US-12621699-B2 - Method, apparatus, and system for wireless sensing measurement and reporting

US12621699B2US 12621699 B2US12621699 B2US 12621699B2US-12621699-B2

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems for wireless sensing are described. In one example, a described system in a wireless data communication network comprises: a transmitter configured to transmit a time series of at least one wireless sounding signal (WSS) based on a standard wireless network protocol associated with the wireless data communication network, and a receiver. The wireless data communication network comprises a physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and at least one higher layer. The receiver is configured to: receive the time series of at least one WSS (TSWSS) based on the standard wireless network protocol through a wireless channel of a venue, and perform a plurality of wireless sensing measurements based on the received TSWSS to obtain sensing measurement results based on the standard wireless network protocol. The PHY layer or the MAC layer of the receiver provides the sensing measurement results locally to the at least one higher layer of the receiver based on the standard wireless network protocol. The sensing measurement results are available to the at least one higher layer of the receiver for performing a sensing-based task based on the sensing measurement results.

Inventors

Oscar Chi-Lim Au
Beibei Wang
K. J. Ray Liu
Hung-Quoc Duc Lai

Assignees

Oscar Chi-Lim Au
Beibei Wang
K. J. Ray Liu
Hung-Quoc Duc Lai

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20231223

Claims (20)

