Multi-Radio Distance Fusion for Precise Device Position Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distance measurement techniques do not allow for precise estimation of a device's position relative to another device.
Innovation Solution
A communication device comprising multiple wireless communicators using different wireless communication standards (BLE and UWB) to measure distances, and a controller estimating position based on these measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single wireless communicator is used for distance measurement, then the device complexity is reduced, but the position estimation precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the position estimation task into multiple distance measurement operations performed by different wireless communicators (first and second communicators). Each communicator measures distance to the other device independently, and the controller combines these multiple measurements to calculate precise position through triangulation, thereby improving accuracy while distributing system complexity across multiple components
Solution Approach 2:
The controller merges multiple distance measurement results from different wireless communicators to calculate the position of the other device. By combining the distance information from at least two communicators, the system achieves higher position estimation precision than any single communicator could provide alone
2Measurement precision
If multiple wireless communicators are used for distance measurement, then the position estimation precision is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs distance measurements using multiple wireless communicators only when necessary for accurate position estimation, rather than continuously using all communicators. The controller selectively activates the minimum number of communicators needed to achieve the required precision, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of wireless communicators by switching between different communication standards (e.g., BLE for low-power operations, UWB for high-precision measurements) based on the specific measurement requirements. This allows the system to optimize energy consumption by using lower-power modes when high precision is not required
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise estimation of a device's position by combining distance measurements from multiple wireless communicators, enhancing accuracy and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a distance between devices on the basis of a time required for a signal to be received after the signal has been transmitted (hereinafter also referred to as a propagation time)
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device including: a plurality of wireless communicators configured to perform wireless communication with another communication device; and a controller configured to estimate a position at which the other communication device is located on the basis of a plurality of measured distance values which indicate distances between the plurality of wireless communicators and the other communication device and which are acquired through wireless communication performed by the plurality of wireless communicators.