Automatic wireless vehicle anchor correction

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "automatic wireless vehicle anchor correction". Detection and correction of obstructions of vehicle wireless anchors within a vehicle are performed. A wireless environment of a cabin of the vehicle is characterized using one or more ultra wide band (UWB) transceivers of a mobile phone-as-key (PaaK) system of the vehicle, the characterization including calculating an initial characterization of a path and signal strength between a transmitter and a receiver of the one or more UWB transceivers. The wireless environment is periodically re-measured to calculate an updated characterization of the path and the signal strength. In response to a change in the wireless environment as compared to the initial characterization indicating impairment of a feature present in the cabin, the impairment is remedied by switching which UWB transceivers of the one or more UWB transceivers to use to perform the characterization.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Aspects of the disclosure relate to detection and correction of vehicle wireless anchor issues. BACKGROUND

[0002] Some vehicles can be unlocked or started with a digital key. The digital key, sometimes implemented with a smartphone (e.g., a phone-as-a-key), relies on communication between a mobile device, such as a smartphone, and the vehicle. When an application is launched on the mobile device and the mobile device is held in a particular position relative to the vehicle, such as next to a door handle, the vehicle unlocks the door. The digital key can use Near field communication (NFC) and / or ultra-wideband (UWB) to communicate with the vehicle. SUMMARY

[0003] In one or more illustrative examples, a method for implementing detection and correction of an obstruction of a vehicle wireless anchor within a vehicle includes characterizing a wireless environment of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle using one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) anchors of a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) system of the vehicle, the characterizing including computing an initial characterization of paths and signal strengths between transmitters and receivers of the one or more UWB anchors, periodically re-measuring the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of the paths and the signal strengths, and in response to a change in the wireless environment compared to the initial characterization indicating a presence of a feature within the vehicle cabin that is impaired, remedying the impairment by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors to use to perform the characterizing.

[0004] In one or more illustrative examples, a system for detecting and correcting an obstruction of a vehicle wireless anchor within a vehicle includes one or more UWB anchors and a controller in communication with the one or more UWB anchors. The controller is configured to perform a handshake operation between a first UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors and a second UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchors, characterize a wireless environment of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle using the one or more UWB anchors, the characterizing including computing an initial characterization of paths and signal strengths between transmitters and receivers of the one or more UWB anchors, periodically re-measure the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of the paths and the signal strengths, and in response to a change in the wireless environment compared to the initial characterization indicating a presence of a feature within the vehicle cabin that is impaired, remedy the impairment by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors to use to perform the characterizing.

[0005] In one or more illustrative examples, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions for detecting and correcting for an occluder of a vehicle wireless anchor point of a PaaK system of a vehicle, the instructions, when executed by a controller in communication with one or more UWB transceivers, cause the controller to perform operations comprising: performing a handshake operation between a first UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB transceivers and a second UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB transceivers to establish visibility between the one or more UWB transceivers for an initial characterization of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle, performing an in-cabin presence characterization with a transmitter and a receiver of the one or more UWB transceivers, including one or more of an intrusion detection or a child presence detection within the vehicle cabin, characterizing a wireless environment of the vehicle cabin using the one or more UWB transceivers, the characterization including computing an initial characterization of a path and a signal strength between the transmitter and the receiver of the one or more UWB transceivers, periodically re-measuring the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of the path and the signal strength, in response to a change in the wireless environment compared to an initial characterization indicative of an impaired in-cabin presence characterization, remedying the impairment by switching which of the one or more UWB transceivers to use to perform the characterization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 An example system implementing detection and correction of an occluder of a vehicle wireless anchor point is shown;

[0007] Figure 2 An example of a characterization of wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin of a vehicle is shown;

[0008] Figure 3 An example of an occluder of wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin based on a wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin is shown;

[0009] Figure 4 An example of a mitigation of an occluder of wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin of a vehicle is shown;

[0010] Figure 5 An example of use of a single multi-antenna UWB anchor point for measuring wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin of a vehicle is shown;

[0011] Figure 6 An example of a mitigation of an occluder of wireless channel properties within a vehicle cabin of a vehicle in a multi-antenna UWB anchor point implementation is shown;

[0012] Figure 7 An example process for implementing detection and correction of an occluder of a vehicle wireless anchor point is shown; and

[0013] Figure 8An example computing device is shown for implementing an improved tracking approach to selectively power down various UWB anchors to conserve energy for a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Detailed embodiments of the application are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the application which can be embodied in various forms and alternatives. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale; some features can be exaggerated or minimized for the purpose of clarity. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the application in various ways.

