Position and orientation tracking system, apparatus and method
Inventors
GOFF, Daniel Thomas • Alwood, Robert Barlow • Faulkner, William Todd • LOUNSBURY, William Petersen
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11656316-B2
Publication Date
2023-05-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
A position and orientation determining system includes a first radio frequency (RF) device including at least one antenna configured to receive and transmit RF signals, a first radio unit in communication with the at least one antenna, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The system further includes a second RF device includes a constellation of antennae including at least three receiving antennae, a second radio unit in communication with the constellation of antennae, and a processor configured to determine a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the first RF device relative to the second RF device based on computing at least two of three angles in the second RF device coordinate frame (XY, XZ and YZ) computed from carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the at least one antenna of the first RF device, and estimating a direction of a gravity vector generated by the IMU.
Core Innovation
The invention is a position determining system using a first radio frequency (RF) device and a second RF device, each with a radio unit in communication with one or more antennas. The second RF device includes a constellation of antennae including at least three receiving antennae, and a processor determines a three-dimensional position of the first RF device relative to the second RF device.
The determining computes at least two of three angles (XY, XZ, YZ) in the second RF device coordinate frame based on carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the first RF device. The system further computes a distance between the first RF device and the second RF device based on a baseband code phase range measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF) between the first RF and second RF devices.
In related embodiments, the processor determines a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation, and includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The orientation is supported by estimating a direction of a gravity vector generated by the IMU, and the second RF device can additionally include a display driver that renders images in a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environment based on the determined three-dimensional position of the first RF device relative to the second RF device.
Claims Coverage
The partial claim set includes three independent claims, with inventive features centered on CPD-based angle computation in the second device coordinate frame and TOF baseband code phase range distance computation, optionally augmented with IMU gravity-vector-based three-axis angular orientation and VR/AR rendering.
Cpd-based angle determination in second device coordinate frame with TOF distance
Computing at least two of three angles in the second RF device coordinate frame (XY, XZ and YZ) based on carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the first RF device, and computing a distance between the first RF device and the second RF device based on a baseband code phase range measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF) between the first RF and second RF devices.
Gravity-vector-aided three-axis angular orientation with CPD angles and TOF distance
Computing at least two of three angles in the second RF device coordinate frame (XY, XZ and YZ) based on carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the first RF device, estimating a direction of a gravity vector generated by the IMU, and computing a distance between the first RF device and the second RF device based on a baseband code phase range measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF) between the first RF and second RF devices.
Cpd-based angle determination with TOF distance in a method
Computing at least two of three angles in the second RF device coordinate frame (XY, XZ and YZ) based on carrier phase difference (CPD) measurements taken between each pair of the at least three receiving antennae when receiving a single RF signal transmitted from the first RF device, and computing a distance between the first RF device and the second RF device based on a baseband code phase range measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF) between the first RF and second RF devices.
Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage is the combined determination of position using CPD-derived angles in the second RF device coordinate frame and distance using round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF) based on baseband code phase range. The position-and-orientation independent claim additionally includes IMU-based gravity vector direction estimation to determine three-axis angular orientation.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Rendering images in a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environment based on the determined three-dimensional position of the first RF device relative to the second RF device.
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