1 . A standardized proxy wireless sensing method, comprising: configuring a proxy initiator device in a wireless data communication network to (1) select a particular device in the wireless data communication network to function as a particular selected sensing responder device for a standardized proxy wireless sensing and (2) perform the standardized proxy wireless sensing by requesting a proxy responder device to cause wireless sensing measurements to be performed in the wireless data communication network by a plurality of sensing responder devices in the wireless data communication network comprising the particular selected sensing responder device to generate sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated among the proxy responder device, the particular selected sensing responder device and the rest of the plurality of sensing responder devices, wherein the proxy initiator device, the proxy responder device and the particular selected sensing responder device are three different devices; wirelessly transmitting, by the proxy initiator device performing the standardized proxy wireless sensing, a proxy sensing request message to the proxy responder device in the wireless data communication network based on a standard wireless network protocol to request the proxy responder device to, as a proxy of the proxy initiator device, perform wireless sensing in the wireless data communication network as a sensing initiator device on its behalf with the particular selected sensing responder device identified in the proxy sensing request message and with the rest of the plurality of sensing responder devices; initiating, by the proxy responder device in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device, sensing sessions as the sensing initiator device with the plurality of sensing responder devices comprising the particular selected sensing responder device identified in the proxy sensing request message based on the standard wireless network protocol to perform wireless sensing measurements to generate sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated among the plurality of sensing responder devices and the sensing initiator device, wherein the particular selected sensing responder device is selected by the proxy initiator device; initiating, by the proxy responder device, as the sensing initiator device, one of the sensing sessions with the particular selected sensing responder device based on an identification of the particular selected sensing responder device specified by the proxy initiator device in the proxy sensing request message; providing a report in a report frame either (1) non-locally by the particular selected sensing responder device to the sensing initiator device, or (2) locally from a physical (PHY) layer or a medium access control (MAC) layer of the particular selected sensing responder device to a higher layer of the particular selected sensing responder device, or (3) both, according to a bit pattern in a configuration field of a sensing measurement setup request message based on the standard wireless network protocol, wherein: when the configuration field has a first-type bit pattern, the report is provided locally to the higher layer of the particular selected sensing responder device in a first reporting way but not to any device other than the particular selected sensing responder device, according to the standard wireless network protocol, when the configuration field has a second-type bit pattern, the report is provided both locally to the higher layer of the particular selected sensing responder device in the first reporting way and non-locally to the sensing initiator device other than the particular selected sensing responder device in a second reporting way different from the first reporting way, according to the standard wireless network protocol, and the sensing measurement setup request message is transmitted by the proxy responder device to the particular selected sensing responder device in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device; and performing a sensing task to produce a sensing task result by at least one processor based on the sensing measurement results obtained from the wireless sensing measurements.
2 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 1 , further comprising: selecting the particular selected sensing responder device by the proxy initiator device; and specifying an identity (ID) of the particular selected sensing responder device in a first field of the proxy sensing request message by the proxy initiator device.
3 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 2 , further comprising: using a first bit pattern of a third field in the proxy sensing request message to specify a presence of the ID of the particular selected sensing responder device in the proxy sensing request message; and using a second bit pattern of the third field in the proxy sensing request message to specify an absence of the ID of the particular selected sensing responder device in the proxy sensing request message.
4 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 2 , wherein the ID of the particular selected sensing responder device comprises one of: a medium access control (MAC) address, a network address, a network ID, an internet protocol (IP) address, a multicast ID, an ID in a network associated with the proxy responder device, a name, an identifying number, an alphanumeric ID, a representation, a device ID, a device name, a device product name, a host name, a client name, a vendor ID, a vendor class ID, a serial number, a host ID, a client ID, a UUID, or a GUID.
5 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 1 , further comprising: configuring the proxy initiator device to select a number of particular selected sensing responder devices; selecting the number of particular selected sensing responder devices by the proxy initiator device; indirectly causing wireless sensing measurements to be performed by the number of particular selected sensing responder devices to obtain sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated by the number of selected sensing devices; wirelessly transmitting the proxy sensing request message by the proxy initiator device to the proxy responder device based on the standard wireless network protocol to request the proxy responder device to function as a sensing initiator device to initiate sensing sessions with a plurality of sensing responder devices comprising the number of particular selected sensing responder devices based on the standard wireless network protocol to perform wireless sensing measurements to obtain sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated among the proxy responder device, the number of particular selected sensing responder devices and the rest of the plurality of sensing responder devices, wherein the number of particular selected sensing responder devices are requested in the proxy sensing request message, wherein in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device, initiating a respective sensing session by the proxy responder device with each respective particular selected sensing responder device of the number of particular selected sensing responder devices selected by the proxy initiator device to perform respective wireless sensing measurements to obtain respective sensing measurement results based on respective wireless sounding signals communicated by the respective particular selected sensing responder device.
6 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 5 , further comprising: specifying a plurality of ID's in a first field of the proxy sensing request message by the proxy initiator device, wherein the plurality of ID's comprise an ID of each of the number of particular selected sensing responder devices.
