This disclosure relates to data communications.
In data communication between so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices, a variety of wireless data communication protocols are in use. IoT devices are typically low power, low range communication devices having specific functionality.
In the context of an apparatus such as a computer games machine communicating with such IoT devices, it can be useful for the apparatus to know where such devices are in the real environment around the apparatus.
The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.
A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The main unit 100 comprises various components, many of which are interconnected by a bus structure 120. By way of example, these components comprise: a central processing unit (CPU) 122, a graphics processing unit (GPU) 124 and a control and input/output (I/O) processor 126, each of which has associated random access memory (RAM) 123, 125, 127. A power supply unit (PSU) 130 is connectable to a mains or other power supply 134.
Further components connected to the bus structure 120 include a universal serial bus (USB) interface (I/F) 140, a video interface 142, a camera interface 144, a hard disk drive (HDD) interface 146, a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver 148, a WiFi transceiver 150 (a generic term for a transceiver operating under one or more of the IEEE 802.11 standards), a network interface 152 and Blu-Ray® disk drive (BDD) interface 154.
Considering the function of these components, the CPU 122 and GPU 124 cooperate to execute computer software to perform the main functions of the data processing apparatus such as (in this example) computer gaming functions. The control and I/O processor 126 performs functions relating to the overall control of operation of the apparatus and to control of the input/output interfaces 140 . . . 154 just described. The CPU 122, GPU 124 and/or control and I/O processor 126 operate under the control of computer program instructions or software which may be provided by a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium such as a hard disk drive 147 connected to the HDD interface 146, a BD drive 155 connected to the BDD interface 154, a memory card or other non-volatile memory (not shown) connected to the USB interface 140 or the like. During operation, the program instructions may be temporarily transferred to the RAM 123, 125 and/or 127, but the software is provided in these examples by the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. In other examples, the software may be provided, for example, by the network interface 152 from a network-based non-transitory machine-readable storage medium (not shown in
A broken line surrounds items within the main unit 100. The broken line extends around the hard disk drive 147 and the BD drive 155 to indicate that these are optionally part of the main unit, or they could be implemented as connectable peripherals.
The network interface 152 provides a connection to a data network such as the internet 153. The WiFi transceiver 150 and the BT transceiver 148 provide wireless radio frequency communications with one or more external devices (not shown). The camera interface 144 provides an interface to one or more cameras such as a camera 145. Note that the camera interface may be associated with the USB interface such that the physical connection of the camera 145 to the main unit 100 is via a USB connection. However, the camera interface 144 is shown separately in
The video interface 142 provides video data to an external display 143.
The arrangement of
The wireless interface receives the output 250 of the PHY layer and converts it into radio frequency signals for communication to a recipient device by an antenna 260.
The arrangement discussed above also operates to receive data from another communicating device. In this case, radio frequency signals are received by the antenna 260 and provided to the PHY unit 230 by the wireless interface 240. The PHY unit 230 handles forward error correction of the received signals and provides an output 220 to the MAC unit 210.
As part of its functionality, the wireless interface 240 provides an output 270 indicative of the radio frequency signal strength at the antenna 260 of a received data communication. The wireless interface is also responsive to a control signal 280 to control its current radio frequency output power in a transmitting mode.
The apparatus 300 can be of the form shown in
The apparatus 300 comprises the camera 145 discussed above, for example disposed locally to the apparatus 300 (in an example, the camera 145 could be disposed on top of or adjacent to a casing which houses the other components of the apparatus 300). The apparatus 300 also includes the WiFi transceiver 150 which may be of the form shown in
The external device 310 could be a so-called Internet of Things (IoT) device such as a sensor, a controlled device or the like. It also comprises a data processor 330, for example implemented by a CPU provided at the external device and running appropriate software which may be provided by a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. The external device has a WiFi transceiver 340 which may be of the form shown in
Note that a set of one or more such external devices may be in wireless data communication with the apparatus 300.
With regards to the apparatus 300, the WiFi transceiver 150 of the apparatus 300 provides an example of data communication circuitry to communicate data, by wireless radio frequency communication, with a set of one or more external devices such as the device 310, the data communication circuitry being configured to detect a corresponding wireless signal strength of a data communication from each of the external devices (for example, by means of the signal 270 discussed above).
A data processor such as the data processor 320 can detect a respective estimated separation of each of the set of external devices from the apparatus 300 in dependence upon the respective detected wireless signal strengths.
An image processor (for example implemented by the data processor 320) can detect, in images captured by camera such as the camera 145, an image of an external device having image properties consistent with the estimated separation of a given one of the set of external devices from the apparatus and to associate the external device detected in the images captured by the camera with data communications between the apparatus and the given one of the set of external devices.
