Dual-Band Indoor Positioning Timing Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless indoor positioning systems face challenges in achieving low power operation while maintaining accuracy, as they require high precision crystal oscillators for timing, leading to increased cost, size, and power consumption, limiting their adoption and deployment for applications requiring long battery life and small, inexpensive tracking devices.
Innovation Solution
A dual-band positioning system using high power narrow band technology for controllers and low power wide band technology for devices, where controllers transmit timing and synchronization information to devices, eliminating the need for high precision crystals and allowing for very low power, cost-effective, and small tracking devices with long battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high precision crystal oscillators are used for timing in wireless indoor positioning systems, then timing accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dual-band communication system where a narrow-band control channel serves as an intermediary to provide timing references and synchronization signals to wide-band positioning devices. This mediator (narrow-band control channel) enables the wide-band devices to achieve accurate timing without requiring high-precision crystal oscillators, thus resolving the contradiction between timing accuracy and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the positioning system by separating control functions (timing, synchronization) from positioning functions (wide-band communication). The control channel operates in narrow-band with high power to provide precise timing references, while the positioning devices operate in wide-band with low power. This parameter separation allows devices to use lower precision timing components while maintaining overall system accuracy
2Measurement precision
If high precision crystal oscillators are used for timing, then timing accuracy is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The narrow-band control channel acts as an intermediary that provides timing references to wide-band positioning devices, eliminating the need for expensive high-precision crystal oscillators in each device. The timing accuracy is provided centrally through the control channel infrastructure rather than requiring expensive components in every device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the use of inexpensive, lower-precision timing components in wide-band positioning devices by relying on external timing references from the narrow-band control channel. This allows deployment of cost-effective devices that can be replaced or reconfigured as needed without requiring expensive precision oscillators
3Measurement precision
If high power narrow band technology is used for controllers, then timing and synchronization accuracy is improved, but power consumption of controllers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into two distinct parts: narrow-band controllers that provide timing and synchronization, and wide-band devices that perform positioning. This segmentation allows the narrow-band controllers to operate at higher power for accurate timing provision, while the majority of power consumption is avoided in the numerous wide-band positioning devices
Data Source
AI summary
A positioning system comprises a plurality of controllers, each controller comprising a wideband receiver and a narrow band transmitter, the each controller configured to receive a wideband positioning frame using the wideband receiver from one or more devices and to transmit acknowledgement frames using the narrow band transmitter that include timing and control data for use by the devices to establish timing for transmission of the positioning frame; and at least one device comprising a wideband transmitter and a narrow band receiver, the device configured to transmit a positioning frame to the plurality of controllers using the wideband transmitter and to receive an acknowledgement frame from one or more controllers using the narrow band receiver, extract timing and control information from the frame, and adjust the timing and synchronization of the wideband transmitter using the timing and control information.