7 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 6 , further comprising: specifying an amount of the plurality of ID's in a second field of the proxy sensing request message by the proxy initiator device, wherein the amount is greater than or equal to a quantity of the number of particular selected sensing responder devices.
8 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 7 , further comprising: using a first bit pattern of a third field in the proxy sensing request message to specify a presence, in the proxy sensing request message, of both (a) the plurality of ID's in the first field comprising the ID of the number of particular selected sensing responder devices and (b) the amount in the second field; and using a second bit pattern of the third field in the proxy sensing request message to specify an absence, in the proxy sensing request message, of both (a) the plurality of ID's in the first field comprising the ID of the number of particular selected sensing responder devices and (b) the amount in the second field.
9 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to the proxy sensing request message, wirelessly transmitting a proxy sensing response message by the proxy responder device to the proxy initiator device, using a first bit pattern in a first field of the proxy sensing response message to confirm that the proxy responder device will function as the sensing initiator device to initiate sensing sessions with a plurality of sensing responder devices comprising the number of particular selected sensing responder devices requested in the proxy sensing request message based on the standard wireless network protocol to perform wireless sensing measurements to obtain sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated among the proxy responder device, the number of particular selected sensing responder devices, and the rest of the plurality of sensing responder devices.
10 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 9 , further comprising: in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device, wirelessly transmitting by the proxy responder device a respective sensing measurement setup request message to each of the plurality of sensing responder devices comprising the number of particular selected sensing responder devices specified in the proxy sensing request message wherein a respective third bit pattern in a respective third field in the respective sensing measurement setup request message is used by the proxy responder device to request to start a respective sensing session to perform respective wireless sensing measurements; in response to the respective sensing measurement setup request message from the proxy responder device, wirelessly transmitting a respective sensing measurement setup response message to the proxy responder device by each of the plurality of sensing responder devices comprising the number of particular selected sensing responder devices requested by the proxy initiator device in the proxy sensing request message, wherein a respective fourth bit pattern of a respective fourth field of the respective sensing measurement setup response message is used by the particular selected sensing responder device to agree to start the respective sensing session to perform the respective wireless sensing measurements; and in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device and the number of sensing measurement setup response messages from the plurality of sensing responder devices, wirelessly transmitting the proxy sensing response message with the first bit pattern in the first field by the proxy responder device to the proxy initiator device.
11 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device, wirelessly transmitting a proxy sensing response message by the proxy responder device to the proxy initiator device, using a second bit pattern in a first field of the proxy sensing response message to confirm that the proxy responder device will function as the sensing initiator device to initiate sensing sessions with the plurality of sensing responder devices excluding the particular selected sensing responder device requested by the proxy initiator device in the proxy sensing request message based on the standard wireless network protocol to perform wireless sensing measurements to obtain sensing measurement results based on wireless sounding signals communicated among the proxy responder device and the plurality of sensing responder devices excluding the particular selected sensing responder device.
12 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 11 , further comprising: in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device, wirelessly transmitting by the proxy responder device the sensing measurement setup request message to the particular selected sensing responder device specified by the proxy initiator device in the proxy sensing request message, using a third bit pattern in a third field in the sensing measurement setup request message by the proxy responder device to request to start a sensing session with the particular selected sensing responder device to perform wireless sensing measurements; in response to the sensing measurement setup request message from the proxy responder device, wirelessly transmitting a sensing measurement setup response message by the particular selected sensing responder device to the proxy responder device using a fifth bit pattern in a fourth field to decline the request to start a sensing session to perform wireless sensing measurements; and in response to the proxy sensing request message from the proxy initiator device and the sensing measurement setup response message from the particular selected sensing responder device, wirelessly transmitting the proxy sensing response message with the second bit pattern in the first field by the proxy responder device to the proxy initiator device to indicate that the particular selected sensing responder device will not be involved in the wireless sensing measurements.
13 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 10 , further comprising: specifying a respective sensing measurement parameter using a respective sixth bit pattern in a respective sixth field in the respective sensing measurement setup request message sent to each respective particular selected sensing responder device by the proxy responder device; performing the respective wireless sensing measurements based on the standard wireless network protocol according to the respective sensing measurement parameter by the respective particular selected sensing responder device based on respective wireless sounding signals communicated by the respective particular selected sensing responder device.
14 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 13 , further comprising: specifying a respective requested parameter related to the respective sensing measurement parameter by the proxy initiator device in the proxy sensing request message to the proxy responder device.
15 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 14 , wherein: the respective requested parameter specified in the proxy sensing request message transmitted from the proxy initiator device to the proxy responder device is equivalent to the respective sensing measurement parameter specified in the respective sensing measurement setup request message transmitted from the proxy responder device to each of the plurality of sensing responder devices.
