Device location determination when attached to one or more wireless repeaters

• US 10,299,068 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McMullen, Michael P., Bartlett, Roger Danforth, Peden, Mark Douglas, Reeves, Raymond Emilio
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Brian S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haque, Abusayeed M
• Application Number:
  US15/897,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless communication network locates User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain. The wireless repeater chain wirelessly exchanges user data with the UE and wirelessly exchanges the user data with a wireless base station. The wireless base station determines an amount of communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain. The wireless base station identifies the wireless repeater in the wireless repeater chain that is wirelessly attached to the UE based on the communication time delay. The wireless base station identifies the geographic location of the UE based on the geographic location of the identified wireless repeater. The wireless base station transfers the geographic location of the UE.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to locate a User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain, the method comprising:

the wireless repeater chain wirelessly exchanging user data with the UE and wirelessly exchanging the user data with a wireless base station, wherein the wireless repeater chain comprises multiple wireless repeaters;

the wireless base station wirelessly exchanging the user data with the wireless repeater chain and determining an amount of communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain;

the wireless base station identifying one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain that is wirelessly attached to the UE based on the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station, transferring a query having a wireless base station identifier and the communication time delay, and receiving a geographic location of the one of the wireless repeaters attached to the UE to identify a geographic location of the UE based on the geographic location of the identified one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain that is wirelessly attached to the UE; and

the wireless base station transferring the geographic location of the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless repeaters time stamping the user data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the wireless repeaters time stamping the user data; and

wherein

the wireless access point determining the amount of the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain comprises the wireless access point processing the time stamps in the user data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless access point determining the amount of the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain comprises the wireless access point transferring a round-trip message through the UE over the wireless repeater chain.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station identifying the geographic location of the UE comprises identifying a latitude and a longitude of the UE.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station transferring the geographic location of the UE comprises transferring the geographic location of the UE for delivery to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the UE comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) UE.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeB.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless repeater chain comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless repeaters.

10. A wireless communication network to locate User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain, the wireless communication network comprising:

the wireless repeater chain comprising multiple wireless repeaters and configured to wirelessly exchange user data with the UE and wirelessly exchange the user data with a wireless base station;

the wireless base station configured to wirelessly exchange the user data with the wireless repeater chain and determine an amount of communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain;

the wireless base station configured to identify one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain that is wirelessly attached to the UE based on the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station, transfer a query having a wireless base station identifier and the communication time delay, and receive a geographic location of the one of the wireless repeaters attached to the UE to identify a geographic location of the UE based on the geographic location of the identified one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain that is wirelessly attached to the UE; and

the wireless base station configured to transfer the geographic location of the UE.

11. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless repeaters are configured to time stamp the user data.

12. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein:

the wireless repeaters are configured to time stamp the user data; and

the wireless access point is configured to process the time stamps in the user data to determine the amount of the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain.

13. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless access point is configured to transfer a round-trip message through the UE over the wireless repeater chain to determine the amount of the communication time delay between the UE and the wireless base station over the wireless repeater chain.

14. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless base station is configured to identify the geographic location of the UE with a latitude and a longitude of the UE.

15. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless base station is configured to transfer the geographic location of the UE for delivery to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

16. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the UE comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) UE.

17. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless base station comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeB.

18. The wireless communication network of claim 10 wherein the wireless repeater chain comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless repeaters.