[0015] UWB is a radio access technology (RAT) that is becoming more prevalent in both smartphones and vehicles. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as part of a digital key system, such as a phone-as-a-key (PaaK), in various vehicle architectures to accurately locate user devices and reduce the risk of replay attacks.

[0016] To perform localization of user devices for PaaK, a vehicle can include several external and internal UWB anchors. This can include a UWB anchor device near each vehicle corner and additional UWB devices anchored inside the vehicle roof, such as UWB devices near the front of the vehicle roof in conjunction with BLE sensors and near the sun visor box near the center console between the passenger and driver.

[0017] There are features, such as intrusion detection or child presence detection, that can utilize the UWB anchors of a PaaK system. These presence features can rely on the state of the communication channel between internal UWB anchors to determine whether there is an obstruction inside the vehicle cabin. This can be achieved by measuring the wireless channel properties between UWB anchors. However, this communication channel between UWB anchors can be impaired by placing a metallic object near the UWB anchors. This obstruction can make communication impossible, rendering the presence feature inoperable.

[0018] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to detecting such obstructions, as well as techniques for mitigating such obstructions. In one example, a vehicle can use internal UWB anchors to characterize the channel environment. If the channel environment remains stable, the vehicle can infer that the vehicle presence features are operable. However, if the vehicle detects that there is interference in the channel environment, the vehicle can change which UWB anchors are used to characterize the channel environment to find a replacement pairing to continue to allow the presence features to operate. In this case, the vehicle can also sound an alarm, flash a light, etc. to deter an intruder. In another example, the vehicle can send a message to the vehicle owner or operator to alert the owner or operator of the potential issue.

[0019] Figure 1 An exemplary system 100 including a vehicle 102 implementing detection and correction of occlusions to vehicle wireless anchors is shown. As shown, the vehicle 102 includes a plurality of UWB anchors 104, a transceiver 106, and a controller 108. The system 100 can be used to track a location of a mobile device 110. The mobile device 110 can include a smartphone, a smart tool, a smart watch, a key fob, and / or other device of interest.

[0020] Referring more particularly to Figure 1 , the vehicle 102 can be any passenger car or commercial vehicle, such as a sedan, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc. The vehicle 102 can include various types of automobiles, crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), sport utility vehicles (SUVs), trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats, airplanes, or other mobile machines for transporting people or cargo. Such vehicles 102 can be human-driven or autonomous. In many cases, the vehicle 102 can be powered by an internal combustion engine. As another possibility, the vehicle 102 can be a battery electric vehicle powered by one or more electric motors. As another possibility, the vehicle 102 can be a hybrid electric vehicle powered by both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, such as a series hybrid electric vehicle, a parallel hybrid electric vehicle, or a parallel / series hybrid electric vehicle.

[0021] The UWB anchors 104 wirelessly communicate with the mobile device 110 using radio waves. The UWB anchors 104 use ultra-wideband signals, e.g., having low energy level signals spread over a large range of radio frequencies. The Federal Communications Commission and the International Telecommunication Union Radio Communication Sector define ultra-wideband as an antenna transmission that emits a signal with a bandwidth exceeding 500 MHz or 20% of the arithmetic center frequency, whichever is smaller. The UWB anchors 104 can use any suitable modulation method, e.g., orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), phase-shift keying (PSK), pulse position modulation (PPM), etc.

[0022] To enable robust user positioning, the vehicle is equipped with UWB responders strategically positioned inside the vehicle interior and within the body structure to provide UWB network coverage of the environment in and around the vehicle, i.e., the environment in which the user’s mobile device 110 can be positioned. Depending on the physical design and shape of the vehicle 102, some UWB anchors 104 can be placed inside the body walls of the vehicle 102 (e.g., four UWB anchors placed near or at each corner of the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle, respectively), inside the center console (between the driver seat and the passenger seat), and inside the roof (near the back center).

[0023] like Figure 1 The example illustrates seven UWB anchor points 104. These anchor points include a first UWB anchor point 104a, a second UWB anchor point 104b, a third UWB anchor point 104c, a fourth UWB anchor point 104d, a fifth UWB anchor point 104e, a sixth UWB anchor point 104f, and a seventh UWB anchor point 104g. The UWB anchor points 104 are spaced apart from each other, for example, scattered across the vehicle 102, to increase the ability to distinguish positions when used for trilateration. For example, four of the UWB anchor points 104 may be located at corresponding corners of the vehicle 102 to maximize the horizontal dispersion of the UWB anchor points 104, and the remaining three UWB anchor points 104 may be located at different heights within the coverage area of ​​the vehicle 102 compared to the UWB anchor points 104 located at the corners, to provide vertical dispersion. To perform trilateration, calculating the intersection of three or more circles or spheres can provide the location of the detected device.

