Methods and apparatuses for measuring frequencies of basestations in cellular networks using mobile GPS receivers
First Claim
1. A method to measure a frequency related to a basestation of a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a first mobile station, a first cellular signal from the basestation, the first cellular signal containing a first timing marker;
determining a first time tag for the first timing marker from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the first mobile station;
determining a first location of the first mobile station from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the first mobile station;
transmitting, through a cellular communication link, the first time tag and the first location to a server;
receiving, at a second mobile station, a second cellular signal from the basestation, the second cellular signal containing a second timing marker;
determining a second time tag for the second timing marker from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the second mobile station;
determining a second location of the second mobile station from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the second mobile station;
transmitting, through a cellular communication link, the second time tag and the second location to the cellular network entity; and
combining a location of the basestation with the first and second time tags and the first and second locations to compute a first frequency related to the basestation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for frequency synchronizing basestations in a cellular communication system. In one aspect of the invention, a method to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system includes: receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; and computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags. Each of the time tags are determined using at least one satellite positioning system signal received at a mobile station which receives the corresponding time marker.
40 Citations
91 Claims
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1. A method to measure a frequency related to a basestation of a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a first mobile station, a first cellular signal from the basestation, the first cellular signal containing a first timing marker;
determining a first time tag for the first timing marker from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the first mobile station;
determining a first location of the first mobile station from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the first mobile station;
transmitting, through a cellular communication link, the first time tag and the first location to a server;
receiving, at a second mobile station, a second cellular signal from the basestation, the second cellular signal containing a second timing marker;
determining a second time tag for the second timing marker from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the second mobile station;
determining a second location of the second mobile station from at least one satellite positioning system signal received at the second mobile station;
transmitting, through a cellular communication link, the second time tag and the second location to the cellular network entity; and
combining a location of the basestation with the first and second time tags and the first and second locations to compute a first frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method to measure a frequency related to a basestation of a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a mobile station, at least one satellite positioning system signal;
determining a frequency of a reference signal from a local oscillator of the mobile station from the at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving, at the mobile station, a first cellular signal from the basestation, the first cellular signal containing a first timing marker and a second timing marker;
determining a first time tag for the first timing marker and a second time tag for the second timing marker, using the reference signal from the local oscillator; and
combining the frequency of the reference signal from the local oscillator with the first and second time tags to compute a first frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method to measure a frequency related to a basestation of a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a mobile station, at least one satellite positioning system signal;
determining a frequency of a reference signal from a local oscillator of the mobile station from the at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving, at the mobile station, a first cellular signal from the basestation, the first cellular signal being modulated upon a carrier;
measuring a frequency of the carrier using the reference signal from the local oscillator; and
determining a first frequency related to the basestation using the frequency of the carrier. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A system to measure a frequency related to a basestation, the system comprising:
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a first mobile station comprising;
a first satellite positioning system receiver configured to receive a first at least one satellite positioning system signal and to determine a first location of the first mobile station from the first at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
a first cellular transceiver coupled to the first satellite positioning system receiver, the first cellular transceiver receiving from the basestation a first cellular signal containing a first timing marker; and
a first circuit coupled to the first cellular receiver and the first satellite positioning system receiver, the first circuit determining a first time tag for the first timing marker using the first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
a second mobile station comprising;
a second satellite positioning system receiver configured to receive a second at least one satellite positioning system signal and to determine a second location of the second mobile station from the second at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
a second cellular transceiver coupled to the second satellite positioning system receiver, the second cellular transceiver receiving from the basestation a second cellular signal containing a second timing marker; and
a second circuit coupled to the second cellular receiver and the second satellite positioning system receiver, the second circuit determining a second time tag for the second timing marker using the second at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
a server coupled to the first and second mobile stations through communication links, the first cellular transceiver transmitting the first time tag and the first location to the server through a communication link, the second cellular transceiver transmitting the second time tag and the second location to the server through a communication link, the server combining a location of the basestation with the first and second time tags and the first and second locations to compute a first frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 91)
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29. A system to measure a frequency related to a basestation, the system comprising:
a mobile station comprising;
a cellular transceiver configured to receive from the basestation a cellular signal containing a first timing marker and a second timing marker;
a local oscillator generating a reference signal;
