Method and device for high-precision determination of a mobile device and method for locating or positioning stationary devices

Abstract

A method and a device for high-precision position determination of a mobile device by means of wireless communication, wherein wireless communication is established between at least one first antenna of a calibration device and a second antenna of a mobile device when the antennae are in proximity to one another, to transmit position data to the mobile device. A housing section of the mobile device is fixed in a reference position relative to the calibration device using a position-fixing element, and in that the position data for the reference position, as the current position of the housing section of the mobile device, are transmitted via the wireless communication between the at least one first antenna, and the second antenna, and in that an inertial navigation unit is calibrated with respect to the current position.

Claims

1. A method for high-precision position determination of a mobile device by means of wireless communication, including near field communication (NFC), wherein wireless communication is established between at least one first antenna of a calibration device and one second antenna of a mobile device when said antennas are in proximity to one another, in order to transmit position data to the mobile device, wherein at least one housing section of the mobile device is fixed in a reference position (RX0, RY0, RZ0) relative to the calibration device by means of a position-fixing means, wherein the position data for the reference position, as the current position of the housing section of the mobile device, are transmitted via the wireless communication between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna, wherein an inertial navigation unit of the mobile device is calibrated with respect to the current position, wherein the first NFC antennas are arranged in the form of an NFC antenna array, wherein the mobile device, in a defined position, emits a signal by means of the second NFC antenna in the direction of the NFC antennas of the antenna array, which are switched to receiver mode, wherein the NFC antenna that receives a signal having the highest signal strength then emits NFC signals of different ranges, wherein with each NFC signal, at least one position data value that corresponds to the range of the NFC signal in question is transmitted, and wherein the position data of the NFC signal having the lowest received signal strength are stored as RX, RY, RZ position data for the second NFC antenna.

2. A method for high-precision position determination of a mobile device by means of near field communication (NFC), wherein the NFC is established between a first NFC antenna of a calibration device and a second NFC antenna of the mobile device when said devices are in proximity to one another, for the purpose of transmitting position data to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is positioned in a reproducibly defined position in relation to the position of the first NFC antenna, and wherein via the NFC communication between the at least one first NFC antenna and the second NFC antenna, the current position of the second NFC antenna is determined and is stored in a memory of the mobile device, and wherein an inertial navigation unit is calibrated with respect to the current position, wherein the first NFC antennas are arranged in the form of an NFC antenna array, wherein the mobile device, in a defined position, emits a signal by means of the second NFC antenna in the direction of the NFC antennas of the antenna array, which are switched to receiver mode, wherein the NFC antenna that receives a signal having the highest signal strength then emits NFC signals of different ranges, wherein with each NFC signal, at least one position data value that corresponds to the range of the NFC signal in question is transmitted, and wherein the position data of the NFC signal having the lowest received signal strength are stored as RX, RY, RZ position data for the second NFC antenna.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the NFC signals emitted by the at least one first NFC antenna have a range of 0 mmRW150 mm, wherein the signal strength of successive NFC signals is controlled such that a change in the range (RW) of successive signals is within the range of 0.50 mmRW10 mm.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the position data transmitted via the NFC signal comprise the geographic position of the first NFC antenna and at least one offset-position data value X, Y, Z that corresponds to the respective change in range of the emitted NFC signals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first NFC antenna first emits an NFC signal with a fixed position of the first NFC antenna, and then emits only NFC signals with at least one offset-position data value that corresponds to the change in range of the respective NFC signals in the propagation direction.

6. A calibration device for high-precision position determination of a mobile device by means of wireless communication, including near field communication (NFC), wherein the calibration device comprises: a memory that is configured to store position data corresponding to a reference position of the calibration device, wherein the calibration device includes at least one first NFC antenna, coupled to the memory and configured to initiate a transaction based on wireless communication, including NFC communication, wherein the mobile device includes a second NFC antenna and a control unit coupled thereto, wherein the wireless communication between the first NFC antenna and the second NFC antenna is initiated when the second NFC antenna is in proximity to the first NFC antenna, and wherein the position data are transmitted from the first NFC antenna to the second NFC antenna, wherein the calibration device is assigned a position fixing means, which is designed to fix a housing section of the mobile device in the reference position during wireless communication, and wherein the calibration device is designed to transmit the reference position as the current position to the mobile device, and wherein the control unit is designed to calibrate an inertial navigation unit of the mobile device with respect to the current position, wherein the first NFC antennas are arranged in the form of an NFC antenna array, wherein the mobile device, in a defined position, emits a signal by means of the second NFC antenna in the direction of the NFC antennas of the antenna array, which are switched to receiver mode, wherein the NFC antenna that receives a signal having the highest signal strength then emits NFC signals of different ranges, wherein with each NFC signal, at least one position data value that corresponds to the range of the NFC signal in question is transmitted, and wherein the position data of the NFC signal having the lowest received signal strength are stored as RX, RY, RZ position data for the second NFC antenna.

