US 12,267,806 B2
Distributed generation of real-time location
Kyle Cooper, Plainwell, MI (US); and Eric Smith, Holland, MI (US)
Assigned to DENSO International America, Inc., Southfield, MI (US); and DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya-sha (JP)
Filed by DENSO International America, Inc., Southfield, MI (US); and DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed on Aug. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/896,207.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/240,392, filed on Sep. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0075008 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H04W 4/40 (2018.01); G01S 5/02 (2010.01); G01S 5/06 (2006.01); H04W 64/00 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 64/003 (2013.01) [G01S 5/0252 (2013.01); G01S 5/06 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining a location of a portable device relative to an object, said system comprising:
a first object device and a second object device disposed in fixed positions relative to the object, each of the first and second object devices having an antenna configured to receive communications wirelessly transmitted from the portable device;
the first object device including a first device controller configured to determine first location information about the portable device relative to the object, the first device controller including a first device locator configured to determine the first location information based on a first signal characteristic of communications transmitted from the portable device, wherein the first device locator is configured to determine the first location information based on multilateration of a plurality of signal characteristics indicative of at least one of time of flight and phase-based ranging of communications received from the portable device, wherein the first signal characteristic is included in the plurality of signal characteristics;
the second object device including a second device controller configured to determine second location information about the portable device relative to the object, the second device controller including a second device locator configured to determine the second location information based on a second signal characteristic of communications transmitted from the portable device, wherein the second device locator is configured to determine the second location information based on heuristic fingerprinting of a plurality of signal characteristics, wherein the second signal characteristic is included in the plurality of signal characteristics; and
wherein the location of the portable device relative to the object is determined based on the first and second location information determined respectively by the first and second device locators of the first and second object devices.