[0024] Transceiver 106 can be adapted to use a different communication protocol (such as cellular, 5G, 6 ... Transceiver 106 can wirelessly transmit signals using protocols such as BLE, WiFi, IEEE 802.11a / b / g / p, cellular V2X (CV2X), and Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC). The transceiver 106 is adapted to communicate using protocols also used by the mobile device 110. Specifically, the transceiver 106 can use BLE. The transceiver 106 can be a single device or may include separate transmitters and receivers.

[0025] Controller 108 can be a microprocessor-based computing device, such as a general-purpose computing device (including a processor and memory, an electronic controller, or similar device), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof. Typically, hardware description languages ​​such as VHDL (VHSIC (Very High Speed ​​Integrated Circuits) Hardware Description Language) are used in electronic design automation to describe digital and mixed-signal systems such as FPGAs and ASICs. For example, an ASIC is manufactured based on VHDL programming provided before manufacturing, while the logic components within an FPGA can be configured based on VHDL programming, for example, stored in memory electrically connected to the FPGA circuitry. Controller 108 can therefore include a processor, memory, etc. The memory of controller 108 can include a medium for storing instructions executable by the processor and for electronically storing data and / or databases, and / or controller 108 can include a programming structure, such as the aforementioned structures. Controller 108 can be multiple computers interconnected.

[0026] The controller 108 can transmit and receive data over a communication network, such as a controller area network (CAN), a bus, Ethernet, WiFi, local interconnect network (LIN), on-board diagnostics connector (OBD-II), and / or any other wired or wireless communication network. The controller 108 can be communicatively coupled to the UWB anchors 104, the transceivers 106, and other components via the communication network. The controller 108 can use trilateration to locate a position of the mobile device 110 based on distance information collected between each of the UWB anchors 104 and the mobile device 110.

[0027] The UWB anchors 104 and the transceivers 106 can communicate with at least one mobile device 110. The mobile device 110 can include a portable computing device, such as a smart key fob; a mobile phone, e.g., a smart phone; a wearable device, e.g., a smart watch, earpiece, etc.; a tablet; a smart tool, etc. The mobile device 110 is a computing device that includes a respective processor and a respective memory. The mobile device 110 can be owned and carried by a respective person who can be an operator and / or an owner of the vehicle 102.

[0028] To perform trilateration, a calculation of the intersection of three or more circles or spheres can be performed. The UWB anchors 104 can be configured to transmit and receive signals (within a signal power threshold) on UWB channel frequencies, e.g., UWB channel 9 (7.737 to 8.236 GHz) to channel 5 (6.240 to 6.739 GHz) or other possible channels adopted by UWB standards. Under ideal radio frequency (RF) conditions, e.g., when the mobile device 110 is within line of sight (LOS), three UWB anchors 104 can be sufficient to locate the mobile device 110, i.e., the initiator, and thereby enable trilateration-based positioning of the user by responder-to-initiator ranging. However, due to the possibility of less favorable RF conditions, the controller 108 can utilize data from more than three UWB anchors 104 to ensure that there is sufficient wireless UWB coverage to locate the mobile device 110.

[0029] In addition to being used for PaaK, the controller 108 can use the UWB anchors 104 to perform various presence features. These presence features can include intrusion detection or child presence detection. This can be achieved by measuring wireless channel characteristics between interior transmitting and receiving UWB anchors 104.

[0030] For example, channel impulse response (CIR) can be used between UWB anchors 104 to characterize the wireless environment of the vehicle 102. CIR can describe how a wireless channel responds to an impulse signal, which is a very short and high-energy signal. CIR captures the amplitude, phase, and delay of multipath components that are transmitted from a transmitter and received by a receiver after reflecting, refracting, or scattering within the environment. By observing the multipath components of the CIR caused by scattering at a target object, movement of a person within the vehicle 102 can be detected.

[0031] Significantly, there is a feature that relies on the state of the communication channel between the interior UWB anchors 104 to determine whether there is a presence or an obstruction within the cabin. However, this communication channel between the UWB anchors 104 can be compromised by placing a metallic object near the UWB anchors 104. Such an obstruction can make communication impossible, thereby rendering the presence feature inoperable.

