UWB Link Layer Control Plane for FiRa Connection Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The FiRa standard for ultra-wideband (UWB) systems lacks specific details on how to create and manage connections between devices, particularly for new use cases like payment transactions, which require efficient interface with UWB frames.
Innovation Solution
A link layer control plane is introduced that acts as a black box for application developers, allowing connections to be created, paused, resumed, and deleted, with minimal input requirements. This control plane translates high-level requests from applications into MAC or link layer parameters, simplifying the allocation of UWB resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the FiRa standard provides detailed specifications for connection management, then implementation precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a link layer control plane as an intermediary component that sits between the application layer and the MAC layer. This control plane handles the complex connection management tasks (create, pause, resume, delete connections) and translates high-level application requests into detailed MAC layer parameters, thereby providing implementation precision without exposing the complexity to the application layer or increasing overall device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the application layer directly manages UWB resource allocation, then control precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The link layer control plane serves as a mediator that abstracts the complex UWB resource allocation processes from the application layer. Applications can simply request connection management operations without needing to understand or directly manage UWB resources. The control plane translates these high-level requests into precise MAC layer parameter configurations, maintaining control precision while significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The link layer control plane implements self-service by automatically managing connection lifecycle events (create, pause, resume, delete) and resource allocation based on application requests. The system handles the complex translation and configuration tasks autonomously without requiring direct application layer intervention in the detailed resource management processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for fine ranging (FiRa) link layer control in ultra-wideband (UWB) enabled devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a link layer control plane acts as a black box to an application developer requiring minimal inputs therefrom, but allows connections to be created, paused, resumed, and/or deleted as needed or desired. Exemplary inputs include a qualify of service indicator, target bitrate, disorder metrics, maximum burst size and the like. By implementing aspects of the present disclosure, an application developer does not have to allocate UWB resources, simplifying the design process for the application developer. Further and more specifically, exemplary aspects of the present disclosure allow the link layer to establish, stop, or resume connections and high-level requests from an application may be translated into MAC or link layer parameters.