Stand-Alone UWB Anchor Placement for Coverage Hole Elimination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
UWB networks face inadequate coverage for precision ranging due to insufficient UWB devices, particularly in areas with obstacles that reduce line-of-sight, necessitating additional anchors to ensure accurate ranging.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for optimizing the placement of stand-alone UWB anchors (SAAs) to fill coverage holes by dividing an area into cells and adding the minimum number of SAAs required for accurate ranging, using a software tool to determine and place these anchors efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If access points alone are used for UWB networking, then device complexity is reduced, but coverage area for precision ranging is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the UWB network into two types of devices: access points with full UWB functionality and stand-alone anchors with limited UWB functionality. This segmentation allows the system to achieve adequate coverage by deploying simpler, cheaper stand-alone anchors in strategic locations while using access points only where full functionality is needed, thus expanding coverage area without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes access points universal by enabling them to function both as Wi-Fi access points and as UWB anchors. This multi-functionality allows a single device to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for dedicated UWB infrastructure and expanding coverage area without linearly increasing device complexity
2Measurement precision
If more UWB devices are deployed to improve coverage, then precision ranging accuracy is improved, but the number of devices and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by deploying stand-alone anchors with limited UWB functionality only in specific locations where precision ranging is required, rather than equipping all devices with full UWB capability. This localized approach ensures adequate ranging accuracy in critical areas while minimizing the total number of devices needed in the network
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces stand-alone anchors as intermediary devices that facilitate precision ranging between portable UWB devices and the network infrastructure. These anchors act as mediators that enable accurate ranging measurements without requiring full UWB functionality in all network devices, thus achieving good ranging accuracy with a limited number of strategically placed anchors
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a software tool designed to add and place stand-alone UWB anchors to provide a minimum of UWB anchors for accurate UWB ranging. The tool divides an area in which access points are situated into a number of cells and evaluates each cell for coverage. If a cell does not have a minimum number of UWB anchors for accurate UWB ranging, the tool determines that a coverage hole is present. The tool then adds stand-alone UWB anchors to the area to eliminate the coverage holes. The tool adds stand-alone UWB anchors in a number of iterations and selects the iteration with the minimum number of stand-alone UWB anchors that eliminate the coverage holes.