Antenna Array Angle of Arrival Indoor Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current GPS technology is ineffective in providing accurate location information when mobile communication devices are indoors or in areas with limited satellite visibility, such as buildings or tunnels, due to the lack of direct satellite line-of-sight.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize an antenna array to receive and process wireless signals, calculating oversampled matched filter values to determine the angle of arrival of the signal, which can then be used to calculate the angle of incidence and subsequently determine the position of the device, even in areas where satellite positioning is unavailable or inaccurate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS technology is used for location determination, then location information can be obtained in open areas, but accurate location information cannot be obtained when the device is indoors or in areas with limited satellite visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces angle of arrival (AoA) estimation as an intermediary method to bridge the gap between GPS functionality and indoor positioning requirements. By using the antenna array to estimate the angle of arrival of wireless signals, the system can determine device location without direct satellite line-of-sight, thus adapting GPS-like positioning to environments where traditional GPS fails.
2Reliability
If an antenna array is used to determine angle of arrival, then position determination can be achieved indoors, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is designed to serve multiple functions: traditional wireless communication (transmission and reception) and angle of arrival estimation for positioning. By making the antenna array multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate positioning hardware, thus reducing overall device complexity while still achieving reliable indoor position determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing wireless communication signals for dual purposes: maintaining communication functionality and simultaneously extracting angle of arrival information for positioning. This self-service approach allows the antenna array to perform positioning tasks using signals already present in the communication channel, eliminating the need for additional dedicated positioning signals or hardware.
3Measurement precision
If oversampled matched filter values are calculated for angle of arrival determination, then measurement precision improves, but processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies oversampling in the matched filter calculation, which involves computing filter values at more sample points than the minimum required. This excessive sampling action improves the precision of angle of arrival measurement by providing more data points for peak detection, while the computational burden is managed through efficient algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of matched filter values across multiple delay and phase combinations before determining the final angle of arrival. By pre-computing these values and storing them in a lookup structure, the system prepares the data in advance, which facilitates faster and more accurate peak detection when needed, thus balancing precision requirements with processing time constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
At an antenna array of a first communication device, a wireless signal transmitted by a second communication device is received. The first communication device calculates a plurality of oversampled matched filter values corresponding to the wireless signal, which correspond to i) different values of a signal delay corresponding to the wireless signal, and ii) different values of a phase corresponding to the wireless signal. The first communication device determines a local maximum of the plurality of oversampled matched filter values across different values of the signal delay and different values of the phase, where the local maximum corresponds to a component of the wireless signal that is first to arrive at the antenna array. The first communication device calculates an angle of arrival of the wireless signal at the antenna array using a value of the phase corresponding to the local maximum of the plurality of matched filter values.