Method and Apparatus for Determining the Position of a Base Station in a Cellular Communication Network

• US 20080318596A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tenny, Nathan Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,934,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Techniques for performing positioning in a cellular network are described. In one design, a first base station (e.g., a home base station) determines its position based on position information for at least one user equipment (UE) within radio coverage of the first base station and a second base station. The first base station sends at least one position request for the at least one UE to the second base station, receives position information for the at least one UE from the second base station, and determines a position estimate for itself based on the position information. In another design, the second base station receives a position request for the first base station, obtains position information for at least one UE, determines a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information, and sends the position estimate to the first base station.

Claims

1. A method of performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

sending at least one position request for at least one user equipment (UE) from a first base station to a second base station, the at least one UE being within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations;

receiving position information for the at least one UE from the second base station; and

determining a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

averaging the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

obtaining multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE,

obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

determining the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one UE comprises multiple UEs, wherein the position information comprises multiple position estimates for the multiple UEs, and wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined based on the multiple position estimates for the multiple UEs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one UE comprises a single UE, wherein the position information comprises multiple position estimates obtained at different times for the single UE, and wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined based on the multiple position estimates for the single UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first base station comprises a home base station providing radio coverage for a femto-cell, and wherein the second base station provides radio coverage for a macro-cell encompassing the femto-cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one UE comprises a UE not authorized to access the first base station.

8. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send at least one position request for at least one user equipment (UE) from a first base station to a second base station, the at least one UE being within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations, to receive position information for the at least one UE from the second base station, and to determine a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and to average the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE, to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and to determine the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

11. An apparatus for performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

means for sending at least one position request for at least one user equipment (UE) from a first base station to a second base station, the at least one UE being within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations;

means for receiving position information for the at least one UE from the second base station; and

means for determining a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

means for obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

means for averaging the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

means for obtaining multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE,

means for obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

means for determining the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to send at least one position request for at least one user equipment (UE) from a first base station to a second base station, the at least one UE being within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations,

code for causing the at least one computer to receive position information for the at least one UE from the second base station, and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

code for causing the at least one computer to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

code for causing the at least one computer to average the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

code for causing the at least one computer to obtain multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE,

code for causing the at least one computer to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

17. A method of performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

receiving at least one position request for at least one user equipment (UE), the at least one position request being sent from a first base station to a second base station, the at least one UE being within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations;

obtaining position information for the at least one UE in response to the at least one position request; and

sending the position information for the at least one UE from the second base station to the first base station, the position information being used by the first base station to determine a position estimate for the first base station.

18. A method of performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

sending a position request for a first base station to a second base station; and

receiving a position estimate for the first base station from the second base station, the position estimate being determined based on position information obtained for at least one user equipment (UE) within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations.

19. A method of performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

receiving a position request for a first base station at a second base station;

obtaining position information for at least one user equipment (UE) within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations;

determining a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE; and

sending the position estimate to the first base station.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

averaging the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining the position estimate for the first base station comprises

obtaining multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE,

obtaining multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and

determining the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the obtaining the multiple RTT measurements for the at least one UE comprises

sending at least one RTT request to the first base station, and

receiving the multiple RTT measurements for the at least one UE from the first base station.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the obtaining the multiple RTT measurements for the at least one UE comprises receiving the multiple RTT measurements from the at least one UE.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a list of the at least one UE from the first base station.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying the at least one UE based on measurement reports received from the at least one UE.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one UE comprises multiple UEs, wherein the position information comprises multiple position estimates for the multiple UEs, and wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined based on the multiple position estimates for the multiple UEs.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one UE comprises a single UE, wherein the position information comprises multiple position estimates obtained at different times for the single UE, and wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined based on the multiple position estimates for the single UE.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining the position information for the at least one UE and the determining the position estimate for the first base station are performed prior to the receiving the position request for the first base station, and wherein the sending the position estimate to the first base station is performed in response to receiving the position request.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

maintaining a database of position estimates for multiple base stations comprising the first base station; and

updating the position estimates for the multiple base stations when position estimates for UEs within radio coverage of the multiple base stations become available.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the first base station comprises a home base station providing radio coverage for a femto-cell, and wherein the second base station provides radio coverage for a macro-cell encompassing the femto-cell.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one UE comprises a UE not authorized to access the first base station.

32. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a position request for a first base station at a second base station, to obtain position information for at least one user equipment (UE) within radio coverage of both the first and second base stations, to determine a position estimate for the first base station based on the position information for the at least one UE, and to send the position estimate to the first base station.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and to average the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE to obtain the position estimate for the first base station.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain multiple round trip time (RTT) measurements for the at least one UE, to obtain multiple position estimates for the at least one UE from the position information, and to determine the position estimate for the first base station based on the multiple RTT measurements and the multiple position estimates for the at least one UE.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send at least one RTT request to the first base station and to receive the multiple RTT measurements for the at least one UE from the first base station.

36. A method of performing positioning in a cellular communication network, comprising:

receiving at a user equipment (UE) a position request for the UE, the UE being within radio coverage of both first and second base stations; and

performing positioning with the second base station to obtain a position estimate for the UE, the position estimate for the UE being used to determine a position estimate for the first base station.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

sending the position estimate for the UE to the first base station.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

exchanging signaling with the first base station to obtain a round trip time (RTT) measurement, wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined further based on the RTT measurement.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving a second position request for the UE at a subsequent time; and

performing positioning with the second base station in response to the second position request to obtain a second position estimate for the UE, the second position estimate for the UE being used to determine the position estimate for the first base station.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

sending to the second base station a measurement report identifying the first base station as being detectable by the UE.

41. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive at a user equipment (UE) a position request for the UE, the UE being within radio coverage of both first and second base stations, and to perform positioning with the second base station to obtain a position estimate for the UE, the position estimate for the UE being used to determine a position estimate for the first base station.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one processor is configured to exchange signaling with the first base station to obtain a round trip time (RTT) measurement, and wherein the position estimate for the first base station is determined further based on the RTT measurement.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send to the second base station a measurement report identifying the first base station as being detectable by the UE.