Absolute Target Positioning Using Anchor Mobility and AoA Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems, such as 5G NR, struggle to provide absolute positioning for user equipment (UE) in scenarios where relative positioning information is insufficient, particularly in out-of-coverage conditions, leading to inaccurate location determination.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing anchor devices with absolute positioning capabilities, combined with mobility awareness information and angle of arrival measurements, to identify and select the absolute position of a target device by comparing candidate positions and leveraging digital models of transportation networks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If relative positioning reports from anchor UE are used, then positioning information can be obtained, but absolute position cannot be determined

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning information completenessVSAvoidposition accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives relative positioning reports from anchor UEs and combines them with digital map data to compute absolute positions. The server acts as a mediator that transforms incomplete relative position data into complete absolute position information by integrating multiple data sources and performing coordinate transformations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges relative positioning information from anchor UEs with absolute positioning data from digital maps and trajectory information. By combining these different types of positioning data through computation and coordinate system transformations, the system achieves complete absolute position determination that neither data source could provide alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If multiple anchor devices are used for positioning, then positioning accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as a central intermediary that manages the complexity of processing signals from multiple anchor devices. Instead of requiring the target UE to directly process and coordinate multiple anchor signals (which would be complex), the server receives all anchor reports and performs the complex computations centrally, simplifying the UE-side implementation while maintaining high positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables anchor UEs to autonomously perform positioning measurements and generate reports without requiring complex coordination protocols. Each anchor UE independently measures relative position and sends reports to the server, allowing the system to scale to multiple anchors without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If mobility awareness information is processed to identify candidate positions, then positioning accuracy in dynamic environments improves, but computation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition accuracy in dynamic environmentsVSAvoidcomputation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-processes mobility awareness information and trajectory data to identify candidate positions before final position determination. By preparing candidate position lists in advance based on mobility patterns and digital map data, the system reduces the computational burden during real-time positioning, as the server only needs to evaluate a limited set of pre-identified candidates rather than computing all possible positions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of computing all possible positions exhaustively, the system performs partial computation by identifying and evaluating only the most likely candidate positions based on mobility awareness information. This selective approach computes only the necessary subset of positions needed for accurate tracking, avoiding unnecessary computations while maintaining accuracy in dynamic environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4592700A1A method for providing an absolute position of a target device
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
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AI summary

The invention relates to a method (100) for providing an absolute position of a target device (20), comprising the following steps at a device (10): - Receiving (101) a request to locate a target device (20), - Determining (102) at least one located anchor device (30) based on an analysis of one and/or a plurality of located anchor devices (30) being capable to provide an absolute positioning information with regard to the target device (20), wherein the one and/or the plurality of located anchor devices (30) serve as a reference point for locating the target device (20), - Sending (103) a request to the determined at least one located anchor device (30), wherein the request comprises a task to initiate a positioning procedure by sending a positioning reference signal to the target device (20), - Receiving (104) a positioning information report from the at least one anchor device (30) based on the initiated positioning procedure, wherein the positioning information report comprises a mobility awareness information with regard to the target device (20), - Identifying (105) two candidate positions (40, 41) based on a computation depending on the received mobility awareness information, - Selecting (106) one of the two candidate positions (40, 41) depending on a result of a comparison of angle of arrival measurements in relation to the target device (20), - Providing (107) the selected one candidate position as the absolute position of the target device (20) to the requesting entity.