Link Labs, Inc.

Mark Olden Bloechl

Patrick Li

Ricardo Luna, Jr

Brian Emery Ray

Scott Wohler

Adrian Sapio

Richard Kevin Sawyer, Jr

Ricardo Luna

Provided are a system and method for coordinating dual wireless communications protocols when implementing a time difference of arrival (TDOA) framework for ranging between nodes. A first of the protocols (e.g., BLE) can be used for transmission of synchronization and TDOA schedules that prescribe synchronization and TDOA frames. The synchronization and TDOA frames can then be executed according to a second of the protocols (e.g., UWB), thus exemplifying an efficiency in energy consumption owing to an absence of transitioning between the first and second protocols transmissions throughout the schedules.

Real-time location system using sequenced wireless communications protocols for scheduling timings of node synchronization and time difference of arrival ranging between nodes

Provided are a system and method for selectively coordinating operations of wireless communications nodes according to a plurality of included wireless communications protocols. Such selective coordination encompasses transitioning transmit and receive windows to be operable according to a respective protocol depending upon the occurrence of a ranging operation, whereas the transitioning is targeted at conserving energy consumption.

Real-time location system for selectively coordinating operative wireless communications protocols when ranging between supporting nodes

Provided are a system and method for coordinating dual wireless communications protocols when implementing a time difference of arrival framework for ranging between nodes. A first of the protocols (e.g., BLE) can be used to initiate synchronization and measurement staging, while ensuing calculations according to such synchronization and measurement can be conducted according a second of the protocols (e.g., UWB). In these regards, transitioning between the aforementioned protocols can result in a conservation of air time involved in an entirety of TDOA processes, and thus a conservation of energy.

Real-time location system using dual wireless communications protocols in a time difference of arrival framework for ranging between nodes

A communications system, including at least one tag and a plurality of beacons. The tags are configured to detect beacon advertisement messages, initiate a connection with at least one of the plurality of and transmit a Constant Tone (CT) to the at least one of the plurality of beacons. The tag is further configured to determine a location thereof based on the sampled CT from both the beacon and the tag and then report the location via the one of the beacons and/or an access point. Phase ranging mitigation techniques which include hop duplication, hop interpolation and ADC DC offset correction are employed so as to provide more accurate ranging values even in the case where there are many other devices in local proximity and which are competing for use of the same RF channels as those used by the tags and beacons.

Apparatus and method for mitigating interference when phase ranging among beacons and tags

Provided are a system and method for generating phase-coherent signaling via invocation of a respective phase synchronization calibration factor among wireless communications nodes. The calibration factor substantially and simultaneously removes an effect of multipath interference and propagation phase shift as between the nodes, thus allowing a direct correlation of phase with respect thereto in a subsequent phase-based ranging regime.

System and method for generating phase-coherent signaling via calibrated phase synchronization factors among wireless ranging nodes in a phase-based time difference of arrival framework

Provided are a system and method for generating phase-coherent signaling when ranging between a transmitting node and a receiving node during wireless communication. Phase coherence is established in response to phase adjustment of a signal to be transmitted from the receiving node, in which such adjustment is commensurate with at least an amount of phase attributable to signaling transmitted by the transmitted node and received at the receiving node. Phase shift attributable to the signaling is compensated for upon receipt of the signaling at a tag in communication with the receiving node.

System and method for generating phase-coherent signaling when ranging between wireless communications nodes and to account for phase shift therebetween

Provided are a system and method for geolocation of a tag relative to a predetermined threshold based upon receipt of duplicate beacon transmission for a same channel. In response to the duplicate transmission, the tag determines relative phase shift resulting from difference in path length, and evaluates correlation of a highest magnitude phase shift to the absence of any difference in path length to assess proximity of the tag with respect to the aforementioned predetermined threshold.

Apparatus and method for geolocating a tag relative to a threshold via phase-based time difference of arrival framework

Provided are a system and method for generating phase-coherent signaling when ranging between a transmitting node and a receiving node during wireless communication. Phase coherence is established in response to phase adjustment of a signal to be transmitted from the receiving node, in which such adjustment is commensurate with at least an amount of phase attributable to signaling transmitted by the transmitted node and received at the receiving node.

System and method for generating phase-coherent signaling when ranging between wireless communications nodes

Provided are a wireless communications node (WCN) and a method therefor achieving optimized estimation of coordinate location of the WCN relative to wireless communications with a plurality of reference points (RPs). To do so, the WCN coordinates clustering of such RPs, and determines an estimated coordinate location of the WCN based on one or more RPs of selected ones of clusters each having a centroid thereof that is measured as being most proximate the WCN when compared with unselected clusters.

Apparatus and method for optimizing wireless end node location determination via targeted proximity ranging to clusters of other wireless nodes

Provided are a wireless communications node (WCN) and a method therefor achieving mitigation of multipath interference via optimized estimation of coordinate location of the WCN relative to wireless communications with a plurality of reference points (RPs). To do so, the WCN effects a constrained gradient descent with respect to phase ranging measurements to one or more of the plurality to minimize a cost of error associated with the obtaining of such measurements.

Apparatus and method for mitigating effects of multipath interference between wireless communication nodes via constraint of estimated node location

Provided are systems and methods for reversing the conventional roles of central and peripheral devices in a BLE network. Doing so includes implementing an end node (EN) as the sole initiator of a connection between a particular EN and a particular access point (AP). Such implementation includes determining a location of the EN, in which that location is resolved by the EN and defined with respect to exchanges of Constant Tone Extensions (CTEs) between the EN and reference points (RPs).

BLE networking systems and methods providing central and peripheral role reversal with enhanced peripheral location determination using constant tone extension analysis for a same channel

Provided are systems and methods for reversing the conventional roles of central and peripheral devices in a BLE network. Doing so includes implementing an end node (EN) as the sole initiator of a connection between a particular EN and a particular access point (AP). Such implementation includes determining a location of the EN, in which that location is resolved by the EN and defined with respect to association with a reference point (RP) enabled to transmit an ultrasonic waveform serving as the primary basis for the location determination according to detection by the EN of a pseudo-random sequence derived from the MAC ID of the RP.

BLE networking systems and methods providing central and peripheral role reversal with enhanced peripheral location determination using ultrasonic waveform and correlation therefor

Provided are systems and methods for reversing the conventional roles of central and peripheral devices in a BLE network. Doing so includes implementing an end node (EN) as the sole initiator of a connection between a particular EN and a particular access point (AP). Such implementation includes determining a location of the EN based on position information for multiple reference points (RPs), which may in instances be supplied by the AP. Advantageously, the relative positioning is more particularly based on the received signal strengths (RSS) of beacon advertisement messages broadcast from the RPs, and refined by each of the position information.

BLE networking systems and methods providing central and peripheral role reversal with enhanced peripheral location determination

Provided are systems and methods for reversing the conventional roles of central and peripheral devices in a BLE network. Doing so includes implementing an end node (EN) as the sole initiator of a connection between a particular EN and a particular access point (AP). Such implementation includes determining a coordinate location of the EN based on position information for multiple reference points (RPs) and a time of flight (TOF) of an ultrasonic waveform transmitted by each of the RPs.

BLE networking systems and methods providing central and peripheral role reversal with enhanced peripheral location determination using ultrasonic waveform

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Elkridge, MD, United States of America

Mark Olden Bloechl