Method to support user location in in-structure coverage systems

• US 20090191891A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ma, Zhengxiang, Sizer, Theodore II
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

In an example embodiment of the present invention, the method includes creating a plurality of data packets. Each data packet in the plurality of data packets includes a plurality of coded cellular signals. The plurality of data packets are sent over a data network associated with at least one sector served by a plurality of transceivers, and at least one of the plurality of transceivers broadcasts the data packets. A location of a mobile station is determined based on received multi-paths associated with response from the mobile station to broadcast of at least one of the plurality of data packets.

Claims

1. A method for locating a mobile station, comprising:

creating a plurality of data packets, each data packet in the plurality of data packets including a plurality of coded cellular signals;

sending the plurality of data packets over a data network associated with at least one sector served by a plurality of transceivers;

broadcasting the plurality of data packets over the air by at least one of the plurality of transceivers; and

determining a location of a mobile station based on received multi-paths associated with response from the mobile station to broadcast of at least one of the plurality of data packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile station is determined based on respective delays of the received multi-paths.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobiles is determined by identifying a dominant one of the received multi-paths.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each transceiver inserts a unique delay with respect to one of downlink communication to the mobile station and uplink communication from the mobile station, and the mobile station is determined as located closest to the transceiver having a delay associated with a dominant one of the received multi-paths.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each transceiver uniquely delays broadcast of the plurality of data packets with respect to one another.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each transceiver uniquely delay uplink packaging of the response from the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

refining the determined location by tri-laterating the respective delays of the multi-paths.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

refining the determined location of the mobile station based on strengths of the received multi-paths.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile station is determined based on strengths of the received multi-paths.

10. A method for locating a mobile station, comprising:

creating a plurality of data packets, each data packet in the plurality of data packets including a plurality of coded cellular signals;

sending the plurality of data packets over a data network associated with at least one sector served by a plurality of transceivers;

broadcasting the plurality of data packets over the air by at least one of the plurality of transceivers;

broadcasting pilot beacon signal from each of the plurality of transceivers such that at least two of the plurality of transceivers broadcast different pilot beacons signals; and

determining a location of a mobile station based on the pilot beacon signals that the mobile station reports receiving.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the pilot beacon signals is associated with one of a pseudorandom noise (PN) offset and a scrambling code.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein different pilot beacon signals have different PN offsets or different scrambling codes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transceivers in the plurality of transceivers broadcasting same pilot beacons signals do so at different phases.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving indications of received signal strength for the pilot beacon signals received by the mobile station; and

wherein

the location of the mobile station is determined based on the received signal strength indications.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving indications of received signal strength for the pilot beacon signals received by the mobile station; and

wherein

the location of the mobile station is determined based on the received signal strength indications.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving indications of received signal strength for the pilot beacon signals received by the mobile station; and

wherein

the location of the mobile station is determined based on the received signal strength indications.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the pilot beacon signals is broadcast discontinuously.

18. A method monitoring mobile station locations, comprising:

creating, by a plurality of transceivers, a plurality of uplink data packets, each data packet in the plurality of uplink data packets including a plurality of coded cellular signals;

sending, by one of the plurality of transceivers, the plurality of uplink data packets over a data network and to a location monitor; and

determining locations of mobile stations served by the plurality of transceivers by monitoring the uplink data packets.