7. A calibration device for high-precision position determination of a mobile device by means of near field communication (NFC), wherein the calibration device comprises: at least one first NFC antenna and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store position data that correspond to a position of the NFC sensor, wherein the mobile device includes a second NFC sensor and a control unit coupled thereto, wherein the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor is initiated when the second NFC sensor is in proximity to the first NFC sensor, and wherein the position data are transmitted from the first NFC sensor to the second NFC sensor, wherein the calibration device is assigned a position-fixing means, which is designed to position a housing section of the mobile device in a reproducibly defined position relative to the position of the at least one first NFC antenna during the NFC communication, and wherein the at least one first NFC sensor is coupled to a control unit, which is designed to control the NFC communication between the at least one first NFC antenna and the NFC antenna for the purpose of acquiring current position data for the second NFC antenna, and wherein a control unit of the mobile device is designed to calibrate an inertial navigation unit with respect to the acquired current position data, wherein the first NFC antennas are arranged in the form of an NFC antenna array, wherein the mobile device, in a defined position, emits a signal by means of the second NFC antenna in the direction of the NFC antennas of the antenna array, which are switched to receiver mode, wherein the NFC antenna that receives a signal having the highest signal strength then emits NFC signals of different ranges, wherein with each NFC signal, at least one position data value that corresponds to the range of the NFC signal in question is transmitted, and wherein the position data of the NFC signal having the lowest received signal strength are stored as RX, RY, RZ position data for the second NFC antenna.

8. The calibration device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit coupled to the first NFC antenna is designed to transmit NFC signals of varying signal strengths, wherein with each NFC signal, at least one position data value that corresponds to the range of the NFC signal in question is transmitted, and wherein the control unit of the mobile device is designed to evaluate the received NFC signals such that the position data of the NFC signal having the lowest received signal strength are stored as position data for the second NFC antenna.

9. The calibration device according to claim 4, wherein the position-fixing means spans a reference coordinate system (RX, RY, RZ), wherein a single NFC antenna is located in an RX-RY plane, and/or wherein an array of NFC antennas is arranged in the RX-RY plane, and/or wherein one or more NFC antennas are arranged in the RX-RY plane, in an RX-RZ plane, or in an RY-RZ plane, and transmit NFC signals from different directions to the second NFC antenna.

10. The calibration device according to claim 4, wherein the position-fixing means includes mechanical stops in the RX, the RY, and/or the RZ direction, or a receptacle for at least one housing section of the mobile device, and/or wherein the position-fixing means is an angle disposed on an RX RY plane, and/or wherein the position fixing means is a non-slip mat with marking.

11. The calibration device according to claim 4, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone, tablet, or pen.

12. The calibration device according to claim 8, wherein the second NFC antenna is integrated into a tip of the pen and is coupled to a control unit integrated into the pen, wherein the control unit is designed to store the position data received from the second NFC antenna as position data for said antenna and to calibrate an inertial navigation unit with respect to the received position data.

13. The calibration device according to claim 5, wherein the position-fixing means spans a reference coordinate system (RX, RY, RZ), wherein a single NFC antenna is located in an RX-RY plane, and/or wherein an array of NFC antennas is arranged in the RX-RY plane, and/or wherein one or more NFC antennas are arranged in the RX-RY plane, in an RX-RZ plane, or in an RY-RZ plane, and transmit NFC signals from different directions to the second NFC antenna.

14. The calibration device according to claim 5, wherein the position-fixing means includes mechanical stops in the RX, the RY, and/or the RZ direction, or a receptacle for at least one housing section of the mobile device, and/or wherein the position-fixing means is an angle disposed on an RX RY plane, and/or wherein the position fixing means is a non-slip mat with marking.

15. The calibration device according to claim 5, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone, tablet, or pen.

16. The calibration device according to claim 12, wherein the second NFC antenna is integrated into a tip of the pen and is coupled to a control unit integrated into the pen, and wherein the control unit is designed to store the position data received from the second NFC antenna as position data for said antenna and to calibrate an inertial navigation unit with respect to the received position data.