a satellite positioning system receiver coupled to the local oscillator, the satellite positioning system receiver configured to receive at least one satellite positioning system signal and to determine a frequency of the reference signal from the at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
a processor coupled to the cellular receiver and the satellite positioning system receiver, the processor configured to determine a first time tag for the first timing marker and a second time tag for the second timing marker using the reference signal and to combine the frequency of the reference signal with the first and second time tags to compute a first frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A system to measure a frequency related to a basestation, the system comprising:
a mobile station, the mobile station comprising;
a cellular transceiver configured to receive from the basestation a cellular signal modulated upon a carrier;
a local oscillator generating a reference signal;
a satellite positioning system receiver coupled to the local oscillator, the satellite positioning system receiver configured to receive at least one satellite positioning system signal and to determine a frequency of the reference signal from the at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
a circuit coupled to the cellular receiver and the satellite positioning system receiver, the circuit configured to determine a frequency of the carrier from the frequency of the reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method to measure a frequency related to a basestation in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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determining a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from the basestation using a first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
determining first positioning data related to a first location where the first cellular signal is received using the first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
determining a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation using a second at least one satellite positioning system signal;
determining second positioning data related to a second location where the second cellular signal is received using the second at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags and the first and second positioning data. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from the basestation, wherein the first time tag is determined using a first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving first positioning data related to a first location where the first cellular signal is received using the first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation, wherein the second time tag is determined using a second at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving second positioning data related to a second location where the second cellular signal is received using the second at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags and the first and second positioning data. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of inputs related to the basestation from a plurality of mobile stations, wherein the plurality of inputs are determined by the mobile stations using cellular signals transmitted from the basestation and satellite positioning system signals received at the mobile stations;
combining the plurality of inputs into a frequency related to the basestation; and
predicting a timing of a cellular signal transmitted from the basestation using the frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A machine readable media containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause said system to perform a method comprising:
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receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from a basestation, wherein the first time tag is determined using a first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving first positioning data related to a first location where the first cellular signal is received using the first at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation, wherein the second time tag is determined using a second at least one satellite positioning system signal;
receiving second positioning data related to a second location where the second cellular signal is received using the second at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags and the first and second positioning data. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A machine readable media containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause said system to perform a method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of inputs related to a basestation from a plurality of mobile stations, wherein the plurality of inputs are determined by the mobile stations using cellular signals transmitted from the basestation and satellite positioning system signals received at the mobile stations;
combining the plurality of inputs into a frequency related to the basestation; and
predicting a timing of a cellular signal transmitted from the basestation using the frequency related to the basestation. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A server apparatus to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system, the server apparatus comprising:
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a processor;
memory coupled to the processor;
at least one communication device coupled to the memory and the processor, the at least one communication device receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from a basestation, and receiving first positioning data related to a first location where the first cellular signal is received, the memory storing the first timing marker and the first positioning data, the at least one communication device receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation, and receiving second positioning data related to a second location where the second cellular signal is received, the memory storing the second timing marker and the second positioning data, the processor computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags and the first and second positioning data;
wherein the first time tag and the first positioning data are determined using a first at least one satellite positioning system signal; and
wherein the second time tag and the second positioning data are determined using a second at least one satellite positioning system signal. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A server apparatus to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system, the server apparatus comprising:
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a processor;
memory coupled to the processor;
at least one communication device coupled to the memory and the processor, the at least one communication device receiving a plurality of inputs related to a basestation from a plurality of mobile stations, the memory storing the plurality of inputs, the processor combining the plurality of inputs into a frequency related to the basestation and predicting a timing of a cellular signal transmitted from the basestation using the frequency related to the basestation;
wherein the plurality of inputs are determined by the mobile stations using cellular signals transmitted from the basestation and satellite positioning system signals received at the mobile stations. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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Specification