Method for enhanced mobile assisted positioning

• US 20040023671A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zuniga, Juan Carlos, Rudolf, Marian, Cave, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

At a first user equipment (UE), an uplink signal is received of at least one second UE is received and time marked. At the first UE, a downlink signal from at least one base station is received and time marked. Observed time differences of arrival are determined using the time markings. A position of the first UE is determined based on the determined time differences of arrival.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of a mobile user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system having uplink and downlink transmissions between UEs and at least one base station in the system, the method comprising:

at a first mobile UE, receiving and time marking an uplink signal of at least one second UE;

at the first UE, receiving and time marking a downlink signal from at least one base station;

determining observed time difference of arrivals using the time markings; and

calculating the first UE position based on the determined time difference of arrivals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first UE is equipped with smart antenna technology and determining an angle-of-arrival of the downlink signals and using the determined angle of arrival in the first UE position calculation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the downlink signal is a beacon channel transmitted by a base station.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising at a base station, determining an angle-of-arrival of the first UE transmissions and using the determined angle-of-arrival in the first UE position determination.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one second UE is a mobile UE having a known position.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring a received signal code power of the at least one second UE at the first UE;

calculating a path loss using the measured received signal code power and a transmission power level of the at least one second UE; and

determining a distance between the at least one second UE and the first UE using the calculated path loss; and

using the determined distance in the first UE position calculation.

7. A wireless mobile user equipment (UE) comprising:

an uplink and downlink receiver for receiving uplink and downlink signals;

a time difference calculation device for determining a time difference between the received uplink and downlink signals; and

a signaling device for signaling the determined time differences.

8. A radio network controller (RNC) comprising:

a positioning device configured to receive an indicator of an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) between a second user equipment (UE) and a base station as measured at a first UE and the positioning device determining a location of the first UE using the OTDOA between the second UE and the base station and a known location of the base station and the second UE.

9. The RNC of claim 8 wherein the positioning device further configured to receive an indicator of a OTDOA between two base stations and using the two base stations OTDOA in the location determination.

10. The RNC of claim 8 wherein the positioning device further configured to receive an indicator of a OTDOA between a third UE and the base station and using the third UE and base station OTDOA in the location determination.

11. The RNC of claim 8 wherein the positioning device further configured to receive and indicator of an angle-of-arrival of a signal received from the base station from the first UE and using the angle-of-arrival in the location determination.

12. The RNC of claim 8 wherein the positioning device further configured to receive and indicator of an angle-of-arrival of a signal received from the first UE from a base station and using the angle-of-arrival in the location determination.

13. The RNC of claim 8 wherein the positioning device further configured to receive and indicator of an angle-of-arrival of a signal received from the first UE from the second UE and using the angle-of-arrival in the location determination.