17. The method according to claim 3, wherein RW=2 mm.

Description

(1) Additional details, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent not only from the claims and from the features specified therein, alone and/or in combination, but also from the following description of the preferred exemplary embodiment depicted in the drawings. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1a), b) a diagram of a calibration device for high-precision position determination of a mobile device, in views from the front and from the side,

(3) FIG. 2 a diagram of an alternative embodiment of a mobile device,

(4) FIG. 3 a diagram of an NFC communication process,

(5) FIG. 4 a diagram of a first embodiment of the calibration device,

(6) FIG. 5 a diagram of a second embodiment of the calibration device,

(7) FIG. 6 a diagram of a third embodiment of the calibration device,

(8) FIG. 7 a diagram of the interior of a building with calibration devices in rooms, control cabinets and/or equipment,

(9) FIG. 8 a diagram of a control cabinet with a calibration device, and

(10) FIG. 9 a diagram of an automation unit with a calibration device.

(11) FIGS. 1a) and 1b) schematically illustrate a calibration device 10 for the high-precision position determination of a mobile device 12 by means of near field communication (NFC), from a front view and a side view.

(12) Calibration device 10 comprises at least one NFC antenna 14 coupled to a control unit 16, such as a transceiver, which is assigned to a memory 17. Control unit 16 is configured to initiate a transaction on the basis of NFC signals (18.1 . . . 18.k). Memory 17 is configured to store position data in the form of geoposition data or user-defined coordinates that correspond to a position of the NFC antenna 14 or to a reference position of a position-fixing means 20 assigned to the calibration device 10.

(13) Mobile device 12 comprises at least one processor 22, an inertial navigation unit 24 having at least one acceleration sensor 26 and at least one magnetic field sensor 28, at least one NFC antenna 30 and a memory 32. Navigation unit 24, NFC antenna 30 and memory 32 are connected to a processor 22.

(14) Mobile device 12, e.g. a smartphone, may also include a navigation module 34 along with a high-frequency transceiver 36 for communication based on the WiFi, 4G-LTE, or Bluetooth standard.

(15) Mobile device 12 further comprises a display unit 38, on which, for example, a floor plan of the interior of a building, the current position of mobile device 12 and a navigation path to a destination point can be displayed.

(16) FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a mobile device 40 in the form of a pen, with a housing tip 42 and an attached housing 44. Located in the tip 42 of housing 44 is an NFC antenna 46 with control unit 47 as transceiver, for initiating NFC communication with NFC antenna 14 of calibration device 10 when pen 40 is in proximity to NFC antenna 14, in particular when it is at the coordinate system origin of position-fixing means 20.

(17) Mobile device 40 further comprises an inertial navigation unit 48 having at least one acceleration sensor 50 and at least one magnetic sensor 52. Transceiver 47 and inertial navigation unit 48 are connected to a processor 54. Further provided is a transmitting/receiving unit 54, which communicates via a radio standard such as WiFi or Bluetooth with an external device such as a smartphone, laptop or tablet or with a radio network to display the current position or orientation of mobile device 40 in an environment such as the interior of a building on a display unit.

(18) The invention is based upon the concept of determining the position of mobile device 12, 40 to millimeter accuracy on the basis of near field communication, and then transmitting the determined position to mobile device 12, 40, with the processor 22, 54 of mobile device 12, 40 being designed to calibrate the inertial navigation unit 24, 48 with respect to the current position of mobile device 12, 40.

(19) Based on the high-precision millimeter-accurate position determination of mobile device 12, 40, said device can be used for in-house navigation and for the localization and/or positioning of stationary objects.

(20) In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, mobile device 12, 40 is positioned in position-fixing means 20 of calibration device 10. Position-fixing means 20 may be embodied as an angular element, for example, with a first leg 58 extending along an RX axis and one leg 60 extending along an RY axis of a Cartesian reference coordinate system RX-RY-RZ. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the RY-RZ plane forms the plane of the drawing, with the RX axis pointing perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. Mobile device 12 is fixed in position-fixing means 20 in such a way that a rear wall 61 abuts the RX-RY plane, while an upper edge 62 runs along the RX axis against leg 58 and a side edge 64 runs along the RY axis against leg 60. One corner 65 of mobile device 12 therefore lies at the coordinate system origin RX0, RY0, RZ0.

(21) As soon as mobile device 12 is positioned in position-fixing means 20, NFC communication is activated between NFC antenna 14 and NFC antenna 30, and position data are transmitted from NFC antenna 14 to NFC antenna 30.

