UWB Temporal Signatures for Position and Intent
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Solution Overview
Problem
UWB position sensing technologies face challenges in non-line-of-sight environments due to noisy and inaccurate angle of arrival estimates, and struggle to accurately determine user intent, leading to errors in access control decisions.
Innovation Solution
The use of temporal signatures derived from ultra-wideband signals to differentiate between secure and unsecure sides of an access point, allowing for improved position and intent determination by comparing current signatures with stored reference signatures, reducing reliance on angle of arrival measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If UWB angle of arrival measurements are used to determine user position, then position estimation is provided, but measurement precision deteriorates in non-line-of-sight environments due to noisy and inaccurate estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces temporal signatures as an intermediary mechanism to bridge the gap between UWB signal transmission and position determination. Instead of directly relying on noisy AoA measurements, the system creates a temporal signature profile from reference signals and uses this intermediary representation to infer user position and intent, thereby filtering out the noise and inaccuracies present in direct AoA measurements during NLoS conditions
2Extent of automation
If UWB position sensing is used to determine user intent for access control, then access control decisions are enabled, but errors increase due to inaccurate position estimates in non-line-of-sight environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by establishing temporal signature profiles during a calibration phase before actual access control operations occur. Reference signals are transmitted and temporal signatures are recorded under known conditions, creating a database of expected temporal patterns. During operation, these pre-established profiles serve as a foundation for accurately determining user intent, reducing errors in automated access control decisions
3Measurement precision
If angle of arrival measurements are aggregated to reduce errors, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases due to multiple antennas and signal processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential temporal characteristic information from the complex multi-antenna UWB signal measurements. Instead of processing all raw signal data from multiple antennas to compute AoA, the system extracts and stores only the temporal signature profiles (time differences, signal patterns) during calibration. During operation, these extracted temporal features are sufficient for position and intent determination, significantly reducing processing complexity while maintaining accuracy
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
This approach enhances the accuracy of user position and intent determination, even in non-line-of-sight conditions, leading to more reliable access control decisions and reduced errors.
Implementation Method 1
This distance estimate is generally determined as a time-of-flight measurement operating on the ultra-short, UWB pulses
Implementation Method 2
the phase relationship between the sensed UWB signals is used to estimate the AoA
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and program code for determining the position and/or intent of a user (or device) holding, carrying, wearing, or mounted with a UWB-enabled device. Example computer readable medium for determining the position and/or intent of a user comprises program code that when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to determine a current temporal signature for a first device moving within an environment; compare the current temporal signature with at least a portion of a stored reference temporal signature corresponding to a secure asset within the environment; and base an access control decision corresponding to the secure asset on whether it is determined that the current temporal signature corresponds to the at least a portion of the stored reference temporal signature.