METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATING A WIRELESS DEVICE IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20070298761A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: BANI HANI, MOHAMMAD S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/145 Using a supplementary range measurement, e.g. based on pseudo-range measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for locating a Wireless electronic device (200) in a wireless communication network (100) is provided. The method includes sending a ranging code (504) by the wireless electronic device to a predefined number of base stations. The method further includes replicating (506) the ranging-code by the predefined number of base stations, for calculating the pseudoranges. Moreover, the method includes locating (508) the wireless electronic device, based on calculations of distance, using a ranging-response message sent by the predefined number of base stations to the wireless electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for locating a wireless electronic device, the wireless electronic device functioning in a wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprises a plurality of base stations, the method comprising:

sending a ranging-code to a predefined number of base stations of the plurality of base stations, wherein the ranging-code is sent by the wireless electronic device;

replicating the ranging-code by the predefined number of base stations, wherein the ranging-code is used to determine pseudoranges; and

locating the wireless electronic device based on calculations of distances using a ranging response message, wherein the ranging response message comprises a pseudorange sent by one or more base stations of the predefined number of base stations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predefined number of base stations of the plurality of base stations are four or more.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ranging response message comprises measured pseudoranges by base stations, location coordinates of the one or more base stations of the predefined number of base stations, power corrections, time-synchronization information and GPS time transfer information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ranging-code comprises Media Access Control (MAC) address of the wireless electronic device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing authentication and request of authorization by the wireless electronic device with the wireless communication network;

registering the wireless electronic device with the wireless communication network, wherein registering comprises providing network identification address of the wireless electronic device to the wireless communication network; and

connecting the wireless electronic device to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server which provides a Base Station Identification number (BS-ID) and current local Time of Day (TOD).

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising locating the wireless access electronic device using the BS-ID of the predefined number of base stations.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more base stations of the predefined number of base stations is used for calculating position and positioning errors.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each base station of the plurality of base stations comprises Global positioning System (GPS) radio frequency receiver.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the GPS receiver is capable of determining accurate time as per the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) standards and each base station of the plurality of base stations is capable of transferring GPS time to the wireless electronic device for fine time-synchronization.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the predefined minimum numbers of base stations of the plurality of base stations are two.

11. A method for locating a wireless electronic device, the wireless electronic device functioning in a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, the WiMAX network comprising a plurality of base stations, the method comprising:

sending a location determination ranging-code to a predefined number of base stations of the plurality of base stations, wherein the ranging-code is sent by the wireless electronic device;

replicating the ranging-code by the predefined number of base stations, wherein the ranging-code is used to determine pseudoranges; and

locating the wireless electronic device based on calculations of distances using a ranging response message, wherein the ranging response message comprises pseudorange sent by one or more base stations of the predefined number of base stations.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the predefined number of base stations of the plurality of base stations are three or more.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the ranging response message further comprises location coordinates of the one or more base stations of the predefined number of base stations, power corrections and time-synchronization information.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

performing authentication and request of authorization by the wireless electronic device with the wireless communication network;

performing scanning and association of the wireless electronic device with the one or more base stations after a predefined periodic time interval.

registering the wireless electronic device with, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, wherein registering comprises providing network identification address of the wireless electronic device to the WiMAX network; and

connecting the wireless electronic device to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server which provides a current Local Time of Day (TOD).

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising locating the wireless electronic device using the BS-ID of the predefined number of base stations.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the base station of the predefined number of base stations is further used for calculating the wireless electronic device position and positioning errors.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein each base station of the plurality of base stations comprises Global positioning System (GPS) receiver.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the GPS receiver is capable of determining accurate time as per the UTC time standards and each base station of the plurality of base stations is capable of transferring GPS time to the wireless electronic device for fine time-synchronization.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the predefined number of base stations of the plurality of base stations are minimum of two.

20. A method for providing an assisted Global Positioning System (GPS) data by a base station to a wireless electronic device, the wireless electronic device functioning in a wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of wireless electronic device, each of the plurality of base stations comprising a GPS receiver, the method comprising:

decoding a location request data message by each of the plurality of base stations, wherein the data message is broadcasted by the plurality of wireless electronic devices;

extracting ephemeris, almanac, navigation parameters, propagation parameters, and GPS time for network time-synchronization from the data message by each of the plurality of base stations; and

broadcasting the assisted GPS data by the base station to each wireless electronic device of the plurality of wireless electronic devices within a coverage area of each of the plurality of base stations, the assisted GPS data comprises network time-synchronization information and the data message.

21. A method for providing a differential GPS correction data to a wireless electronic device in a wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising a plurality of wireless electronic devices and a plurality of base stations, wherein each of the plurality of wireless electronic devices and each of the plurality of base stations comprising a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) receiver, each base station of the plurality of the base stations has fixed and surveyed location, the method comprising:

measuring psuedoranges with visible GPS satellites by the DGPS receiver of the wireless electronic device.

measuring psuedoranges with visible GPS satellites by the DGPS receiver of the base station for higher positioning accuracy, wherein the psuedoranges are measured to provide psuedorange correction data to the wireless electronic device and the DGPS receiver.

broadcasting the differential GPS psuedorange correction data to one or more wireless electronic device of the plurality of wireless electronic devices within a differential correction range of the base station of the plurality of the base stations.

22. A wireless electronic device capable of determining its location in a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, the wireless electronic device comprising:

a transmitter capable of transmitting location ranging request message and a location ranging-code to at least one base station, wherein the ranging-code is used for determining a pseudorange;

a receiver capable of receiving a ranging response messages from the at least one base station, wherein the response message comprises the pseudorange, location coordinates of the base station, power correction information, and time-synchronization information; and

a data processing unit for computing location of the wireless electronic device by calculating distances using the ranging response message.

23. A base station used for locating a wireless electronic device in a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, the base station comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving a ranging-code from GPS satellite and the wireless electronic device;

a transmitter capable of transmitting a ranging response message to the wireless electronic device in response to the ranging-codes sent by the wireless electronic device, the ranging response message comprising a pseudorange, location coordinates of the base station, power corrections, and time-synchronization information; and

a synchronization module for providing time-synchronization information of the base station to the wireless electronic device.