[0032] Figure 2 An example of a characterization 200 of wireless channel characteristics within the cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 is shown. As shown, a plurality of wireless paths 204 are available between a pair of exemplary UWB anchors 104 within the cabin 202. In the illustration, the exemplary pair is UWB anchor 104e, which is nearer to the front of the cabin 202 in the roof, and UWB anchor 104g, which is also in the roof but nearer to the rear of the cabin 202. The exemplary plurality of wireless paths 204, as shown, includes a first path 204a, a second path 204b, a third path 204c, and a fourth path 204d. Generally, line-of-sight (LoS) and reflected signal paths 204 collectively indicate characteristics of the wireless channel environment between a transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx).

[0033] It should be noted that these paths 204 are examples, and many such paths 204 between UWB anchors 104e, 104g are possible. It should also be noted that while UWB anchor 104e is used as the Tx and UWB anchor 104g is used as the Rx, in other examples, UWB anchor 104g can be used as the Tx and UWB anchor 104e can be used as the Rx.

[0034] To operate the presence feature, such as to detect intrusion into the cabin 202, the controller 108 can utilize a UWB anchor 104 operating as an Rx to characterize wireless channel characteristic measurements between the UWB anchor 104 operating as an Rx and the UWB anchor 104 operating as a Tx. This characterization can be performed by the controller 108 at an initial time, such as when the vehicle 102 is locked and / or when a user leaves the vehicle 102. This initial time can be referred to as t0.

[0035] The characterization can include capturing information about the wireless environment within the cabin 202 of the vehicle 102, such as the number of signal paths 204, the strength of the signal via each of the paths 204, the angle of arrival of the paths 204, etc. For example, the controller 108 can infer the number of paths 204 based on the timing of the multiple received signals at the Rx based on the transmission of the wireless pulse from the Tx. Additionally, for each path 204, the controller 108 can record the received signal strength information (RSSI). It should be noted that the profile of each of the paths 204 is independent of the controller 108 used for the characterization.

[0036] After performing the characterization at tO, the controller 108 can continue to measure the wireless environment within the cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 with the UWB anchors 104 Tx and UWB anchors 104. For example, the controller 108 periodically captures the same information about the captured information at times (such as at tl, t2,... t n .

[0037] The controller 108 can compare the information captured at later times tl, t2,... t n to the wireless information captured at tO to see if these characteristics have changed possibly. If a change is detected, it can indicate that there is an interference in the channel environment, such as an intrusion into the cabin 202. If no change is detected, the controller 108 can continue to periodically check (at a fixed interval t = N milliseconds) if the signal channel characteristics still match the original measurements.

[0038] Figure 3 An exemplary detection 300 of an occluder 302 based on the wireless channel characteristics within the cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 is shown. As shown, again, the UWB anchor 104e is used as the Tx and the UWB anchor 104g is used as the Rx. However, in Figure 3 , the UWB anchor 104e is now partially covered by the occluder 302. The occluder 302 can be a metal cover placed over the Tx to prevent it from sending signals to the Rx. While not shown in Figure 3 , in another example, the occluder 302 can instead be placed over the Rx to prevent it from receiving signals. Regardless, due to the presence of the occluder 302 between the Tx and the Rx, the path 202 between the UWB anchor 104e and the UWB anchor 104g is more restricted than it was in Figure 2 .

[0039] The controller 108 can compare the captured information at later times tl, t2,... t n to the wireless information captured at tO to see if these characteristics have changed possibly. If a change is detected, it can indicate that there is an interference in the channel environment, such as an intrusion into the cabin 202. If no change is detected, the controller 108 can continue to periodically check (at a fixed interval t = N milliseconds) if the signal channel characteristics still match the original measurements. Figure 2The captured information at time t0. Since the captured information now indicates fewer paths 202 and / or a reduced RSSI along the paths 202, this can indicate to the controller 108 that interference has been present in the channel environment. This can indicate the presence of an occlusion 302 (e.g., tampering to disable the presence functionality of the vehicle 102). As some other examples, the change in captured information can also indicate other issues unrelated to intentional tampering, such as a Tx failure, a Rx failure, object settlement within the vehicle cabin 202, etc.

[0040] To address the occlusion 302, the controller 108 can sound an alarm of the vehicle 102, can cause the lights of the vehicle 102 to flash, etc., to deter an intruder. In another example, the vehicle can send a message to the vehicle owner or operator to alert the owner or operator of the potential issue.

[0041] Figure 4 An example of mitigation 400 of the occlusion 302 to the wireless channel characteristics within the vehicle cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 is shown. Again, the UWB anchor 104e is now partially covered by the occlusion 302. However, additionally, the UWB anchor 104f is available to the controller 108. In this case, and to address the occlusion 302, the controller 108 can swap the use of the occluded UWB anchor 104e for the unoccluded inactive UWB anchor 104f. Because the UWB anchor 104f is not occluded, the ability to capture the paths 202 between Tx and Rx is restored.

