Wireless Ranging Using Virtual Responders for Multipath Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless ranging techniques face challenges in accurately determining the range between electronic devices due to environmental effects such as interference and multipath signals, which degrades the accuracy of the estimated range and hinders their application in various fields.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device is equipped with a physical responder and virtual responders, utilizing RF transceivers and multiple antennas to perform measurements on wireless signals, correcting for environmental conditions and increasing accuracy by using spatial and temporal diversity, and dynamically configuring virtual responders based on communication performance metrics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If wireless signals are used to determine distance between electronic devices, then the capability enables a wide variety of applications, but the accuracy of the determined range is degraded by environmental effects such as interference sources and multipath signals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication capabilityVSAvoidrange accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ranging measurement process into multiple independent measurements performed by different virtual responders, each corresponding to different antenna subsets. This segmentation allows individual measurements to be taken and then combined through selection or averaging to achieve high accuracy while maintaining application versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of antenna configuration by dynamically configuring different virtual responders with different antenna subsets based on environmental conditions. This allows the system to adapt to interference and multipath effects by selecting optimal antenna configurations, thereby maintaining both accuracy and application capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If multiple antennas are used to perform measurements at different spatial locations, then spatial diversity increases accuracy, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverange accuracyVSAvoidantenna configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual responders that are software-based copies of physical antenna configurations. These virtual responders replicate the functionality of physical antennas without requiring additional physical hardware, thereby achieving spatial diversity and improved accuracy while avoiding the complexity of managing numerous physical antenna components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the antenna system multi-functional by allowing the same physical antennas to serve multiple purposes through different virtual responder configurations. The same hardware infrastructure supports multiple measurement configurations, reducing device complexity while maintaining the capability to perform measurements at different spatial locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 enables accurate and reliable range determination, even in dynamically changing environments, facilitating more precise localization and improved user experience by allowing actions such as unlocking devices or transitioning power states when the range is within a threshold distance.

Implementation Method 1

using the time of flight of electromagnetic signals and the speed of light, the range between electronic devices can be determined

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTime of flight: Time of Flight

Data Source

PatentUS11558071B2Wireless ranging using physical and virtual responders

Publication Date: 2023.01.17 APPLE INC

AI summary

An electronic device configures two or more virtual responders associated with different subsets of capabilities of a physical responder in the electronic device, where the physical responder comprises a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver and multiple antennas, and where a given virtual responder corresponds to the RF transceiver and a given antenna. Then, the electronic device performs, based at least in part on wirelessly communication with a second electronic device and using at least the virtual responders, measurements on wireless signals from the second electronic device to the electronic device, where the measurements correspond to a time of flight of the wireless signals. Next, the electronic device determines, based at least in part on the measurements, a range between the electronic device and the second electronic device, where the determination uses the measurements from different virtual responders to correct for an environmental condition and/or increase an accuracy of the determined range.