IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,019,140
Granted Patent B2
US 12,019,140 · App. 17/805,425 · Granted Jun 25, 2024

Techniques for improving ranging between electronic devices

Inventors: Benjamin Werner (San Jose, CA); Merrick McCracken (Sunnyvale, CA); Robert Brumley (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G01S13/46G01S5/0252G01S5/0289G01S5/10H04W64/006G01S5/0218G01S2013/468
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,019,140
App. No.
17/805,425
Granted
Jun 25, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile device may receive a plurality of timestamps, wherein the plurality of timestamps indicate sending and receiving time for ranging packets and response packets. The mobile device may calculate a responder turn-around time as a first difference between the second time and the first time. The mobile device may calculate a responding round trip time as a second difference between the second time and the third time. The mobile device may receive from the electronic device an initiator turn-around time and an initiator round trip time. The mobile device may calculate a frequency offset for the wireless protocol using the responder turn-around time, the responding round trip time, the initiator turn-around time, and the initiator round trip time. The mobile device may compare an observed frequency offset to the calculated frequency offset to determine a frequency offset difference and whether it exceeds a threshold, adjusting a ranging measurement.

Claims (48)

1. A method of ranging via a wireless protocol with an electronic device by a mobile device, the method performed by the mobile device comprising:

obtaining a first set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the mobile device for a ranging session between the mobile device and the electronic device;

obtaining a second set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the electronic device for the ranging session;

calculating a frequency offset between a first oscillator of the mobile device and a second oscillator of the electronic device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements;

comparing an observed frequency offset to the calculated frequency offset to determine a frequency offset difference; and

when the frequency offset difference exceeds a threshold, adjusting a ranging measurement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observed frequency offset is determined from a measured signal of the wireless protocol of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a range between the electronic device and the mobile device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the first set of time measurements includes:

receiving, via the wireless protocol, an information packet comprising a first timestamp from the electronic device in a first ranging packet, the first timestamp indicating a first transmission time of the first ranging packet; and

calculating a second timestamp indicating a second transmission time for the mobile device to transmit a response packet to the first ranging packet,

wherein the method further comprises:

sending, via the wireless protocol, the calculated second timestamp to the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the ranging measurement comprises applying a weighting to the ranging measurement based at least on the frequency offset difference.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a previously calculated ranging based at least on the frequency offset difference.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a direction to the electronic device based at least in part on received data packets.

8. A mobile device configured to perform ranging via a wireless protocol with an electronic device, the mobile device comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and one or more processors in communication with the memory and configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a first set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the mobile device for a ranging session between the mobile device and the electronic device;

obtaining a second set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the electronic device for the ranging session;

calculating a frequency offset between a first oscillator of the mobile device and a second oscillator of the electronic device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements;

comparing an observed frequency offset to the calculated frequency offset to determine a frequency offset difference; and

when the frequency offset difference exceeds a threshold, adjusting a ranging measurement.

9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the observed frequency offset is determined from a measured signal of the wireless protocol of the electronic device.

10. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise calculating a range between the electronic device and the mobile device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements.

11. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the first set of time measurements includes:

receiving, via the wireless protocol, an information packet comprising a first timestamp from the electronic device in a first ranging packet, the first timestamp indicating a first transmission time of the first ranging packet; and

calculating a second timestamp indicating a second transmission time for the mobile device to transmit a response packet to the first ranging packet,

wherein the operations further comprise:

sending, via the wireless protocol, the calculated second timestamp to the electronic device.

12. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the adjusting the ranging measurement comprises applying a weighting to the ranging measurement based at least on the frequency offset difference.

13. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying a previously calculated ranging based at least on the frequency offset difference.

14. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise calculating a direction to the electronic device based at least in part on received data packets.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors of a mobile device to perform operations to perform ranging via a wireless protocol with an electronic device, the operations comprising:

obtaining a first set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the mobile device for a ranging session between the mobile device and the electronic device;

obtaining a second set of time measurements for signals sent and received by the electronic device for the ranging session;

calculating a frequency offset between a first oscillator of the mobile device and a second oscillator of the electronic device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements;

comparing an observed frequency offset to the calculated frequency offset to determine a frequency offset difference; and

when the frequency offset difference exceeds a threshold, adjusting a ranging measurement.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 15 , wherein the observed frequency offset is determined from a measured signal of the wireless protocol of the electronic device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise calculating a range between the electronic device and the mobile device using the first set of time measurements and the second set of time measurements.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the first set of time measurements includes:

receiving, via the wireless protocol, an information packet comprising a first timestamp from the electronic device in a first ranging packet, the first timestamp indicating a first transmission time of the first ranging packet; and

calculating a second timestamp indicating a second transmission time for the mobile device to transmit a response packet to the first ranging packet,

wherein the operations of claim 1 further comprise:

sending, via the wireless protocol, the calculated second timestamp to the electronic device.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 15 , wherein the adjusting the ranging measurement comprises applying a weighting to the ranging measurement based at least on the frequency offset difference.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying a previously calculated ranging based at least on the frequency offset difference.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17169025 · Feb 5, 2021
Provisional Application 63083754 · Sep 25, 2020
Related Publication 20220299621A1 · Sep 22, 2022