IP Library Granted Patent US 12,267,709
Granted Patent B2
US 12,267,709 · App. 17/722,197 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Techniques for wide bandwidth positioning in a wireless local area network

Inventors: Yanjun Sun (San Diego, CA); Alireza Raissinia (Monte Sereno, CA); Stephen Jay Shellhammer (Ramona, CA); Xiaoxin Zhang (Sunnyvale, CA); George Cherian (San Diego, CA); Alfred Asterjadhi (San Diego, CA); Abhishek Pramod Patil (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W24/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,267,709
App. No.
17/722,197
Granted
Apr 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In some aspects, two devices may support signaling and messaging designs that support bandwidths that are greater than 160 MHz for ranging null data packets (NDPs). For example, various signaling and messaging designs may support a use of a 320 MHz bandwidth for ranging NDPs as part of a ranging measurement procedure, which may offer greater resolution than narrower bandwidths. The signaling and messaging designs may include one or more updates for a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame, for a trigger frame, for session negation messages (such as one or both of an initial fine timing measurement (IFTM) frame and an IFTM request (IFTMR) frame), for segmentation techniques for ranging NDPs, or for any combination thereof.

Claims (76)

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors and that store processor-executable code that, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a ranging null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame, wherein the PPDU includes an indication of a bandwidth of ranging null data packets (NDPs) to be used for a ranging measurement procedure between the first device and a second device, the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 megahertz (MHz), and an indication of a puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHZ, and

receive a first set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the indication of the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz,

wherein a distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on measurements made of the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive the indication of the bandwidth via a bandwidth (BW) field in a universal signal (U-SIG) field of the PPDU.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the PPDU is an extremely high throughput multi-user PPDU (EHT MU PPDU); and

the U-SIG field is located in a physical preamble portion of the EHT MU PPDU.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive the indication of the bandwidth via a bit in a SERVICE field of the PPDU.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

the PPDU is a non-high throughput duplicate PPDU (non-HT duplicate PPDU); and

the bit is a seventh bit in the SERVICE field and is set to a one value to indicate the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive, in one or more of a beacon frame, a fine timing measurement request frame, or a fine timing measurement frame, a message that indicates a configuration of the puncturing pattern for the ranging NDPs.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive, in the ranging NDPA frame including the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, a message that indicates a dynamic configuration of the puncturing pattern for the ranging NDPs.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

apply the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs to the first set of one or more ranging NDPs; and

apply a different puncturing pattern to other ranging NDPs outside of the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth is received in an association identifier subfield of a station (STA) information field of the ranging NDPA frame; and

the ranging NDPA frame is transmitted in a non-high throughput duplicate PPDU (non-HT duplicate PPDU).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a second set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern, wherein determining the distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on a round-trip time associated with the first set of one or more ranging NDPs and the second set of one or more ranging NDPs.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PPDU includes, in a physical layer service data unit (PSDU) portion of the PPDU, the ranging NDPA frame including an NDP announcement variant subfield, the NDP announcement variant subfield including a first bit set to a zero value and a second bit set to a one value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

perform a radio frequency sensing based at least in part on the first set of one or more ranging NDPs to obtain channel state information of a local environment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs is 320 MHz.

14. An apparatus for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors and that store processor-executable code that, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a ranging null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame, wherein the PPDU includes an indication of a bandwidth of ranging null data packets (NDPs) to be used for a ranging measurement procedure between the first device and a second device, the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 megahertz (MHz), and an indication of a puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHZ; and

transmit a first set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the indication of the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz,

wherein a distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit the indication of the bandwidth via a bandwidth (BW) field in a universal signal (U-SIG) field of the PPDU.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:

the PPDU is an extremely high throughput multi-user PPDU (EHT MU PPDU); and

the U-SIG field is located in a physical preamble portion of the EHT MU PPDU.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit the indication of the bandwidth via a bit in a SERVICE field of the PPDU.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:

the PPDU is a non-high throughput duplicate PPDU (non-HT duplicate PPDU); and

the bit is a seventh bit in the SERVICE field and is set to a one value to indicate the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, in one or more of a beacon frame, a fine timing measurement request frame, or a fine timing measurement frame, a message that indicates a configuration of the puncturing pattern for the ranging NDPs.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, in the ranging NDPA frame including the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs, a message that indicates a dynamic configuration of the puncturing pattern for the ranging NDPs.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

apply the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs to the first set of one or more ranging NDPs; and

apply a different puncturing pattern to other ranging NDPs outside of the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein:

the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth is transmitted in an association identifier subfield of a station (STA) information field of the ranging NDPA frame; and

the ranging NDPA frame is transmitted in a non-high throughput duplicate PPDU (non-HT duplicate PPDU).

23. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive a second set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern, wherein determining the distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on a round-trip time associated with the first set of one or more ranging NDPs and the second set of one or more ranging NDPs.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the PPDU includes, in a physical layer service data unit (PSDU) portion of the PPDU, the ranging NDPA frame including an NDP announcement variant subfield, the NDP announcement variant subfield including a first bit set to a zero value and a second bit set to a one value.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the apparatus to:

perform a radio frequency sensing based at least in part on the first set of one or more ranging NDPs to obtain channel state information of a local environment.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs is 320 MHz.

27. A method for wireless communication at a first device, comprising:

receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a ranging null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame, wherein the PPDU includes an indication of a bandwidth of ranging null data packets (NDPs) to be used for a ranging measurement procedure between the first device and a second device, the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 megahertz (MHz), and an indication of a puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz; and

receiving a first set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the indication of the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz,

wherein a distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on measurements made of the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein receiving the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs comprises:

receiving the indication of the bandwidth via a bit in a SERVICE field of the PPDU.

29. A method for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:

transmitting a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a ranging null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame, wherein the PPDU includes an indication of a bandwidth of ranging null data packets (NDPs) to be used for a ranging measurement procedure between the first device and a second device, the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 megahertz (MHz), and an indication of a puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz; and

transmitting a first set of one or more ranging NDPs based at least in part on the indication of the bandwidth and the indication of the puncturing pattern that is associated with the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs being greater than 160 MHz,

wherein a distance between the first device and the second device is based at least in part on the first set of one or more ranging NDPs.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein transmitting the indication of the bandwidth of the ranging NDPs comprises:

transmitting the indication of the bandwidth via a bit in a SERVICE field of the PPDU.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2022
From: SUN, YANJUN; RAISSINIA, ALIREZA; SHELLHAMMER, STEPHEN JAY; ZHANG, XIAOXIN; CHERIAN, GEORGE; ASTERJADHI, ALFRED; PATIL, ABHISHEK PRAMOD
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 059840/0680 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230337025A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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