[0042] Figure 5 An example of the use of a single multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 to measure the wireless channel characteristics within the vehicle cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 is shown. As shown, the UWB anchor 104e is a multi-antenna device. Thus, the UWB anchor 104e can be used to measure the wireless channel characteristics by having one of its antennas act as a Tx and the other antenna act as a receiver Rx.

[0043] Similar to the single antenna approach, in the multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 implementation, the controller 108 can utilize the single multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 to characterize the wireless channel characteristic measurements at an initial time t0, such as the time the vehicle 102 is locked and / or the user leaves the vehicle 102. The controller 108 can similarly use the single multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 to compare the information captured at later times t1, t2,... t n to the wireless information captured at t0. If the comparison indicates an occlusion of the multi-antenna UWB anchor 104, an alarm can be sounded and / or a different UWB anchor 104 can be substituted.

[0044] It should also be noted that while a single multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 is shown performing the measurements, it can also be desirable for the controller 108 to implement a communication handshake between the antenna UWB anchor 104e and another of the UWB anchors 104 (e.g., UWB anchor 104f or UWB anchor 104g) in order to confirm that (i) UWB anchor 104e can see the other UWB anchors 104 at t0, and (ii) the received signal strength level at UWB anchor 104e is above a desired threshold (e.g., to ensure that no tampering or malfunction has occurred at t0). This determination of initial visibility of the other UWB anchors 104 within the vehicle cabin 202 by UWB anchor 104e can be performed at or before the determination of t0, such as the time at which the vehicle 102 is locked and / or the user leaves the vehicle 102.

[0045] Figure 6 An example of mitigation 600 of obstructions 302 to wireless channel characteristics within the vehicle cabin 202 of the vehicle 102 in a multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 implementation is shown. Here, UWB anchor 104f has taken over both Tx and Rx operations from obstructed UWB anchor 104e.

[0046] Figure 7 An example process 700 for implementing detection and correction of obstructions to a vehicle wireless anchor, such as a UWB anchor 104, is shown. The UWB anchors 104 can be used by the vehicle 102 for dual purposes of PaaK access as well as presence features such as intrusion detection or child presence detection. In one example, the process 700 can be performed by the vehicle 102 using the controller 108 and single-antenna and / or multi-antenna UWB anchors 104.

[0047] At operation 702, the controller 108 performs a handshake operation. In one example, the PaaK system of the vehicle 102 can include one or more UWB anchors 104. The controller 108 can perform a wireless handshake between a first UWB anchor 104 of the one or more UWB anchors 104 and a second UWB anchor 104 of the one or more UWB anchors 104. This can be done to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchors 104 for initial characterization. For example, if the two UWB anchors 104 can reliably perform data communication, the controller 108 can ensure that the characterization will include a path 204 that traverses the vehicle 102’s cabin 202 between the first UWB anchor 104 and the second UWB anchor 104. In one example, the Tx and Rx can be implemented as a single multi-antenna UWB anchor 104 of the one or more UWB anchors 104 in the roof of the vehicle 102’s cabin 202. In another example, the Tx is a first UWB anchor 104 of the one or more UWB anchors 104 in the roof of the vehicle 102’s cabin 202 and the receiver is a second UWB anchor 104 of the one or more UWB anchors 104 in the roof of the vehicle 102’s cabin 202.

[0048] At operation 704, the controller 108 characterizes the initial wireless environment. In one example, the controller 108 can utilize one or more of the ultra-wideband anchors 104, the characterization including computing an initial characterization of the path 204 between the first UWB anchor 104 as Tx and the second UWB anchor 104 as Rx and signal strength along the path 204. For example, the wireless environment of the vehicle 102 can be characterized between the UWB anchors 104 using a CIR. A CIR can describe how a wireless channel responds to an impulse signal, which is a very short and high-energy signal. The CIR captures the amplitude, phase, and delay of multipath components that are transmitted from a transmitter and received by a receiver after reflecting, refracting, or scattering within the environment. This initial characterization can be maintained by the controller 108 as the initial wireless environment at time t0.

[0049] At operation 706, the controller 108 determines whether it is time to perform the next operation cycle. In one example, the controller 108 can periodically perform a test for obstructions and presence detection features. If the time period between cycles has elapsed, control continues to operation 708. Otherwise, control remains at operation 706.

