阅读说明：本技术 使用测向特征进行资产定位 (Asset localization using direction finding features ) 是由 罗伯特·赫尔维伊 于 2019-02-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了用于使具有有限RF能力的移动设备能够经由多天线定位器设备获得用于寻找对象或资产的准确方向的系统、方法和设备。移动设备向定位器设备生成获得寻找资产的方向的请求。还可以做出向多天线定位器设备获得移动设备自己的定位的请求,该多天线定位器设备具有天线阵列并且位于具有良好RF可见性的固定定位处。定位器设备识别目标资产,并使用天线阵列从目标资产接收RF信号。在每个天线处信号被检测,并相位样本被记录。相位样本数据在诸如到达角和出发角算法的角度相关函数中被使用,以计算资产的方向。(Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for enabling mobile devices with limited RF capabilities to obtain an accurate direction for finding an object or asset via a multi-antenna locator device. The mobile device generates a request to the locator device to obtain directions to find the asset. A request may also be made to obtain the mobile device's own position from a multi-antenna locator device having an antenna array and located at a fixed location with good RF visibility. The locator device identifies a target asset and receives an RF signal from the target asset using an antenna array. At each antenna the signal is detected and phase samples are recorded. The phase sample data is used in angle correlation functions such as angle-of-arrival and angle-of-departure algorithms to calculate the orientation of the asset.)

1. A method of obtaining directional data for locating a target asset, comprising:

generating a request for directional data related to the target asset in response to a command from a requesting device;

transmitting the request for directional data related to the target asset to a multi-antenna locator device, wherein the multi-antenna locator device calculates the directional data of the target asset using bluetooth specific angle data calculated from signals transmitted between the target asset and the multi-antenna locator device; and

the directional data is received to facilitate locating the target asset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a positioning vector for the target asset using position data of the multi-antenna locator device and the directional data for positioning the target asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus is a network of single multi-antenna locator devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network of multi-antenna locator devices is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-antenna locator device executes host stack software using bluetooth specific angle calculations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the Bluetooth specific angle calculation comprises an angle of departure and angle of arrival algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating, on the multi-antenna locator device, directional data for the target asset further comprises:

detecting a particular signal from the target asset at a first antenna on the multi-antenna locator device;

traversing a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas detecting the particular signal;

recording phase samples on each antenna, thereby obtaining a plurality of phase samples; and

calculating a direction of the target asset using the plurality of phase samples and the Bluetooth specific angle calculation.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the requesting device uses the target asset's location vector and a requesting device location vector to calculate a distance estimate to the target asset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-antenna locator device determines a distance estimate between the multi-antenna locator device and the target asset.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a distance estimate between the requesting device and the multi-antenna locator apparatus, wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus determines the distance estimate between the requesting object and the multi-antenna locator apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multi-antenna locator device calculates an estimated location of the target asset relative to the requesting device using vector addition and transmits the estimated location to the requesting device.

12. A method of determining a location of a requesting device, comprising:

transmitting a request to a multi-antenna locator apparatus for providing location data of the requesting device, wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus determines a location of the requesting device relative to the locator apparatus using bluetooth-specific angle data calculated from signals transmitted between the requesting device and the locator apparatus; and

receiving positioning data from the multi-antenna locator device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining, by the multi-antenna locator apparatus, the location of the requesting device further comprises:

detecting a particular signal from the requesting device at a first antenna on the multi-antenna locator apparatus;

rotating a plurality of antennas, each antenna detecting the particular signal;

recording phase samples on each antenna, thereby obtaining a plurality of phase samples; and

calculating a direction of the requesting device using the plurality of phase samples and a Bluetooth specific angle calculation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus is a plurality of multi-antenna locator devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of multi-antenna locator devices comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the multi-antenna locator device has a plurality of antennas and host stack software that processes bluetooth angle data.

17. A system, comprising:

a mobile device having an asset location determination tool and configured to communicate a direction to a target asset;

a multi-antenna locator device having a plurality of antennas for detecting Radio Frequency (RF) signals and a location determination module configured to record and store phase sample data and perform Bluetooth angle data calculations using the phase sample data; and

A target asset configured to transmit the RF signal;

wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus receives the RF signal and determines a direction to the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multi-antenna locator apparatus comprises a front end module configured to transmit the direction of the target asset to the mobile device and to receive a request for direction data from the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the multi-antenna locator device is one of: a single multi-antenna locator device, or a bluetooth low energy mesh network of multi-antenna locator devices.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the bluetooth angle data calculation comprises one of: an angle-of-arrival function, a departure angle function, or a combination of an angle-of-arrival function and a departure angle function.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to mobile devices, and more particularly to software and devices for a direction finding (direction finding) tool that uses radio frequency signals and angle related data to locate objects and determine distances between objects.

