Determination By a Communication Terminal of the Propagation Time of a Reference Signal Coming From a Communications Management Equipment
First Claim
1. Method of calculating the propagation time of a reference signal between a communications management equipment (SG) of a communications network and communication terminals (UE) attached to said equipment (SG), said equipment (SG) and said terminals (UE) each having an internal time reference defined relative to a time reference of a satellite positioning network (CS) and supplied by a positioning receiver (RG1, RG2), characterized in that it consists in sending to said terminals (UE), by means of said equipment (SG) and on at least one signaling channel, a reference signal and an associated message including information representative of the time of sending of said reference signal relative to said time reference, then, in the event of reception of said reference signal and said message by one of said terminals (UE), time stamping the reception of said message so that said terminal (UE) can determine a time difference between said time of sending and said time of receiving the message and deduce therefrom the propagation time of the associated reference signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication network including at least one piece of communication management equipment (SG) having a management component (MG) in charge of generating reference signals to be transmitted in a signaling channel to communication terminals (UE) connected thereto, and provided, along with each of the terminals (LIE), with an internal time reference which is defined in relation to a time set of a satellite positioning system (CS). The management component (MG) is also configured in such a way as to be able to generate a message including information representing the time of transmission of a reference signal in relation to the time set with a view to the transmission thereof to the terminals (UE) in a signaling channel.
29 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. Method of calculating the propagation time of a reference signal between a communications management equipment (SG) of a communications network and communication terminals (UE) attached to said equipment (SG), said equipment (SG) and said terminals (UE) each having an internal time reference defined relative to a time reference of a satellite positioning network (CS) and supplied by a positioning receiver (RG1, RG2), characterized in that it consists in sending to said terminals (UE), by means of said equipment (SG) and on at least one signaling channel, a reference signal and an associated message including information representative of the time of sending of said reference signal relative to said time reference, then, in the event of reception of said reference signal and said message by one of said terminals (UE), time stamping the reception of said message so that said terminal (UE) can determine a time difference between said time of sending and said time of receiving the message and deduce therefrom the propagation time of the associated reference signal.
- 5. Communications management equipment (SG) for a communications network, comprising management means (MG) adapted to generate reference signals to be transmitted, on a signaling channel, to communication terminals (UE) attached to it, and having, like each of said terminals (UE), an internal time reference defined relative to a time reference of a satellite positioning network (CS) and supplied by a positioning receiver (RG1), characterized in that said management means (MG) are further adapted to generate a message including information representative of the time of sending a reference signal relative to said time reference with a view to its transmission to said terminals (UE) on a signaling channel.
Specification