Method of determining a distance between a first device and a second device

1. A method of determining a distance between a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

performing an initial-ranging-operation, by exchanging two multi-frame ranging cycles between the first device and the second device, to calculate:

a clock ratio, wherein the clock ratio represents the ratio of a clock speed at the first device to a clock speed at the second device; and

a multi-frame-cycle-ToF as the time difference between a message being sent by the first device and being received by the second device as part of the initial-ranging-operation;

setting a previous-message-ToF as the multi-frame-cycle-ToF;

performing a plurality of single-message ranging cycles, wherein each single-message ranging cycle comprises:

at a predetermined first-device-cycle-time after an earlier message is sent from the first device to the second device, the first device sending a single-ranging-message to the second device;

determining a second-device-cycle-time as the time between the second device receiving the single-ranging-message and the earlier message being received by the second device;

determining a current-message-ToF based on:

the previous-message-ToF,

the first-device-cycle-time,

the clock ratio, and

the second-device-cycle-time,

wherein the current-message-ToF represents the time of flight of the single-ranging-message travelling from the first device to the second device;

calculating a distance between the first device and the second device based on the current-message-ToF; and

setting the previous-message-ToF for the next single-message ranging cycle as the current-message-ToF.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is an initiator device, and the second device is a responder device, the method further comprising;

performing a first multi-frame ranging cycle, which includes:

the initiator device sending a first-cycle-first-message to the responder device; and

in response to receiving the first-cycle-first-message, the responder device sending a first-cycle-second-message back to the initiator device;

performing a second multi-frame ranging cycle, which includes:

the initiator device sending a second-cycle-first-message to the responder device after a first-ranging-time, wherein the first-ranging-time is the time between the first-cycle-first-message being sent and the second-cycle-first-message being sent; and

in response to receiving the second-cycle-first-message, the responder device sending a second-cycle-second-message back to the initiator device;

measuring a second-ranging-time as the time between the first-cycle-first-message being received and the second-cycle-first-message being received;

calculating a first-cycle-ToF as the time difference between the first-cycle-first-message being sent by the initiator device and received by the responder device;

calculating a second-cycle-ToF as the time difference between the second-cycle-first-message being sent by the initiator device and received by the responder device;

calculating a clock ratio based on the first-ranging-time, the second-ranging-time, the first-cycle-ToF and the second-cycle-ToF; and

setting the multi-frame-cycle-ToF as the first-cycle-ToF or the second-cycle-ToF.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

for the first single-message ranging cycle, the earlier message is the second-cycle-first-message; and

for the second and subsequent single-message ranging cycles, the earlier message is the single-ranging-message from an earlier single-message ranging cycle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

for the second and subsequent single-message ranging cycles, the earlier message is the single-ranging-message from the immediately preceding earlier single-message ranging cycle.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

the initiator device sending a first-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the first-cycle-second-message, as part of the first multi-frame ranging cycle; and

the initiator device sending a second-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the second-cycle-second-message, as part of the second multi-frame ranging cycle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second device is an initiator device, and the first device is a responder device, the method further comprising:

performing a first multi-frame ranging cycle, which includes:

the initiator device sending a first-cycle-first-message to the responder device; and

in response to receiving the first-cycle-first-message, the responder device sending a first-cycle-second-message back to the initiator device;

performing a second multi-frame ranging cycle, which includes:

the initiator device sending a second-cycle-first-message to the responder device after a first-ranging-time, wherein the first-ranging-time is the time between the first-cycle-first-message being sent and the second-cycle-first-message being sent; and

in response to receiving the second-cycle-first-message, the responder device sending a second-cycle-second-message back to the initiator device;

measuring a second-ranging-time as the time between the first-cycle-first-message being received and the second-cycle-first-message being received;

calculating a first-cycle-ToF as the time difference between the first-cycle-second-message being sent by the responder device and received by the initiator device;

calculating a second-cycle-ToF as the time difference between the second-cycle-second-message being sent by the responder device and received by the initiator device;