Background

With the development of the trend of the internet of things (commonly referred to as IoT), the number of objects or objects that can now be described as being connected is also growing. This creates an increasing inventory of assets of all kinds that must be tracked, whether by the home, by a multinational company, or by an entity of a government agency. Therefore, a so-called direction finding function is highly required on mobile devices. In short, a tool that allows people, automated processes, and other entities to physically find objects, a tool that displays to the "user" the direction and distance in which an item of interest is found, would be desirable. For example, new features in the bluetooth specification support direction-finding features in devices. Similar features, tools, and applications may evolve toward other standards.

However, as with bluetooth, these features may require the device used to have significant Radio Frequency (RF) capabilities, which in turn may require the device to have multiple antennas to collect specific and accurate raw angle data. For example, a direction-finding feature may require a mobile device to have an antenna array in order to locate a target asset. One or both antennas may be placed at the corners of a device, such as a smartphone. However, the performance of these antennas may be significantly affected by movement and blockage of the user's hand or body and structures surrounding the user, all of which can reduce the RF visibility of the device in a given area. In addition, the small and limited form factor of many mobile devices limits antenna size and compromises control over the gain and directivity of the antennas in the devices.

There is a need for a system that enables mobile devices to utilize new direction finding tools. It is also desirable that the system be scalable so that more and more devices can be used to locate the same and more objects and assets in an ever-expanding IoT environment. In addition, it is desirable to shift the processing burden of executing direction-finding tools from mobile devices to more efficient and capable devices.

SUMMARY

Methods and systems for obtaining directional data that may be used to locate a target asset are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the mobile device is used in conjunction with a multi-antenna locator apparatus to locate a target asset. The direction data application or tool is launched by a user on a mobile device or a requesting device. This creates a request for directional data to find a target asset using the mobile device. The request is sent to a multi-antenna locator device that calculates directional data for the target asset using angle data derived from signals and tones (tones) sent between the target asset and the multi-antenna locator. The mobile device receives directional data about the target asset from the multi-antenna locator and displays the data in a manner that can be used by the user to locate the target asset. In one embodiment, the direction finding tool is used on a mobile device (such as a smartphone) that does not have multiple antennas. In one embodiment, the mobile device estimates a location vector for the target asset by using the position data and target asset direction data of the multi-antenna locator. In another embodiment, the multi-antenna locator apparatus is a network (such as a mesh network) of individual multi-antenna locator devices. Individual multi-antenna locator devices execute host stack software (host stack software) using an angle data algorithm, or a multi-antenna locator device composed of a plurality of devices executes host stack software using an angle data algorithm. In one embodiment, these calculations include departure angle and arrival angle tools.

In another embodiment, directional data associated with a target asset is calculated by receiving an extended signal from the target asset at an antenna on a multi-antenna locator device. The multi-antenna positioner traverses, rotates, or flips multiple antennas in an antenna array, each antenna receiving an extended signal. Software on the multi-antenna locator records and stores phase information about the tones of the signal as they are received on each antenna, thereby obtaining a plurality of phase samples. These phase samples are used to calculate the direction from which the spread signal emanates, thereby providing the direction of the target asset. The calculations use, for example, angle of departure and angle of arrival data available from bluetooth applications.

In another embodiment, the mobile device utilizes known position data of the multi-antenna locator device and the target asset position data to estimate the location of the target asset. The multi-antenna locator device determines a distance estimate between the multi-antenna locator and the target asset. A distance estimate is obtained for a distance between the mobile device and the multi-antenna locator apparatus, wherein the multi-antenna locator determines the distance estimate between the mobile device and the multi-antenna locator.

In another embodiment, a method for a mobile device to obtain its own position by utilizing a multi-antenna locator apparatus is disclosed. The mobile device sends a request for its own positioning to the multi-antenna locator apparatus. The multi-antenna locator uses specific angle data calculated from signals transmitted between the mobile device and the multi-antenna locator apparatus to determine the device location. Once these calculations are performed, the mobile device receives its own positioning data from the multi-antenna locator. The multi-antenna locator determines the location of the mobile device by receiving particular tones from the mobile device via multiple antennas on the multi-antenna locator apparatus. The multi-antenna positioner rotates a plurality of antennas, each of which receives a particular signal. At each antenna, phase samples are recorded and stored. The multi-antenna locator calculates the location of the mobile device using the plurality of phase samples and the bluetooth specific angle calculation.