond to the occupied parking space.

19. The wireless STA according to claim 12, wherein the wireless STA further comprises: determining that the first positioning of the wireless STA corresponds to the occupied parking space; and causing a navigation route from the first positioning of the wireless STA to the exit coordinates within the positioning grid to be displayed.

20. The wireless STA according to claim 19, wherein the exit coordinates indicate an exit of a parking structure associated with the positioning grid.

21. The wireless STA according to claim 11, wherein the wireless STA further comprises: at least one transceiver coupled to the at least one modem; at least one antenna coupled to the at least one transceiver to wirelessly transmit signals output from the at least one transceiver and to wirelessly receive signals for input into the at least one transceiver; and a housing enclosing at least a portion of the at least one modem, the at least one processor, the at least one memory, the at least one transceiver, and the at least one antenna.

22. A method for generating a positioning signature for a positioning within a positioning grid, the method comprises: identifying a first plurality of access points (APs) having at least a threshold received signal strength indicator (RSSI), the first plurality of APs forming at least a part of a mesh network of APs; measuring a first plurality of RSSIs, the first plurality of RSSIs including respective RSSIs associated with each of the first plurality of APs; and generating a first reference RSSI signature corresponding to first grid coordinates within the positioning grid, the first reference RSSI signature being generated at least in part based on the first plurality of RSSIs.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein each RSSI in the first plurality of RSSIs is associated with a first positioning corresponding to the first grid coordinates.

24. The method according to claim 22, the method further comprises: measuring a second plurality of RSSIs, the second plurality of RSSIs including respective RSSIs associated with each AP in the first plurality of APs.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the second plurality of RSSIs is associated with a second positioning corresponding to the first grid coordinates.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first reference RSSI signature is generated at least in part based on the second plurality of RSSIs.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein for each respective AP in the first plurality of APs, the first reference RSSI signature includes an average value of the corresponding RSSI in the first plurality of RSSIs and the corresponding RSSI in the second plurality of RSSIs.

28. The method according to claim 22, the method further comprises: identifying a third plurality of access points (APs) having at least the threshold RSSI, the third plurality of APs forming at least a part of the mesh network; measuring a third plurality of RSSIs, the third plurality of RSSIs including respective RSSIs associated with each AP in the third plurality of APs; and generating a second reference RSSI signature corresponding to second grid coordinates within the positioning grid, the second reference RSSI signature being generated at least in part based on the third plurality of RSSIs.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein each RSSI in the third plurality of RSSIs is associated with a third positioning corresponding to the second grid coordinates.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein the first reference RSSI signature includes a zero value corresponding to each AP in the mesh network of APs that does not have at least the threshold RSSI.

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