Satellites in a non-terrestrial network may provide positioning reference signals (PRS) to user equipment (UE), with which the UE may determine its position using propagation delay difference measurements, such as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) measurement. Due to the large distances between satellites and the UE, the propagation delay differences in the PRS received from satellites may exceed half a radio frame, resulting in a frame level timing ambiguity in the differential measurements. The satellites transmit secondary PRS, along with primary PRS, that include timing information to resolve frame level timing ambiguity of the primary PRS. The positioning occasions in the secondary PRS, for example, may be aligned with corresponding positioning occasions primary PRS within each radio frame, and are transmitted with a periodicity that is an integer multiple (greater than 1) of that of the primary PRS to resolve the frame level timing ambiguity of the primary PRS.

Navigation beacons may be trained to receive signals of opportunity from one or more vehicles, to recognize their own position based on such signals, and to transmit information regarding their own position to one or more other vehicles accordingly. The navigation beacons may be of small size and feature a basic construction including one or more transceivers, power sources and the like, and may communicate via a Bluetooth® Low Energy, Ultra Wideband or long-range low-power wireless standard, or any other standard. The navigation beacons may be installed in any location, preferably being mounted to one or more existing fixed structures or facilities (e.g., transportation structures or facilities), and may operate in active and/or passive modes when learning their positions or servicing position information to one or more remote devices.

A method is provided for localizing mobile tags using a system including a plurality of anchors located at known locations, the method including: transmitting a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) localization packets using respective anchors of the plurality of anchors, in which each of the plurality of localization packets is transmitted by a respective anchor of the plurality of anchors at a different respective delay time; and transmitting an update UWB packet with either an anchor of the plurality of anchors that does not transmit one of the localization packets, or with a mobile tag, in which the localization packets include no payloads, the update packet includes a payload, and in which successive ones of the plurality of localization packets and the update packet overlap with each other in time. A system for localizing mobile tags is also provided.

A radio frequency (RF) device includes a spatial orientation sensor and logic circuit configured to determine spatial orientation of the RF device relative to a reference position or relative to a RF transmitter. In particular, the RF device determines a distance between the RF receiver and the RF transmitter based on a received signal strength of the signal and a determined spatial orientation of the RF device, by determining an orientation compensation value from a stored orientation compensation profile and determining a resulting compensated received signal strength. The RF device is thereby able to determine distance in an orientationally-invariant manner.

A system for determining the location of a wireless device is described, the system includes a map, a fixed beacon, a fixed sensor and a server component. The server component receives a beacon identifier and a beacon signal strength from a wireless device. A sensor is located on the map. The fixed sensor receives the beacon identifier and the sensor captures a measured sensor beacon signal strength. The sensor is communicatively coupled to the server component. The server component receives the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength from the fixed sensor. The server component uses the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device and the sensor beacon signal strength and the beacon identifier received by the sensor to determine the location of the wireless device.

A system for determining the location of a wireless device is described, the system includes a map, a fixed beacon, a fixed sensor and a server component. The server component receives a beacon identifier and a beacon signal strength from a wireless device. A sensor is located on the map. The fixed sensor receives the beacon identifier and the sensor captures a measured sensor beacon signal strength. The sensor is communicatively coupled to the server component. The server component receives the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength from the fixed sensor. The server component uses the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device and the sensor beacon signal strength and the beacon identifier received by the sensor to determine the location of the wireless device.

Presently disclosed is a system, apparatus, and method for navigating and orienting roadway vehicles by use of a network of embedded navigation beacons within a roadway. A plurality of primary navigation beacons are embedded into a roadway surface with sensors, and communicate with a car and a smaller subset of secondary beacons with connection to the internet. Further disclosed is a landing pad for a drone delivery system, the landing pad acting as a navigational beacon and safe landing location indicator for the aerial drone.

An apparatus, computer program and method is described comprising: obtaining, at a receiver, during a first phase of operation, one or more first downlink positioning reference samples from each of a plurality of communication nodes of a mobile communication system, wherein the receiver operates in a wide-beam or omnidirectional mode during the first phase of operation; determining first response estimates of channels between the receiver and each of said each communication nodes, based on the positioning reference samples obtained for the respective communication node; selecting, for each communication node, a receiver beam for receiving positioning signals from the respective communication node, based, at least in part, on the respective first channel response estimate; and receiving, at the receiver, in a second phase of operation, one or more second downlink positioning reference samples from each of the plurality of communication nodes using the selected receiver beams.

A control system includes a communications unit, an acquisition unit, and an output unit. The communications unit communicates with a transmitter that transmits a wireless signal. The acquisition unit acquires location information about a location of the transmitter based on the wireless signal that has been transmitted from the transmitter and received by the communications unit. The output unit has an instruction signal including adjustment information transmitted, in accordance with the location information acquired by the acquisition unit, from the communications unit to the transmitter. The adjustment information is used to vary at least one of a time interval at which the transmitter transmits the wireless signal or transmission power with which the transmitter transmits the wireless signal.

A control system includes a communications unit, an acquisition unit, and an output unit. The communications unit communicates with a transmitter that transmits a wireless signal. The acquisition unit acquires location information about a location of the transmitter based on the wireless signal that has been transmitted from the transmitter and received by the communications unit. The output unit has an instruction signal including adjustment information transmitted, in accordance with the location information acquired by the acquisition unit, from the communications unit to the transmitter. The adjustment information is used to vary at least one of a time interval at which the transmitter transmits the wireless signal or transmission power with which the transmitter transmits the wireless signal.