[0050] At operation 708, the controller 108 characterizes the current wireless environment. In one example, the controller 108 can continue to utilize the UWB anchor 104 Tx and the UWB anchor 104 to measure the wireless environment within the vehicle 102’s cabin 202. For example, the controller 108 measures the wireless environment at times, such as at tl, t2,... tn, where n is an integer. The controller 108 can maintain a characterization of the wireless environment at each of these times. The controller 108 can also maintain a characterization of the wireless environment at time t0. n(The location) periodically captures the same information about the captured information.

[0051] At operation 710, controller 108 determines whether damage has been detected. In one example, controller 108 can determine whether damage has been detected at later times t1, t2, ... t n The information captured at point t0 is compared with the wireless information captured at point t0 to see if these characteristics have changed. In one example, the change indicating the compromised wireless environment includes a signal strength below a minimum threshold signal strength. Alternatively, the change indicating the compromised wireless environment includes a number of paths below a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver. If no change has occurred, control proceeds to operation 712 to perform presence detection. However, if a change has occurred, control proceeds to operation 714.

[0052] At operation 712, controller 108 utilizes one or more UWB anchors 104 to perform presence detection features. In one example, movement of a person inside vehicle 102 can be detected by observing the multipath component of the CIR caused by scattering at a target object. After operation 712, control returns to operation 706 to await the next operation cycle.

[0053] At operation 714, controller 108 remedies the damaged condition. In one example, controller 108 may remedy the damage by switching which of one or more UWB anchors 104 are used to perform characterization. In another example, controller 108 may additionally or alternatively activate the alarm of vehicle 102 in response to a change in the wireless environment indicating damage to a feature within the vehicle compartment. In yet another example, controller may additionally or alternatively send an alarm to the mobile device of a user of vehicle 102 in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating damage to a feature within the vehicle compartment. After operation 714, control returns to operation 702. Alternatively, if no updates are made to one or more of the UWB anchors 104, process 700 may terminate (not shown).

[0054] Figure 8 An example computing device 802 is shown for implementing an improved tracking method to selectively de-energize various UWB anchor points 104 to conserve energy of the vehicle 102. Reference Figure 8 And refer to Figures 1 to 7, the vehicle 102, the UWB anchor 104, the transceiver 106, the controller 108, and the mobile device 110 can be examples of such computing devices 802. The computing device 802 generally includes computer-executable instructions, where the instructions can be executed by one or more computing devices 802. The computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted, for example, from computer programs created by a variety of programming languages including, for example, Java TM , C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, JavaScript, Python, JavaScript, Perl, and / or the like. Generally, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, for example, from memory, computer-readable media, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data can be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.

[0055] As shown, the computing device 802 can include a processor 804 operatively connected to a storage device 806, a network device 808, an output device 810, and an input device 812. It should be noted that this is merely an example and a computing device 802 with more, fewer, or different components can be used.

[0056] The processor 804 can include one or more integrated circuits that implement the functions of a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU). In some examples, the processor 804 is a system on a chip (SoC) that integrates the functions of a CPU and a GPU. The SoC can optionally include other components, such as, for example, the storage device 806 and the network device 808, into a single integrated device. In other examples, the CPU and the GPU are connected to each other via a peripheral connection device, such as a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) or another suitable peripheral data connection. In one example, the CPU is a commercially available central processing device that implements an instruction set, such as one of the x86, ARM, Power, or microprocessor without interlocked pipeline stages (MIPS) instruction set families.

[0057] Regardless of the details, during operation, the processor 804 executes stored program instructions retrieved from the storage 806. The stored program instructions, accordingly, comprise software that controls the operation of the processor 804 to execute processes described herein. The storage 806 can include both non- volatile memory and volatile memory devices. The non-volatile memory can include solid state memory such as NAND flash memory, magnetic and optical storage media, or any other suitable data storage device that retains data when the system is not powered or loses power. The volatile memory can include static and dynamic random access memory (RAM), which stores program instructions and data during use of the system 100.

[0058] The GPU can include hardware and software for displaying at least two-dimensional (2D) and optionally three-dimensional (3D) graphics to the output device 810. The output device 810 can include a graphical or visual display device such as an electronic display screen, a projector, a printer, or any other suitable device that renders a graphical display. As another example, the output device 810 can include an audio device such as a speaker or headphones. As yet another example, the output device 810 can include a haptic device such as a mechanically raisable device that in one example can be configured to display Braille or another physical output that can be touched to provide information to a user.

[0059] The input device 812 can include any of a variety of devices that enable the computing device 802 to receive control inputs from a user. Examples of suitable input devices 812 that receive human-machine interface inputs can include a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch screen, a microphone, a graphics tablet, etc.

