Angle Determining System Using Dual Directional Antennas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current positioning technologies face challenges in achieving high accuracy and low complexity simultaneously, with range-based positioning methods like AOA, TOA, and RSSI having either high complexity or low accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using two directional antennas mounted at the same point, with one antenna rotating to receive signals at multiple angles, calculating signal strength differences to determine the angle between the anchor node and the tested node, and employing an omnidirectional antenna to distinguish direct waves in multipath environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If AOA technology is used for positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the positioning function into two parts: an omnidirectional antenna for coarse angle estimation and directional antennas for fine angle estimation. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high positioning accuracy without requiring complex omnidirectional signal processing, as the omnidirectional antenna only needs to provide initial angle information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using the omnidirectional antenna as a mediator to provide initial angle estimates that guide the directional antenna scanning process. This intermediary step reduces the search space for the directional antennas, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If TOA technology is used for positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but time synchronization requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical time-synchronization system (requiring precise clock synchronization between transmitter and receiver) with an electromagnetic field-based angle measurement system. By measuring the angle of arrival using antenna arrays and signal processing, the system achieves high accuracy without needing complex time synchronization infrastructure.
3Device complexity
If TDOA technology is used for positioning, then time synchronization requirements are reduced, but positioning accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of both TOA and angle-based methods by combining time difference measurement with angle of arrival estimation. The system uses TDOA for distance estimation and combines it with angular information from the antenna arrays to compute precise position, achieving accuracy comparable to AOA methods while maintaining relaxed synchronization requirements.
4Device complexity
If RSSI technology is used for positioning, then device complexity is reduced, but positioning accuracy and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional RSSI signal strength measurement to two-dimensional angle-based positioning by incorporating directional information from antenna arrays. This dimensional change allows the system to achieve high accuracy through angular measurements while keeping device complexity relatively low, as angle estimation can be performed using simple signal processing on the received signals.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a system and a method for determining an angle. The method includes: determining differences between signal strengths of incident waves received by a first directional antenna of an anchor node from a tested node and signal strengths of incident waves received by a second directional antenna of the anchor node from the tested node at multiple angles, wherein the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna are mounted at a same point, and an area formed by the first directional antenna is partially superposed with an area formed by the second directional antenna; and taking an angle corresponding to a minimum difference in the differences as an angle between a line connecting the anchor node and the tested node and a horizontal reference line. The present technical solution achieves the technical effect of positioning a target accurately when the positioning device is low in complexity.