Collaborative UE Ranging With Privacy-Profile Controlled Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cellular mobile communication systems face challenges in accurately determining the distance and direction between user equipment (UEs) while protecting the location privacy of the target UE during cooperative ranging, particularly in scenarios where multiple auxiliary UEs are involved.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for cooperative ranging that utilizes privacy profile information to determine whether to perform ranging on a target UE, aggregating ranging results from multiple auxiliary UEs to improve accuracy while ensuring location privacy by controlling the cooperative ranging process through privacy profile indications and measurement requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If cooperative ranging is performed using multiple auxiliary UEs to improve ranging accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the location privacy of the target UE deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveranging accuracyVSAvoidlocation privacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ranging process into two distinct phases: a measurement phase where multiple auxiliary UEs collect ranging data without revealing location information, and a computation phase where a server aggregates these measurements to calculate the target UE's location. This segmentation allows accurate ranging while preserving privacy by separating data collection from data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives ranging measurements from auxiliary UEs and computes the target UE's location without the auxiliary UEs directly sharing their location information with each other or with the target UE. This intermediary mechanism enables accurate ranging while preventing location privacy leakage through controlled information flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If privacy profile information is enforced to protect target UE location privacy, then the location privacy is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation privacyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements privacy profile information configuration in advance, before the ranging process begins. The target UE's privacy preferences, including whether cooperative ranging is allowed and which auxiliary UEs can participate, are pre-configured and stored. When a ranging request occurs, the server simply checks these pre-configured privacy profiles rather than making complex real-time privacy decisions, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining strong privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If multiple auxiliary UEs are used for cooperative ranging to improve accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveranging accuracyVSAvoidranging process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables auxiliary UEs to autonomously participate in cooperative ranging based on their own configurations and the server's requests. Each auxiliary UE independently performs measurements and submits results to the server without requiring complex coordination or management from the target UE or the server. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling the use of multiple auxiliary UEs for improved ranging accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4440160B1Collaborative ranging method and apparatus, communication device and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP4440160B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4440160B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4440160B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The present application discloses an information transmission method and apparatus, a communication device and a storage medium. The method comprises: a ranging server receives a collaborative ranging request message from a ranging request terminal, the collaborative ranging request message requesting collaborative ranging with respect to a target user equipment (UE); and determining whether to perform collaborative ranging at least according to the privacy configuration information of the target UE.