[0060] The network devices 808 can each include any of a variety of devices that enable the described components to send and / or receive data from external devices over a network. Examples of suitable network devices 808 include an Ethernet interface, a Wi-Fi transceiver, a cellular transceiver, or a Bluetooth or BLE transceiver, or other network adapter or peripheral interconnect device that receives data from another computer or external data storage device that can be useful to receive large data sets in an efficient manner.

[0061] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that described steps could be modified, omitted, or enlarged upon. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating particular embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.

[0062] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended, for example, that modifications and variations to the systems and methods described herein will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. The present application is believed to be applicable to other systems and methods involving the capture and processing of data.

[0063] All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable construction and ordinary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art to which this technology pertains, unless an otherwise expressly set out indication to the contrary is in fact indicated herein. In particular, use of singular articles, such as "a", "the", and "said" should be read to cast as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated to the contrary in the claim.

[0064] The abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is also to be understood that the abstract is not intended to be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than the claim recitations permit. Rather, inventive subject matter can lie in fewer than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim acting as a separate limitation on the inventive subject matter.

[0065] While the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the disclosure. Rather, the words used in this specification are words of description, not limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosure.

[0066] According to the invention, a method for enabling detection and correction of an occlusion of a vehicle wireless anchor point within a vehicle includes characterizing a wireless environment of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle using one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) anchors of a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) system of the vehicle, the characterizing including computing an initial characterization of paths and signal strengths between transmitters and receivers of the one or more UWB anchors; periodically re-measuring the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of the paths and the signal strengths; and in response to a change in the wireless environment indicative of a compromise of a presence of a feature within the vehicle cabin compared to the initial characterization, remedying the compromise by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors to use to perform the characterizing.

[0067] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes performing a handshake operation between a first UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors and a second UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchors for the initial characterization.

[0068] In one aspect of the invention, the transmitter and the receiver are implemented as a multiple-antenna UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors in a roof of the vehicle cabin of the vehicle.

[0069] In one aspect of the invention, the transmitter is a first UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors in a roof of the vehicle cabin of the vehicle and the receiver is a second UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors in a different location in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle.

[0070] In one aspect of the invention, the change in the wireless environment indicative of the compromise includes the signal strengths being below a minimum threshold signal strength.

[0071] In one aspect of the invention, the change in the wireless environment indicative of the compromise includes a number of the paths being below a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver.

[0072] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes activating an alarm of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment being indicative of the compromise of the presence of the feature within the vehicle cabin.

[0073] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes sending an alert to a mobile device of a user of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment being indicative of the compromise of the presence of the feature within the vehicle cabin.

[0074] In one aspect of the application, the method includes performing the presence feature with the transmitter and the receiver of the one or more UWB anchors, including one or more of intrusion detection or child presence detection within the vehicle cabin.

[0075] According to the application, there is provided a system for detecting and correcting for obstructions of vehicle wireless anchors within a vehicle, having: one or more UWB anchors of a PaaK system of the vehicle; and a controller in communication with the one or more UWB anchors and configured to: perform a handshake operation between a first UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors and a second UWB anchor of the one or more UWB anchors to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchors, characterize a wireless environment of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle using the one or more UWB anchors, the characterization including computing an initial characterization of paths and signal strengths between transmitters and receivers of the one or more UWB anchors, periodically re-measure the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of the paths and the signal strengths, and in response to a change in the wireless environment indicative of a compromised presence feature within the vehicle cabin compared to the initial characterization, remediate the compromised by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors to use to perform the characterization.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the transmitter and the receiver are implemented as a multi-antenna UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB anchors in a roof of the vehicle cabin of the vehicle, and wherein the handshake operation is performed between the multi-antenna UWB transceiver and at least another UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB anchors.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the transmitter is a first UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB anchors in a roof of the vehicle cabin of the vehicle, and the receiver is a second UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB anchors in a different location in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the change in the wireless environment indicative of the compromised includes the signal strengths being below a minimum threshold signal strength.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the change in the wireless environment indicative of the compromised includes a number of the paths being below a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the controller is further configured to activate an alarm of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment being indicative of the compromised presence feature within the vehicle cabin.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the controller is further configured to send an alert to a mobile device of a user of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating the impairment of the presence feature within the vehicle cabin.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the controller is further configured to perform the presence feature within the vehicle cabin using the transmitter and the receiver of the one or more UWB anchors, including one or more of intrusion detection or child presence detection within the vehicle cabin.