16 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 13 , further comprising performing the respective wireless sensing measurements based on the standard wireless network protocol by: functioning as a respective sensing transmitter device by the respective particular selected sensing responder device according to the respective sensing measurement parameter; transmitting respective wireless sounding signals by the respective particular selected sensing responder device to a respective sensing receiver device in the plurality of sensing responder devices; and generating respective sensing measurement results by the respective sensing receiver device based on the respective received wireless sounding signals.
17 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 16 , further comprising: obtaining, by the proxy initiator device, the respective sensing measurement results provided by the respective sensing receiver device via the proxy responder device to the proxy initiator device based on the standard wireless network protocol; and performing the sensing task to produce the sensing task result by the at least one processor of the proxy initiator device based on the obtained respective sensing measurement results.
18 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 13 , further comprising performing the respective wireless sensing measurements based on the standard wireless network protocol by: functioning as a respective sensing receiver device by the respective particular selected sensing responder device according to the respective sensing measurement parameter; receiving respective wireless sounding signals from a respective sensing transmitter device in the plurality of sensing responder devices by the respective particular selected sensing responder device; and generating respective sensing measurement results by the respective particular selected sensing responder device based on the respective received wireless sounding signals.
19 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 18 , further comprising performing the respective wireless sensing measurements further by: providing the respective sensing measurement results locally by the respective particular selected sensing responder device from either a physical (PHY) layer or a medium access control (MAC) layer of the respective particular selected sensing responder device to at least one higher layer of the respective particular selected sensing responder device.
20 . The standardized proxy wireless sensing method of claim 19 , further comprising: performing the sensing task to produce the sensing task result by a respective processor of the respective particular selected sensing responder device in the at least one higher layer of the respective particular selected sensing responder device based on the respective sensing measurement results provided locally by either the PHY layer or MAC layer of the respective particular selected sensing responder device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application hereby incorporates by reference the entirety of the disclosures of, and claims priority to, each of the following cases: (a) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/199,963, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING”, filed on May 21, 2023,(b) PCT patent application PCT/US22/45708, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING”, filed on Oct. 4, 2022,(c) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/838,231, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING AND QUALIFYING DEVICES FOR WIRELESS SENSING”, filed on Jun. 12, 2022, which incorporates by reference and claims priority to: (1) U.S. Provisional Patent application 63/293,065, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR SPEECH ENHANCEMENT AND SEPARATION”, filed on Dec. 22, 2021,(2) U.S. Provisional Patent application 63/300,042, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING AND SLEEP TRACKING”, filed on Jan. 16, 2022,(3) U.S. Provisional Patent application 63/332,658, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING”, filed Apr. 19, 2022,(4) U.S. Provisional Patent application 63/349,082, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING VOICE ACTIVITY DETECTION”, filed on Jun. 4, 2022,(5) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/909,940, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR QUALIFIED WIRELESS SENSING”, filed on Jun. 23, 2020, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,391,830 B2 on Jul. 19, 2022, (d) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/827,902, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR SPEECH ENHANCEMENT AND SEPARATION BASED ON AUDIO AND RADIO SIGNALS”, filed on May 30, 2022,(e) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/838,228, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING BASED ON CHANNEL INFORMATION”, filed on Jun. 12, 2022,(f) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/838,244, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS SENSING BASED ON LINKWISE MOTION STATISTICS”, filed on Jun. 12, 2022,(g) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/888,429, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR RADIO BASED SLEEP TRACKING”, filed on Aug. 15, 2022,(h) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/891,037, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR MAP RECONSTRUCTION BASED ON WIRELESS TRACKING”, filed on Aug. 18, 2022,(i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/945,995, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS VITAL MONITORING USING HIGH FREQUENCY SIGNALS”, filed on Sep. 15, 2022. TECHNICAL FIELD The present teaching generally relates to wireless sensing. More specifically, the present teaching relates to methods, system and devices for performing wireless sensing measurement and reporting. BACKGROUND With the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, billions of household appliances, phones, smart devices, security systems, environment sensors, vehicles and buildings, and other radio-connected devices will transmit data and communicate with each other or people, and everything will be able to be measured and tracked all the time. Among the various approaches to measure what is happening in the surrounding environment, wireless sensing has received an increasing attention in recent years because of the ubiquitous deployment of wireless radio devices. In addition, human activities affect wireless signal propagations, therefore understanding and analyzing the way how wireless signals react to human activities can reveal rich information about the activities. As more bandwidth becomes available in the new generation of wireless systems, wireless sensing will make many smart IoT applications only imagined today possible in the near future. That is because when the bandwidth increases, one can see many more multipaths, in a rich-scattering environment such as in indoors or metropolitan area, which can be treated as hundreds of virtual antennas/sensors. Some technical standards, including e.g. IEEE 802.11bf, support wireless sensing, but have still not yet finished the standardization regarding many details of the wireless sensing, e.g. how to perform wireless sensing measurement and reporting. As such, an efficient and effective method for wireless sensing measurement and reporting is desirable. SUMMARY The present teaching generally relates to wireless sensing. More specifically, the present teaching relates to methods, system and devices for performing wireless sensing measurement and reporting. In one embodiment, a system in a wireless data communication network for wireless sensing is described. The system comprises: a transmitter configured to transmit a time series of wireless sounding signals (WSS) based on a wireless protocol associated with the wireless data communication network, and a receiver. The wireless data communication network comprises a physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and at least one higher layer. The receiver is confi