Mobile Device Ranging With Redundant Session Elimination

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing many-to-many communication/ranging techniques are complex, especially for mobile devices entering and leaving sessions, require complicated scheduling to minimize packet collisions, and inefficiently determine range between devices with unsynchronized clocks, leading to battery drain and missed measurements.

Innovation Solution

Implement a many-to-many communication technique using UWB and BLE protocols for mobile devices to establish pairwise ranging sessions, identify and eliminate redundant sessions, and synchronize devices for efficient ranging with reduced power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If one-to-one ranging techniques are used between mobile devices, then ranging measurements can be obtained, but the techniques become inefficient and complicated due to unsynchronized internal clocks and collision between data packets when multiple devices communicate in the same bandwidth

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveranging measurement accuracyVSAvoidranging efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication process into distinct phases: a broadcast phase where the initiating device transmits timing information to multiple responding devices, and pairwise ranging phases where individual ranging measurements occur. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex many-to-many coordination while enabling efficient one-to-one ranging measurements between the initiator and each responder separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The initiating device performs preliminary actions by broadcasting timing synchronization information and establishing communication parameters before the actual pairwise ranging measurements begin. This preliminary broadcast phase ensures all responding devices have the necessary timing information to participate in subsequent ranging sessions without requiring continuous listening or complex coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If mobile devices maintain powered-on state until next transmission time to enable communication, then communication can be maintained, but battery of the device drains

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication availabilityVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by having the initiating device broadcast timing information at specific intervals, allowing responding devices to enter low-power states between broadcasts. Devices only need to be active during predetermined time windows to receive broadcasts and perform ranging measurements, rather than maintaining continuous powered-on state, thus reducing battery consumption while maintaining communication availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The broadcast message acts as an intermediary that carries timing synchronization information from the initiating device to multiple responding devices simultaneously. This intermediary mechanism enables coordinated ranging sessions without requiring continuous active communication channels, allowing devices to power down between scheduled interactions and reducing overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If many-to-many communication techniques with look-up tables are used to designate ranging pairs, then communication scheduling can be established, but the techniques become too complex for mobile devices entering and leaving sessions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication schedulingVSAvoidscheduling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complex scheduling and coordination logic from the individual mobile devices and consolidates it in the initiating device. The initiator broadcasts all necessary timing and communication parameters to responding devices, eliminating the need for each device to maintain complex look-up tables or participate in complex mutual coordination protocols. This extraction of complexity simplifies the operation for devices entering or leaving sessions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having multiple devices coordinate with each other through complex many-to-many protocols, the patent inverts the approach by having a single initiating device unilaterally establish communication parameters and broadcast them to all responders. This inversion of the coordination model simplifies the system by eliminating the need for complex distributed scheduling algorithms and look-up tables on each device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3927037B1Method, device and computer-readable medium for ranging

Publication Date: 2025.10.15 APPLE INC

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

The first mobile device transmits (602) a request to establish outgoing pairwise ranging sessions with other mobile devices of the group. Each of the mobile devices of the group of mobile devices establishes (604, 610)) ranging sessions with the other mobile devices. Each mobile device can act as both an initiating device and a responding device for the ranging session. The first mobile device detects (606) one or more redundant ranging sessions the mobile devices. The first mobile device identifies (608) whether to keep or terminate each of the one or more redundant ranging sessions based on a common criterion.