Method for determining the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device based on predetermined local positions of adjacent radio communication devices, associated radio communication device and radio communication system

• US 20070275730A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Gottschalk, Thomas, Schwagman, Norbert, Bienas, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method determines the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device which is to be locates, in at least one radio cell of a radio communication system. At least one remote mobile radio communication device is located in the same radio cell or in another radio cell as the radio communication device which is to be located, and the current local position thereof is predetermined to said device or to the radio network of the radio communication system and transmits positional information by one or several radio information signals via a direct radio connection or via an indirect radio communication device with the aid of the radio network to the radio communication device which is to be located.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method of determining a local position of a first mobile radio communication device in a radio cell of a radio network of a radio communication system, comprising:

transmitting position information from at least one second mobile communication device, the location of which is known either to the at least one second mobile communication device or to the radio network, and which is either in the radio cell or in another radio cell, the at least one radio signal being transmitted to the first mobile radio device via either a direct radio connection or an indirect radio connection via the radio network.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising emitting an inquiry signal from the first mobile radio communication device via its radio interference requesting that each second mobile radio communication device send a radio information signal with position information thereof to the first mobile radio communication device.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising, before the emitting an inquiry signal, emitting a preceding inquiry signal from the first mobile radio communication device requesting that each second mobile radio communication device send an acknowledgement signal indicating a readiness thereof to participate in determination of the local position of the first mobile radio device.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first mobile radio communication device, after receipt of an acknowledgement signal, a retrieval signal retrieving position information of the second mobile radio communication device that sent the received acknowledgement signal.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the inquiry signal is a broadcast radio signal.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein each second mobile radio communication device sends the one radio information signal within a predetermined response period for each respective second mobile radio communication device.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein a predetermined minimum accuracy of a position of each second mobile radio communication device is a condition for each respective second mobile radio communication device to send the acknowledgement signal.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein a time difference between a receipt of an inquiry signal and a sending a radio information signal by each respective second mobile radio communication device is included in each radio information signal as a position parameter of the position information.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein a current position of each respective second mobile radio communication device and/or a sending time of the radio information signal from each respective second mobile radio communication device is included in each radio information signal as a position parameter of the position information.

24. A method according to claim 16, further comprising calculating the position of the first mobile radio communication device via a Road Trip Time (RTT), an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), and/or a Global Positioning System (GPS) position device in the first mobile radio communication device using the position information included in each radio information signal.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein, in the calculating, position information received by the first mobile radio communication device is used.

26. A method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting the position information received by the first mobile radio communication device to a position determining unit in the radio network which calculates a current local position of the first mobile radio communication device.

27. A radio communication device, comprising:

an inquiry unit for requesting position information from at least one mobile radio communication device located in a radio cell of a radio network of a radio communication system or in a different radio cell, a position of the at least one mobile radio communication device being known to either the at least one mobile radio communication device or to the radio network;

a receiving unit receiving at least one radio information signal respectively from the at least one mobile radio communication device and evaluating the received at least one radio information signal, each radio information signal including position information of the known position of the respective at least one mobile communication device sending the radio information signal,

wherein the at least one radio information signal is transmitted via either a direct radio connection or an indirect radio connection via the radio network.

28. A radio communication system comprising the radio communication device of claim 27.