[0083] According to the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for detecting and correcting an occlusion of a vehicle wireless anchor of a PaaK system of a vehicle, the instructions, when executed by a controller in communication with one or more UWB transceivers, cause the controller to perform operations comprising: performing a handshake operation between a first UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB transceivers and a second UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB transceivers to establish visibility between the one or more UWB transceivers for an initial characterization of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle, performing a presence feature within the vehicle cabin using a transmitter and a receiver of the one or more UWB transceivers, including one or more of intrusion detection or child presence detection within the vehicle cabin, characterizing a wireless environment of the vehicle cabin using one or more UWB transceivers, the characterization including computing an initial characterization of paths and signal strengths between the transmitter and the receiver of the one or more UWB transceivers, periodically re-measuring the wireless environment to compute an updated characterization of paths and signal strengths, in response to a change in the wireless environment compared to the initial characterization indicating an impairment of a presence feature within the vehicle cabin, remedying the impairment by switching which of the one or more UWB transceivers to use to perform the characterization.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the change in the wireless environment indicating the impairment includes one or more of: the signal strengths being below a minimum threshold signal strength and / or a number of the paths being below a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the controller is further configured to one or more of: activate an alarm of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating the impairment of the presence feature within the vehicle cabin, and / or send an alert to a mobile device of a user of the vehicle in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating the impairment of the presence feature within the vehicle cabin.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and correcting obstructions at vehicle wireless anchor points within a vehicle, comprising: The wireless environment of the vehicle cabin is characterized using one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) anchors of the vehicle’s mobile phone as a key (PaaK) system, the characterization including an initial characterization of the path and signal strength between the transmitter and receiver of the one or more UWB anchors. The wireless environment is periodically remeasured to calculate updated representations of the path and the signal strength; as well as In response to a change in the wireless environment compared to the initial characterization indicating the presence of damage within the carriage, the damage is remedied by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors are used to perform the characterization.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a handshake operation between a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point in the one or more UWB anchor points to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchor points for the initial characterization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are implemented as a multi-antenna UWB anchor point among the one or more UWB anchor points in the roof of the vehicle compartment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a first UWB anchor point among the one or more UWB anchor points in the roof of the vehicle compartment, and the receiver is a second UWB anchor point among the one or more UWB anchor points at different locations in the vehicle compartment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the change indicating the compromised wireless environment includes the signal strength falling below a minimum threshold signal strength.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the change indicating the compromised wireless environment includes the number of paths being less than a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a vehicle alarm in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating damage to a feature within the passenger compartment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alarm to a user's mobile device in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating damage to a feature within the passenger compartment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the transmitter and receiver of the one or more UWB anchors to perform the presence feature, including one or more of intrusion detection or child presence detection within the vehicle compartment.

10. A system for detecting and correcting obstructions to vehicle wireless anchor points within a vehicle, comprising: One or more UWB anchor points of the vehicle's PaaK system; and A controller, which communicates with the one or more UWB anchors and is configured to: A handshake operation is performed between a first UWB anchor point and a second UWB anchor point in the one or more UWB anchor points to establish visibility between the one or more UWB anchor points. The one or more UWB anchor points are used to characterize the wireless environment of the vehicle's cabin. This characterization includes calculating an initial characterization of the path and signal strength between the transmitter and receiver at each of the one or more UWB anchor points. The wireless environment is periodically remeasured to calculate updated representations of the path and the signal strength, and In response to a change in the wireless environment compared to the initial characterization indicating the presence of damage within the carriage, the damage is remedied by switching which of the one or more UWB anchors are used to perform the characterization.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are implemented as multi-antenna UWB transceivers of the one or more UWB anchors in the roof of the vehicle compartment, and wherein the handshake operation is performed between the multi-antenna UWB transceivers and at least another UWB transceiver of the one or more UWB anchors.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a first UWB transceiver at one or more UWB anchor points on the roof of the vehicle compartment, and the receiver is a second UWB transceiver at one or more UWB anchor points at different locations in the vehicle compartment.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the change indicating the compromised wireless environment includes one or more of the signal strength being below a minimum threshold signal strength or the number of paths being below a minimum threshold number of signal paths between the transmitter and the receiver.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to perform one or more of the following: The vehicle alarm is activated in response to the change in the wireless environment indicating damage to the features inside the passenger compartment; and In response to the change in the wireless environment indicating that a feature has been compromised inside the vehicle compartment, an alarm is sent to the mobile device of the vehicle's user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to utilize the transmitter and receiver of the one or more UWB anchors to perform the presence feature, including one or more of intrusion detection or child presence detection within the vehicle compartment.

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