Device Locationing Using Wireless Communication
A communication network of the present disclosure can determine one or more locations of communication devices within its geographic coverage area based upon one or more communication signals that are communicated within the communication network and/or between the communication network and another communication network. The communication devices within the communication network can be implemented to utilize, for example, an implicit beamforming technique to receive the one or more communication signals over multiple signal pathways. The communication devices can determine one or more characteristics of these various communication signals that are received over the multiple signal pathways to assist in determining the one or more locations. Thereafter, the communication devices can determine one or more properties of the various communication signals based upon the one or more characteristics to determine the one or more locations.
1 . A wireless access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless access point, comprising:
a plurality of receiving modules configured to determine a plurality of characteristics of a communication signal that is provided by a mobile communication device over different signal pathways from among a plurality of signal pathways; and
a processing module configured to calculate a property of the communication signal based upon the plurality of characteristics.
2 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the property comprises:
an angle of arrival (AoA) of the communication signal.
3 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is configured to operate in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication standard or protocol.
4 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of antennas configured to receive the communication signal over the different signal pathways before the mobile communication device associates with the wireless access point.
5 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is configured to determine a second property of a second communication signal sent by the wireless access point in response to the communication signal.
6 . The wireless access point of claim 5 , wherein the second property represents a radial point along a three-dimensional line from the wireless access point to the mobile communication device.
7 . The wireless access point of claim 5 , wherein the second property comprises:
a Time of Flight (ToF) between the mobile communication device and the wireless access point.
8 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of receiving modules is configured to determine the plurality of characteristics in accordance with an implicit beamforming technique.
9 . The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the communication signal comprises:
a request for location determination.
10 . A wireless access point in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication standard or protocol capable wireless network, the wireless access point, comprising:
a plurality of antennas configured to receive a communication signal that is transmitted by a mobile communication device within the WLAN over a plurality of signal pathways;
a plurality of receiving modules configured to determine a plurality of characteristics of the communication signal based upon the plurality of received communication signals; and
a processing module configured to:
calculate a property of the communication signal based upon the plurality of characteristics, and
communicate the property to the mobile communication device.
11 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the property comprises:
an angle of arrival (AoA) of the communication signal.
12 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the wireless network comprises:
a wireless local area network (WEAN).
13 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of antennas is configured to receive the communication signal before the mobile communication device associates with the wireless access point.
14 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the mobile communication device is configured to determine a second property of a second communication signal sent by the wireless access point in response to the communication signal.
15 . The wireless access point of claim 14 , wherein the second property represents a radial point along a three-dimensional line from the wireless access point to the mobile communication device.
16 . The wireless access point of claim 14 , wherein the second property comprises: a Time of Flight (Top) between the mobile communication device and the wireless access point.
17 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of receiving modules is configured to determine the plurality of characteristics in accordance with an implicit beamforming technique.
18 . The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the communication signal comprises:
a request for location determination.
19 . A method for locating a communication device within a wireless network, the method comprising:
receiving, by the communication device, a communication signal having a request for location determination that was transmitted by a second communication device over a plurality of signal pathways;
determining, by the communication device a plurality of characteristics of the communication signal based upon the plurality of received communication signals; and
calculating, by the communication device, a property of the communication signal based upon the plurality of characteristics.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining, by the second communication device, its location based upon the first property and a second property of a second communication signal provided by the communication device in response to the communication signal.