(22) To determine the millimeter-accurate position of NFC antenna 30 within mobile device 12, it is provided that NFC antenna 14 emits signals 18.1 . . . 18.k having varying signal strengths and thus varying ranges in succession. The signal strength is adjusted by control unit 16. With each signal 18.1 . . . 18.k, different position coordinates are emitted, with at least one RZ coordinate being proportional to the range of the signal or corresponding to the range of the signal.

(23) FIG. 3 shows the signals 18.1 . . . 18.k and their respective ranges with respect to the RZ axis of the reference coordinate system RX-RY-RZ. Here, it is assumed that NFC antenna 14 lies flat in the RX-RY plane, as shown in FIG. 1.

(24) For each axis, which has its own chipset, an axis value can be set. If only one chipset exists, e.g. on the Z axis, the X-Y values are emitted not with an offset, but with a constant value.

(25) With each signal, constant RX1-RZ1 coordinates are transmitted as RX-RY coordinates of NFC antenna 14, along with variable RZ1 coordinates that correspond to the range of the signal in question with respect to the RX-RY-RZ coordinate system. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the signal strength is controlled such that signals having a signal range difference RW of 2 mm are emitted. After mobile device 12 has been fixed in position-fixing means 20, NFC antenna 30 can receive only those signals whose range corresponds at least to the distance between NFC antenna 14 and NFC antenna 30 (in the example shown, signals 18.3 . . . 18.5). As a result, signals 18.1 and 18.2, which do not reach NFC antenna 30 due to their short range, are not used in determining the position of NFC antenna 30. The signals 18.3, 18.4, 18.5 received by NFC antenna 30 are analyzed in processor 22, and the signal having the lowest signal strength is selected from the received signals. The RZ coordinate of this signal corresponds to the DZ coordinate of NFC antenna 30.

(26) Therefore, the received coordinates correspond to an RX and RY position of the NFC antenna along with the transmitted RZ coordinate of NFC antenna 14, with an offset value that corresponds to the distance between NFC antenna 14 as transmitter and NFC antenna 30 as receiver. The current position of NFC antenna 30 and consequently also of mobile device 12 is thereby determined. The coordinates thus determined are stored in mobile device 12.

(27) The at least one acceleration sensor 26 and the at least one magnetic field sensor 28 are then calibrated with respect to the received current position of mobile device 12.

(28) It is also possible for the coordinates RX0, RY0, RZ0 of the coordinate system origin of the reference coordinate system to be stored as a reference position in memory 17 of control unit 16. These coordinates can be transmitted via NFC antenna 14 to mobile device 12, positioned in position-fixing means 20. Due to the defined position in the reference coordinate system, the origin coordinates can be used as the reference position for calibrating the inertial navigation unit 24, with calibration being performed at a housing tip 65 of mobile device 12, lying at the coordinate system origin RX0, RY0, RZ0 of the reference coordinate system.

(29) The basic concept of the present invention, i.e. transmitting the current position coordinates of mobile device 12 that correspond to its exact position to said mobile device, could also be implemented in this way.

(30) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of calibration device 10 in which NFC antenna 14 is designed as a surface antenna having a surface extension that is substantially larger than the surface area of NFC antenna 30, 46 of mobile device 12, 40. This ensures that in the near range, the signals 18.1 . . . 18.k emanating from NFC antenna 14 are largely in the shape of a wave running parallel to the RX-RY plane, and therefore, inaccuracies resulting from the spherical propagation of the signals 18.1 . . . 18.k can be disregarded.

(31) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a calibration device 66. In this embodiment, it is provided that a matrix-shaped array of NFC antennas 14.1 . . . 14.n is arranged in the RX-RY plane, with each individual NFC antenna 14.1 . . . 14.n being assigned a corresponding RX-RY coordinate of the reference coordinate system. NFC communication between NFC antennas 14.1 . . . 14.n and NFC antenna 30 of the mobile device is carried out according to the same principle as described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. However, the arrangement of NFC antennas 14.1 . . . 14.n in the form of an array enables greater accuracy in determining the RZ and the RX and RY coordinates of NFC antenna 30 to be achieved.

(32) In the embodiment of calibration device 66 shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible, once mobile device 12, 40 has been fixed in position-fixing means 20, for NFC antenna 30 to initially be switched to NFC transmitter mode and NFC antennas 14.1 . . . 14.n to NFC receiver mode. Thereafter, the NFC antenna 14.1 . . . 14.n that receives the strongest signal and is thus the shortest distance from NFC antenna 30 is selected, in the present case NFC antenna 14.2. NFC antenna 14.2 can then be switched to transmitter mode, in accordance with the NFC communication depicted in FIG. 3, to determine the distance, i.e. the RZ coordinate, of NFC antenna 30.

