Apparatus, system and method for improving position estimation and/or communication performance in a wireless communication network
An apparatus includes an antenna and a transceiver. The transceiver transmits a first signal via the antenna, the first signal including a unique identification of the apparatus and a request for receive information about the first signal at a receiver. The transceiver receives from the receiver a second signal via the antenna, the second signal including first information about a direction of arrival (DoA) of the first signal at the receiver and second information indicative of a location of the receiver.
1. A mobile device for a wireless communication network, the mobile device comprising:
an antenna; and
a transceiver, and
a signal processor,
wherein the transceiver is configured to
transmit a first signal via the antenna, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting a network entity of the wireless communication network to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity, and
receive from a plurality of network entities of the wireless communication network respective second signals via the antenna, each of the second signals comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted at the respective network entity and the location information about the location of the respective network entity, and
wherein the signal processor is configured to estimate a position of the mobile device using the DoAs and the location information included in the respective second signals.
2. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the estimated/predicted DoA information comprises an horizontal angle and a vertical angle, or a direction vector comprising one or more components of a coordinate system in which the mobile device and the plurality of network entities are located.
3. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein
the horizontal angle ranges from 0° to 360° or from 0° to 180°, and the vertical angle ranges from 0° to 180° or from 0° to 360°, or
the horizontal and vertical angles range from −180° to 180°, or
the horizontal and vertical angles are indicated in radiant.
4. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the location information comprises data corresponding to a position or to an identification of the network entity.
5. The mobile device according to claim 4 , wherein
in case the location information comprises data corresponding to the position of the network entity, the location information comprises a two- or three-dimensional vector comprising respective components of a coordinate system in which the mobile device and the plurality of network entities are located, and
in case the location information comprises an identification of the network entity, a map comprising one or more positions corresponding to respective network entities is provided, the map being accessible by the mobile device.
6. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal is defined in accordance with a communication protocol/standard, and comprises a random-based generated sequence, which is unique for the mobile device, or a fixed sequence, which is unique for the mobile device.
7. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the respective second signals are beamformed signals.
8. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the second signal is correlated with the unique identification of the mobile device such that only an intended mobile device is able to restore the DoA of the first signal and the location information.
9. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second signal further comprises position reference signals, and
the signal processor is configured to calculate time of arrival, ToA, estimates for the second signal using the position reference signals, to determine a distance from the network entity using the ToA estimates, and to estimate the position of the mobile device using the distance in addition to the DoA information.
10. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal processor is configured to determine a received power of the second signal, like a received signal strength indicator, RSSI, a Signal-to-Noise ratio, SNR, or other metrics, to determine a distance from the network entity using the received power, and to estimate the position of the mobile device using the distance in addition to the DoA information.
11. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal processor configured to estimate a direction of a main lobe of the second signal using the DoA of the first signal and the location information included in the second signal received from the network entity.
12. The mobile device apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the signal processor is configured to indicate, using the position of the mobile device and the estimated direction of the main lobe of the second signal, a direction in which the mobile device is to be moved to improve a communication with the network entity.
13. A network entity for a wireless communication network, the network entity comprising:
a plurality of antennas; and
a transceiver,
wherein the transceiver is configured to
receive from a mobile device of the wireless communication network a first signal via the plurality of antennas, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting the network entity to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity,
estimate or predict the DoA of the first signal, and
transmit to the mobile device a second signal via the plurality of antennas, the second signal comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted by the network entity and the location information about the location of the network entity.
14. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the estimated or predicted DoA information comprises an horizontal angle and a vertical angle, or a direction vector comprising one or more of a coordinate system in which the mobile device and the plurality of network entities are located.
15. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein
the horizontal angle ranges from 0° to 360° or from 0° to 180°, and the vertical angle ranges from 0° to 180° or from 0° to 360°, or
the horizontal and vertical angles range from −180° to 180° or from −90° to 90°, or
the horizontal and vertical angles are indicated in radiant.
16. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the location information comprises data corresponding to a position or to an identification of the network entity.
17. The network entity apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
in case the location information comprises data corresponding to the position of the network entity, the location information comprises a two- or three-dimensional vector comprising respective components of a coordinate system in which the mobile device and the plurality of network entities are located, and
in case the location information comprises an identification of the network entity, a map comprising one or more positions corresponding to respective network entities is provided, the map being accessible by the mobile device.
18. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the first signal is defined in accordance with a communication protocol/standard, and comprises a random-based generated sequence, which is unique for the mobile device, or a fixed sequence, which is unique for the mobile device.
19. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is configured to provide the second signal as a beamformed signal using the plurality of antennas.
20. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the second signal is correlated with the unique identification of the mobile device such that only an intended mobile device is able to restore the DoA of the first signal and the location information.
21. The network entity according to claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is configured to
transmit the second signal multiple times using the same beam, and/or
transmit the second signal using multiple beams at the same time and frequency, and/or
transmit the second signal using multiple beams on orthogonal resources, like time, frequency or code domain.
22. A wireless communication network, comprising:
one or more mobile devices, the mobile device comprising:
an antenna; and
a transceiver, and
a signal processor,
wherein the transceiver is configured to
transmit a first signal via the antenna, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting a network entity of the wireless communication network to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity, and
receive from a plurality of network entities of the wireless communication network respective second signals via the antenna, each of the second signals comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted at the respective network entity and the location information about the location of the respective network entity, and
wherein the signal processor is configured to estimate a position of the mobile device using the DoAs and the location information included in the respective second signals, and
a plurality of network entities of claim 13 .
23. The wireless communication network of claim 22 , wherein the mobile device comprises one of the following: a mobile terminal, an IoT device, ground based vehicles, such as robots or cars, aerial vehicles, such as manned or unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, the latter also referred to as drones,
and/or
the network entity comprises one of the following: a base station, a mobile terminal, an IoT device, ground based vehicles, such as robots or cars, aerial vehicles, such as manned or unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, the latter also referred to as drones.
24. The wireless communication network of claim 22 , wherein the wireless communication network uses an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform, IFFT, based signal, and wherein the IFFT based signal comprises OFDM with CP, DFT-s-OFDM with CP, IFFT-based waveforms without CP, f-OFDM, FBMC, GFDM or UFMC.
25. The wireless communication network of claim 22 , wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular network, a wireless local area network or a wireless sensor system.
26. A method, comprising:
transmitting a first signal via an antenna of a mobile device of a wireless communication system, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting a network entity of the wireless communication network to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity,
receiving, from a plurality of network entities of the wireless communication network respective second signals via the antenna, each of the second signals comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted at the respective network entity and the location information about the location of the respective network entity, and
estimating a position of the mobile device using the DoAs and the location information included in the respective second signals.
27. The method according to claim 26 , comprising
estimating a direction of a main lobe of the second signal using the DoA of the first signal and the location information included in the second signal received from the network entity.
28. The method according to claim 27 , comprising
indicating, using a position of the mobile device and the estimated direction of the main lobe of the second signal, a direction in which the mobile device is to be moved to improve a communication with the network entity.
29. A method, comprising:
receiving at a network entity of a wireless communication network a first signal from a mobile device of the wireless communication network, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting the network entity to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity,
estimating or predicting the DoA, of the first signal at the network entity, and
transmitting from the network entity to the mobile device a second signal, the second signal comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted by the network entity and the location information about the location of the network entity.
30. A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform, when said computer program is run by a computer, the method, comprising:
transmitting a first signal via an antenna of a mobile device of a wireless communication system, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting a network entity of the wireless communication network to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity,
receiving, from a plurality of network entities of the wireless communication network respective second signals via the antenna, each of the second signals comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted at the respective network entity and the location information about the location of the respective network entity, and,
estimating a position of the mobile device using the DoAs and the location information included in the respective second signals.
31. A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform, when said computer program is run by a computer, the method, comprising:
receiving at a network entity of a wireless communication network a first signal from a mobile device of the wireless communication network, the first signal comprising a unique identification of the mobile device and requesting the network entity to return a direction of arrival, DoA, of the first signal at the network entity together with location information about a location of the network entity,
estimating or predicting the DoA, of the first signal at the network entity, and
transmitting from the network entity to the mobile device a second signal, the second signal comprising the DoA of the first signal estimated or predicted by the network entity and the location information about the location of the network entity.