calculating a clock ratio based on the first-ranging-time, the second-ranging-time, the first-cycle-ToF and the second-cycle-ToF;

setting the multi-frame-cycle-ToF as the first-cycle-ToF or the second-cycle-ToF.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

setting the predetermined first-device-cycle-time by scaling a predetermined cycle-time of the initiator based on the clock ratio.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined cycle-time comprises the first-ranging-time.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

for the first single-message ranging cycle, the earlier message is the second-cycle-second-message; and

for the second and subsequent single-message ranging cycles, the earlier message is the single-ranging-message from an earlier single-message ranging cycle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

for the second and subsequent single-message ranging cycles, the earlier message is the single-ranging-message from the immediately preceding earlier single-message ranging cycle.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

the initiator device sending a first-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the first-cycle-second-message, as part of the first multi-frame ranging cycle; and

the initiator device sending a second-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the second-cycle-second-message, as part of the second multi-frame ranging cycle.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two multi-frame ranging cycles are single-sided or double-sided two-way ranging cycles.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after performing N single-message ranging cycles, performing a recalibration-ranging-operation by exchanging two multi-frame ranging cycles between the first device and the second device to recalculate:

the clock ratio; and

the multi-frame-cycle-ToF;

resetting the previous-message-ToF as the recalculated multi-frame-cycle-ToF; and

performing a further plurality of single-message ranging cycles using the recalculated clock ratio and the reset previous-message-ToF.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

adjusting the value of N over time.

15. A system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the system is configured to:

perform an initial-ranging-operation, by exchanging two multi-frame ranging cycles between the first device and the second device, to calculate:

a clock ratio, wherein the clock ratio represents the ratio of a clock speed at the first device to a clock speed at the second device; and

a multi-frame-cycle-ToF as the time difference between a message being sent by the first device and being received by the second device as part of the initial-ranging-operation;

set a previous-message-ToF as the multi-frame-cycle-ToF; and

perform a plurality of single-message ranging cycles, wherein each single-message ranging cycle comprises:

at a predetermined first-device-cycle-time after an earlier message is sent from the first device to the second device, the first device sending a single-ranging-message to the second device;

determining a second-device-cycle-time as the time between the second device receiving the single-ranging-message and the earlier message being received by the second device;

determining a current-message-ToF based on:

the previous-message-ToF,

the first-device-cycle-time,

the clock ratio, and

the second-device-cycle-time,

wherein the current-message-ToF represents the time of flight of the single-ranging-message travelling from the first device to the second device;

calculating a distance between the first device and the second device based on the current-message-ToF; and

setting the previous-message-ToF for the next single-message ranging cycle as the current-message-ToF.

16. The method of claim 2 , wherein the two multi-frame ranging cycles are single-sided or double-sided two-way ranging cycles.

17. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

after performing N single-message ranging cycles, performing a recalibration-ranging-operation by exchanging two multi-frame ranging cycles between the first device and the second device to recalculate:

the clock ratio; and

the multi-frame-cycle-ToF;

resetting the previous-message-ToF as the recalculated multi-frame-cycle-ToF; and

performing a further plurality of single-message ranging cycles using the recalculated clock ratio and the reset previous-message-ToF.

18. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

the initiator device sending a first-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the first-cycle-second-message, as part of the first multi-frame ranging cycle; and

the initiator device sending a second-cycle-third-message to the responder device in response to receiving the second-cycle-second-message, as part of the second multi-frame ranging cycle.

19. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

for the first single-message ranging cycle, the earlier message is the second-cycle-second-message; and

for the second and subsequent single-message ranging cycles, the earlier message is the single-ranging-message from an earlier single-message ranging cycle.

20. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

after performing N single-message ranging cycles, performing a recalibration-ranging-operation by exchanging two multi-frame ranging cycles between the first device and the second device to recalculate:

the clock ratio; and

the multi-frame-cycle-ToF;

resetting the previous-message-ToF as the recalculated multi-frame-cycle-ToF; and

performing a further plurality of single-message ranging cycles using the recalculated clock ratio and the reset previous-message-ToF.