IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,273,787
Granted Patent B2
US 12,273,787 · App. 18/502,421 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Prioritized scheduling for UWB ranging

Inventors: Robert Edgar Barton (Richmond, CA); Jerome Henry (Pittsboro, NC); Matthew Aaron Silverman (Shaker Heights, OH)
Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
H04W4/023H04B1/7163H04W72/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,273,787
App. No.
18/502,421
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Presented herein are techniques for scheduling Ultra-Wideband (UWB) anchors and mobile devices for client ranging. A control device can determine respective ranging priorities for a plurality of mobile devices, which are each assigned to at least one UWB anchor. The control device can obtain at least one collision mapping identifying, for a respective pair of the mobile devices, a collision probability that a UWB signal associated with a ranging procedure involving a first mobile device of the respective pair will collide with a UWB signal associated with a ranging procedure involving a second mobile device of the respective pair. The control device can establish a ranging schedule for the mobile devices and UWB anchors based on the respective UWB ranging priorities and the collision mapping(s). The control device can send at least one command to cause UWB ranging procedures to be performed according to the ranging schedule.

Claims (38)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a respective Ultra-Wideband (UWB) ranging priority for each of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with at least one UWB anchor of a set of UWB anchors for UWB ranging;

obtaining collision probability data for the plurality of mobile devices, the collision probability data identifying for at least a respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices, a collision probability that a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a first mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices will collide with a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a second mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices;

establishing a periodic ranging schedule comprising a plurality of time slots for the plurality of mobile devices and the set of UWB anchors, wherein the plurality of time slots are allocated based on the respective UWB ranging priority for each of the plurality of mobile devices and the collision probability data; and

transmitting the periodic ranging schedule to at least one of the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the periodic ranging schedule comprises, for respective primary UWB anchors of the set of UWB anchors, allocating one or more time slots to mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices assigned to the respective primary UWB anchors for ranging.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein allocating the one or more time slots comprises assigning a first mobile device having a first priority exclusively to a first time slot of the one or more time slots and assigning a second mobile device having a second priority lower than the first priority non-exclusively to a shared time slot of the one or more time slots.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein assigning the second mobile device to the shared time slot is part of an assignment of multiple mobile devices to the shared time slot, the assignment of the multiple mobile devices performed in an order starting from a lowest collision probability.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending at least one command to cause UWB ranging procedures to be performed according to the periodic ranging schedule.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one command causes at least one primary UWB anchor of the set of UWB anchors to transmit a frame to particular mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices, which particular mobile devices are assigned to the at least one primary UWB anchor for ranging, and the frame is to encode scheduling information for the particular mobile devices to range according to the periodic ranging schedule.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the respective UWB ranging priority for each of the plurality of mobile devices comprises obtaining at least one authentication service attribute associated with each particular one of the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein obtaining the at least one authentication service attribute associated with each particular one of the plurality of mobile devices comprises obtaining in the at least one authentication service attribute at least one of a field indicating a relative priority or a required ranging interval.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to enable network communications; and

one or more processors coupled to the interface and configured to perform operations, comprising:

determining a respective Ultra-Wideband (UWB) ranging priority for each of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with at least one UWB anchor of a set of UWB anchors for UWB ranging;

obtaining collision probability data for the plurality of mobile devices, the collision probability data identifying for at least a respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices, a collision probability that a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a first mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices will collide with a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a second mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices;

establishing a periodic ranging schedule comprising a plurality of time slots for the plurality of mobile devices and the set of UWB anchors, wherein the plurality of time slots are allocated based on the respective UWB ranging priority for each of the plurality of mobile devices and the collision probability data; and

transmitting the periodic ranging schedule to at least one of the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein establishing the periodic ranging schedule comprises, for respective primary UWB anchors of the set of UWB anchors, allocating one or more time slots to mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices assigned to the respective primary UWB anchors for ranging.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein allocating the one or more time slots comprises assigning a first mobile device having a first priority exclusively to a first time slot of the one or more time slots and assigning a second mobile device having a second priority lower than the first priority non-exclusively to a shared time slot of the one or more time slots.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein assigning the second mobile device to the shared time slot is part of an assignment of multiple mobile devices to the shared time slot, the assignment of the multiple mobile devices performed in an order starting from a lowest collision probability.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

sending at least one command to cause UWB ranging procedures to be performed according to the periodic ranging schedule.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one command causes at least one primary UWB anchor of the set of UWB anchors to transmit a frame to particular mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices, which particular mobile devices are assigned to the at least one primary UWB anchor for ranging, and the frame is to encode scheduling information for the particular mobile devices to range according to the periodic ranging schedule.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein determining the respective UWB ranging priority for each of the plurality of mobile devices comprises obtaining at least one authentication service attribute associated with each particular one of the plurality of mobile devices.

16. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, are operable to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a respective Ultra-Wideband (UWB) ranging priority for each of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with at least one UWB anchor of a set of UWB anchors for UWB ranging;

obtaining collision probability data for the plurality of mobile devices, the collision probability data identifying for at least a respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices, a collision probability that a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a first mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices will collide with a UWB signal associated with a UWB ranging procedure involving a second mobile device of the respective pair of the plurality of mobile devices;

establishing a periodic ranging schedule comprising a plurality of time slots for the plurality of mobile devices and the set of UWB anchors, wherein the plurality of time slots are allocated based on the respective UWB ranging priority for each of the plurality of mobile devices and the collision probability data; and

transmitting the periodic ranging schedule to at least one of the plurality of mobile devices.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 ,

wherein establishing the periodic ranging schedule comprises: for respective primary UWB anchors of the set of UWB anchors, allocating one or more time slots to mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices assigned to the respective primary UWB anchors for ranging.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein allocating the one or more time slots comprises assigning a first mobile device having a first priority exclusively to a first time slot of the one or more time slots and assigning a second mobile device having a second priority lower than the first priority non-exclusively to a shared time slot of the one or more time slots.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 18 , wherein assigning the second mobile device to the shared time slot is part of an assignment of multiple mobile devices to the shared time slot, the assignment of the multiple mobile devices performed in an order starting from a lowest collision probability.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:

sending at least one command to cause UWB ranging procedures to be performed according to the periodic ranging schedule.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2023
From: BARTON, ROBERT EDGAR; HENRY, JEROME; SILVERMAN, MATTHEW AARON
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 065477/0676 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18075631 · Dec 6, 2022
Continuation 17146838 · Jan 12, 2021
Provisional Application 63069917 · Aug 25, 2020
Related Publication 20240259764A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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