UWB Ranging Message Acknowledgement via Bitmap Consolidation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current UWB communication and ranging systems face challenges in efficiently acknowledging multiple messages within peer-aware communication networks, which affects the accuracy and reliability of ranging operations.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method and framework that allows for multiple message receipt confirmation through the use of specific information elements (IEs) and message sequence charts, enabling efficient acknowledgement of multiple messages within ranging rounds, including the use of MMACK and MMRCR bits in the advanced ranging control IE, and the determination of the MMACK bitmap length via ranging scheduling IE.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional single-message acknowledgement methods are used in UWB communication systems, then the communication protocol remains simple, but the efficiency and reliability of message acknowledgement deteriorates when multiple messages need to be confirmed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage acknowledgement reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication protocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual message acknowledgements into a single consolidated acknowledgement message. The receiver aggregates acknowledgements for multiple received messages (ranging requests, ancillary data messages) and transmits them together in one response, reducing the number of communication rounds while maintaining reliable confirmation of each message.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary acknowledgement message structure that mediates between multiple transmitted messages and their confirmations. This intermediary mechanism uses information elements (IEs) with bitmap fields to represent multiple acknowledgement states in a structured way, bridging the gap between multiple send-receive operations and a single confirmation transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If multiple individual acknowledgements are transmitted for each message, then message confirmation reliability is maintained, but communication overhead and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage acknowledgement efficiencyVSAvoidacknowledgement time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate acknowledgement transmissions into a single consolidated acknowledgement message. By combining confirmations for multiple messages (ranging requests, ancillary data) into one response with a bitmap structure, the system reduces the total number of message exchanges and minimizes the time required for complete acknowledgement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic acknowledgement mechanisms where the receiver periodically transmits consolidated acknowledgements at defined intervals or triggers within the ranging protocol. This periodic structure optimizes the timing of acknowledgements, ensuring timely confirmation without requiring immediate response to every single message, thus improving overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If detailed acknowledgement information is provided for each message, then message confirmation accuracy is improved, but the complexity of processing and transmitting acknowledgement data increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage confirmation accuracyVSAvoidacknowledgement processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary bitmap structure within the acknowledgement message that efficiently encodes detailed confirmation information. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a specific message type or sequence, providing precise acknowledgement status for multiple messages while maintaining a compact, easily processable format that reduces computational complexity compared to detailed individual responses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation of acknowledgement data from detailed individual message responses to a compressed bitmap format. This parameter transformation maintains the precision of message confirmation (each bit represents a specific message status) while significantly reducing the data volume and processing complexity required to handle acknowledgements for multiple messages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3966594B1Framework and method for acknowledging multiple messages in UWB communication and ranging systems
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3966594B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3966594B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3966594B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and apparatus a first network entity in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability is provided. The method and apparatus comprises: identifying, in a ranging block, one or more ranging rounds to transmit a ranging control message (RCM) with a multiple message receipt confirmation request (MMRCR) for a transmission of at least one first message comprising at least one of a set of ranging messages or a set of ranging ancillary data messages; transmitting, to a second network entity, the RCM with the MMRCR; transmitting, to the second network entity, ranging ancillary data in at least one ranging round of one or more ranging rounds following the RCM, wherein the ranging ancillary data is associated with the MMRCR; and receiving, from the second network entity, a ranging multiple message receipt confirmation (RMMRC) corresponding to the transmission of the at least one first message.