So, the arrangement of
Using the camera 145, the data processor 320 detects, in the captured images, an image of an external device having image properties such as an image size which are consistent with the estimated separation of one of the set of devices detected by the wireless signal strength. Here, the term “consistent with” can imply that the image properties, as detected, themselves indicate a separation (from the camera) which is within a threshold difference (for example, within 10%) of the estimated separation generated from the wireless signal strength. This can provide an indication to the data processor 320 that the particular external device detected having the consistent separation in the images is likely to be the one providing the data communication for which that wireless signal level was detected. The data processor 320 can associate the two together, allowing the data processor 320 to derive a list or a schedule of locations (for example, in the form or a map) relative to the apparatus 300 of different wirelessly communicating devices.
At a step 400, the external device 310 is positioned with respect to the apparatus 300 at a known distance or separation. The apparatus 300 detects the received wireless signal level for a data transmission from the device 310 at a step 410.
A step 420 calibrates data held by the data processor 320 (for example in the RAM 123, 125, 127 defining a relationship between received wireless signal strength and separation. As discussed above, this relationship follows an inverse square law relationship.
Optionally, at a step 430, the steps 400 . . . 420 can be repeated at other known separation distances, to provide other data points in the calibration data.
Optionally, at a step 440, the process can be repeated in which the estimation of distance or separation is carried out by the data processor 330 of the device 310 using the signal strength detected by the WiFi transceiver 340.
At a step 500, the apparatus 300 detects the received wireless signal strength from the one or more external devices with which the apparatus 300 is currently communicating. At a step 510, the data processor 320 detects the estimated separation or distance between the apparatus 300 and each of those devices. Optionally, at a step 520, the process is repeated in the other direction, which is to say similar detections are carried out at the external devices and results communicated to the apparatus 300 for use as an estimated separation.
At a step 530, the data processor 320, acting as an image processor, detects images of external devices in images captured by the camera 145.
At a step 540, the data processor 320 detects, for example from the image size of the captured image of the external device, an estimate of the distance of the external device from the camera 145, and optionally its direction.
Optionally, at a step 540, the process can be repeated in the other direction if any of the external devices has its own camera.
At a step 560, the two separation estimates are combined so as to associate an external device detected in the images captured by the camera with data communications between the apparatus 300 and a given one of the set of external devices having an estimated separation (from the wireless signal level) consistent with (for example, within a threshold difference of) the optically estimated separation.
This association allows the data processor 320 to identify a particular external device and its location at a step 570.
In some examples, the WiFi transceiver 340 of the external device 310 can operate at multiple different wireless transmit powers, in response to a command signal sent by the apparatus 300, which is provided to the wireless interface 240 as the signal 280.
This arrangement provides a further opportunity for the apparatus 300 to detect an estimated distance, using a different originating power value.
As discussed above, the data processor 320 acts as an image processor to detect in the captured images, an image of an external device such as the device 310.
Data representing the two expected images 700, 710 is provided to and used by the data processor 320 to allow it to recognise the external device in the captured images (for example, being stored in RAM or by the HDD or BD drive. From this data, the data processor 320 can derive other versions of expected image data such as those shown in the second to forth rows of
data communication circuitry (such as a WiFi transceiver 810) to communicate data, by wireless radio frequency communication, with a set of one or more external devices, the data communication circuitry being configured to detect a corresponding wireless signal strength (as n output signal 820) of a data communication from each of the set of external devices;
a data processor (implemented by a power detector 830 responsive to stored calibration data 840) to detect a respective estimated separation of each of the set of external devices from the apparatus in dependence upon the respective detected wireless signal strengths; and
an image processor 850 (having a database 880 of data such as that shown in
wirelessly communicating (at a step 900) data, by radio frequency communication, with a set of one or more external devices;
detecting (at a step 910) a respective wireless signal strength of a data communication from each of the set of external devices;
detecting (at a step 920) a respective estimated separation of each of the set of external devices from the apparatus in dependence upon the detected wireless signal strengths; and
detecting (at a step 930), in images captured by a camera, an image of an external device having image properties consistent with the estimated separation of a given one of the set of external devices from the apparatus; and
associating (at a step 940) the external device detected in the images captured by the camera with data communications between the apparatus and the given one of the set of external devices.
requesting (at a step 1000) the set of one or more external devices to vary their wireless transmission power; and
repeating (at a step 1010) the step of detecting a respective estimated separation with the external devices using different respective wireless transmission powers.
the external devices detecting (at a step 1100) a wireless signal strength of a data communication from the apparatus; and
the external devices each detecting (at a step 1110) an estimated separation that external device from the apparatus in dependence upon the detected wireless signal strength of a data communication from the apparatus; and
the external devices each communicating (at a step 1120), to the apparatus, a respective estimated separation to the apparatus.
It will be appreciated that example embodiments can be implemented by computer software operating on a general purpose computing system such as a games machine. In these examples, computer software, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out any of the methods discussed above is considered as an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similarly, embodiments of the disclosure are provided by a non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium which stores such computer software.
It will be apparent that numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1712573 | Aug 2017 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/GB2018/051993 | 7/13/2018 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2019/025753 | 2/7/2019 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200406130 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |