Wireless Ranging Reports for Responder ID and CIR Fragment Parsing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communications, existing technologies face challenges in accurately identifying responders during contention-based one-to-many multi-millisecond ranging and in parsing fragmented channel impulse report (CIR) taps due to incomplete or missing fragments, leading to incorrect distance calculations and decompression issues.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a one-to-many initiator report containing a resolvable private address (RPA) hash calculated using the responder's identity resolving key (IRK) and adding an indication in the PSDU to distinguish complete or partial RRs, ensuring correct responder identification and decompression.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If responders contend for access by randomly choosing ranging sub-rounds in one-to-many contention-based ranging, then multiple responders can transmit simultaneously, but the initiator cannot identify which responder won the contention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveranging operation efficiencyVSAvoidresponder identification
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (contention resolution field and responder identifier) that mediates between the random contention process and the initiator's need to identify the winning responder. This field acts as a bridge carrying identification information from the responder back to the initiator without disrupting the contention-based access method.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by having the winning responder include its identification information in the response frame sent back to the initiator. This feedback loop allows the initiator to learn which responder won the contention while maintaining the random access mechanism, resolving the information loss problem.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If CIR taps are compressed per Tx/Rx antenna pair to enable decompression on per Receive Report basis, then data transmission efficiency improves, but fragmented RRs cause decompression issues when parts are missing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoiddecompression accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the Channel Impulse Report (CIR) data into multiple fragments that can be transmitted separately in different Receive Reports. Each fragment is independently compressed per antenna pair, allowing flexible transmission while maintaining the ability to reconstruct the complete CIR when all fragments are received.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses preliminary action by including compression headers and fragmentation metadata in advance within each fragment. This preliminary structuring allows the receiving end to properly assemble and decompress the complete CIR data once all fragments are collected, preventing decompression errors from incomplete data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Duration of action of moving object

If the initiator sends One-to-many Poll Compact frames in subsequent sub-rounds after responders send first, then the transmission order is reversed, but the initiator still does not identify the responder

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveranging sub-round timingVSAvoidresponder identity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary field in the response frame that carries responder identification information. This intermediary mechanism ensures that regardless of which device transmits first in the sub-round, the initiator can always identify the responder through this dedicated information carrier.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4679902A1Enhancements to ranging and reporting in wireless communications
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 MEDIATEK INC
  • EP4679902A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4679902A1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(B)
  • EP4679902A1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(C)

AI summary

Techniques pertaining to enhancements to ranging and reporting in wireless communications are described. An apparatus, e.g., an initiator, performs a one-to-many contention-based ranging operation by: -a- generating a one-to-many initiator report (512); and -b- transmitting the one-to-many initiator report to a responder (514). The one-to-many initiator report contains a resolvable private address, RPA, hash calculated using an identity resolving key, IRK, of one of the responder.