IP Library Granted Patent US 7,639,182
Granted Patent B2
US 7,639,182 · App. 11/696,934 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Distance measurement in a radio communication device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,639,182
App. No.
11/696,934
Granted
Dec 29, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A radio communication arrangement including a plurality of transceivers and a distance measurement managing circuit. The distance measurement managing circuit is situated in a communication layer higher than the physical layer, is coupled with the plurality of transceivers, and controls the plurality of transceivers for measuring the distances of the respective plurality of transceivers to a specified position. The distance measurement managing circuit also receives and processes distance measurement values determined by the plurality of transceivers.

Claims (28)

1. A radio communication device, comprising:

a plurality of transceivers; and

a distance measurement managing circuit, which is situated in a communication layer higher than the physical layer and is coupled with the plurality of transceivers, configured to control the plurality of transceivers to measure respective distances of the plurality of transceivers to a specified position, and configured to receive and process distance measurement values measured by the plurality of transceivers.

2. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance measurement managing circuit is configured to determine the distance of the radio communication device to the specified position using the distance measurement values.

3. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio communication device is part of a mobile communication network, and the distance measurement managing circuit is part of a core network of the mobile communication network.

4. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication layer is one layer selected from the group of layers consisting of the session layer, the presentation layer or the application layer.

5. The radio communication device according to claim 4 , wherein the communication layer is the L2CAP layer or the application layer in a Bluetooth system architecture.

6. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance measurement managing circuit is configured to control the plurality of transceivers such that at least two transceivers of the plurality of transceivers measure the respective distances of the at least two transceivers to the specified position simultaneously.

7. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance measurement managing circuit is configured to process the distance measurement values by determining an average value for at least two of the distance measurement values.

8. The radio communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two distance measurement values are determined by at least two different transceivers of the plurality of transceivers.

9. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transceivers are short-range radio transceivers.

10. The radio communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of transceivers are Bluetooth transceivers.

11. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the specified position is the position of another transceiver.

12. The radio communication device according to claim 11 , wherein the other transceiver is a short-range radio transceiver.

13. The radio communication device according to claim 11 , wherein the other transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

14. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising a distance measurement circuit, wherein the distance measurement managing circuit is configured to control the distance measurement circuit to determine the distance of the distance measurement circuit to the specified position, and the distance measurement managing circuit is further configured to receive and process distance measurement values determined by the plurality of transceivers and the distance measurement circuit.

15. The radio communication device according to claim 14 , wherein the distance measurement circuit is a satellite navigation system receiver.

16. The radio communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance measurement management circuit comprises a correction circuit configured to adapt a distance measurement value received from at least one transceiver of the plurality of transceivers based on control information, which is received from the at least one transceiver, wherein the control information specifies reliability of the respective distance measurement value.

17. The radio communication device according to claim 16 , wherein the correction circuit is a dynamic correction circuit.

18. The radio communication device according to claim 16 , wherein the correction circuit is a static correction circuit, which adapts the respective distance measurement value of the at least one transceiver based on at least one stored statistical correction factor.

19. A method for distance measuring, comprising:

controlling a plurality of transceivers of a radio communication device to measure respective distances of the plurality of transceivers to a specified position by a distance measurement managing circuit, which is situated in a communication layer higher than the physical layer and is coupled with the plurality of transceivers; and

receiving and processing distance measurement values determined by the plurality of transceivers by the distance measurement managing circuit.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the communication layer is one layer selected from the group of layers consisting of the session layer, the presentation layer or the application layer.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the communication layer is the L2CAP layer or the application layer in a Bluetooth system architecture.

22. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising controlling the plurality of transceivers such that at least two transceivers of the plurality of transceivers measure the respective distances of the plurality of transceivers to the specified position simultaneously.

23. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising processing the distance measurement values by determining an average value for at least two of the distance measurement values.

24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the at least two distance measurement values are determined by at least two different transceivers of the plurality of transceivers.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2020
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053518/0586 →
CONFIRMATORY ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2018 Recorded Aug 12, 2020
From: INTEL DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053477/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 6, 2015
From: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS GMBH
To: INTEL DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 037057/0061 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2012
From: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY GMBH
To: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 027556/0709 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2012
From: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
To: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 027548/0623 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2007
From: SCHMIDT, ANDREAS; SCHWAGMANN, NORBERT; LUFT, ACHIM; BENKERT, MICHAEL
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
Reel/Frame 019414/0841 →