Ranging Constellation Management for Wireless Positioning Accuracy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face challenges in accurately determining location coordinates, especially in deep-indoor environments with poor signal quality and in outdoor environments with channel variability and reflective properties. Additionally, there are issues with power consumption in ranging and location services due to frequent packet transmission and reception.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves forming a ranging constellation using anchor devices that act as proxies for positioning services. These anchor devices are configured to form a ranging constellation that supports positioning services, and their integrity is monitored to ensure accurate operational areas. This approach reduces power consumption by combining ranging and location services and minimizing the need for long-range positioning signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standardized ranging techniques are used in wireless networks, then location services can be provided, but location accuracy deteriorates in deep-indoor environments with poor signal quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces satellite devices as intermediary elements to provide ranging measurements. These satellites act as mediators between the wireless network and the target device, enabling location determination in environments where direct network signals are poor or unavailable. The satellites provide alternative signal paths that penetrate deep-indoor environments effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple ranging techniques (network-based and satellite-based) into a unified location service framework. The location server can selectively use or combine measurements from different sources (network nodes and satellites) to provide reliable location services across diverse environments, from urban outdoor to deep-indoor scenarios.
2Measurement precision
If multiple packet transmission and reception are performed for single distance measurement, then ranging accuracy improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines satellite-based ranging measurements with network-based ranging measurements to determine device location. By merging these different measurement sources, the system achieves accurate location determination without requiring multiple repeated packet transmissions over the same channel, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining or improving ranging accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If satellite devices are used for ranging measurements, then location accuracy in deep-indoor environments improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The location server acts as an intermediary that handles the complexity of integrating satellite and network measurements. Individual wireless devices don't need to implement complex satellite reception and processing capabilities themselves; instead, the location server performs the sophisticated measurement integration, keeping device complexity low while achieving high location accuracy.
4Measurement precision
If anchor devices form a ranging constellation, then positioning service accuracy improves, but network management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the location server continuously monitors the performance and availability of anchor devices in the ranging constellation. Based on this feedback, the server can dynamically adjust which anchor devices are active, reconfigure the constellation, or select alternative measurement sources, thereby managing the complexity of maintaining accurate positioning services across changing network conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a wireless system and methods for managing and/or configuring ranging capable devices to form a ranging constellation to support ranging-based positioning services. Multiple challenges in improving configuration and management of the ranging constellation are described.