(33) With this method, the millimeter-accurate position of NFC antenna 30 within mobile device 12 can be transmitted to mobile device 12.

(34) FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of a calibration device 68, in which one or more NFC antennas 14.1 . . . 14.N are each arranged in an RX-RY plane, an RX-RZ plane or an RY-RZ plane. In this embodiment, signals can be transmitted from different directions to NFC antenna 30, to enable an exact position determination, e.g. by the triangulation method.

(35) FIG. 7 shows a floor plan 70 of the interior 72 of a building 74, in which calibration devices 10 are arranged distributed within the building interior for the high-precision, millimeter-accurate position determination of mobile device 12.

(36) Upon entering the interior 72, a user first launches a mobile interior navigation application on mobile device 12. To calibrate the mobile application, the user positions mobile device 12 in position-fixing means 20 of calibration device 10, e.g. near the entrance 76, starting up the NFC communication to determine and transmit the current position (reference position) to mobile device 12. The application is then calibrated in terms of position, i.e. it recognizes the starting position of mobile device 12.

(37) Once the exact position of mobile device 12 has been transmitted to said mobile device by calibration device 10, mobile device 12 can navigate within the interior 70 of building 72 without external devices. Navigation is carried out solely on the basis of inertial navigation unit 24 combined with positioning module 32, by which the floor plan 74 of interior 70 together with the actual position of mobile device 12 are displayed on display 38 of mobile device 12.

(38) Target objects 78, 80 such as rooms, control cabinets, components in control cabinets, equipment or other objects in interior 70, the coordinates of which are available in the mobile navigation application locally or in an external database outside of the mobile device, can then be located.

(39) The exact position of the objects 78, 80 can be transmitted to memory 32 via the near field communication between calibration device 10 and mobile device 12. It is also possible for the coordinates of the objects 78, 80 to already be stored in memory 32 or loaded into mobile device 12 from a radio network via transmitting/receiving unit 36.

(40) The 3-D coordinates of NFC antenna 14 or the reference positions are preferably stored in calibration device 10; the coordinates may be GPS-compatible geocoordinates or user-specific coordinates corresponding to the RX, RY, RZ reference coordinate system. In the present exemplary embodiment, the user-specific reference coordinate system RX=0, RY=0 and RZ=0 is used.

(41) FIG. 8 shows a control cabinet as target object 78, for example, with calibration device 10 and a plurality of components 80 such as switches, I/O units, controls, etc. To locate the specified component 80, mobile device 12 can be calibrated or re-calibrated at calibration device 10, connected to control cabinet 78, for the purpose of increasing precision. Component 80, the exact coordinates of which are stored in memory 32, can then be located with millimeter-accuracy by means of inertial navigation unit 24.

(42) FIG. 9 shows the possibility of positioning a device 82 at a predetermined position, e.g. in the interior 70 of building 72 or in control cabinet 78. For this purpose, device 82 includes an NFC antenna 84 with a control unit and also includes a position-fixing device 86. Mobile device 12, which knows the exact target position of device 82, is fixed in position-fixing device 86 and is moved with device 86 until the actual position displayed on the display of mobile device 12 corresponds to the target position.

(43) The NFC antenna 84 then enables the current position to be transmitted from mobile device 12 to a memory of device 82. The position data can be stored in a database, so that it is possible to subsequently locate the device 82.

(44) Since device 82 knows its current position, the device can in turn be used as a calibration device. This means that when devices with NFC technology are used in an industrial plant, any of these devices may be used as a calibration device. For such cases it is provided that an NFC stream specified by the device comprises the original NFC stream of the device and an extension, which correspond to the coordinates of the device.

(45) The calibration device according to the invention is distinguished from the prior art by a particularly high accuracy, lying in the millimeter range. The use of a calibration device 10 makes it possible to communicate the exact position to mobile device 12 at all times.

(46) In the real world, the position of the mobile device is always the same during the synchronization period. The coordinate that is set by the calibration device in the mobile device, e.g. the coordinate of the upper left corner of the mobile device, is used. The Z coordinate results from the distance between transmitting and receiving antennas. Two or more NFC chips are suitable for receiving. The mobile device emits a signal and the calibration device can include multiple receivers that can calculate the positions of the transmitter via triangulation.

(47) Since navigation in the interior space is based solely on inertial navigation unit 24, the method in mobile device 12 consumes far less energy than prior art solutions, because the wireless systems used in such solutions such as WiFi, Bluetooth and 4G-LTE are always active and therefore have a high energy consumption, which is usually disadvantageous for mobile devices.