Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunication System

• US 20120264450A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kangas, Ari, Hagerman, Bo, Selén, Yngve, Siomina, Iana
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0426 Collocated with electrical equipment other than beacons
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

Method and arrangement in a network node 302 for improving conditions for ground-based positioning of mobile terminals 310 in a wireless communication system. The method and arrangement concerns adaptation of an antenna arrangement 308 associated with the network node 302, so that a virtual positioning cell 306 is formed in a positioning radio resource, in which positioning reference signals are transmitted or received.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method in a network node for improving conditions for ground-based positioning of mobile terminals in a wireless communication system, comprising:

adapting the configuration of an antenna arrangement associated with the network node, in a positioning radio resource, to form a virtual positioning cell, and

transmitting or receiving reference signals used for positioning in said positioning radio resource, using the adapted antenna arrangement.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the virtual positioning cell has a different coverage area as compared to a traffic cell associated with the network node.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the virtual positioning cell is designed to at least partly overlap with at least one other virtual positioning cell.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the virtual positioning cell is formed by changing the radiation pattern of at least one antenna generally used for communication of user data traffic.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the radiation pattern is changed in the vertical dimension.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the radiation pattern is changed in the horizontal dimension.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one dedicated antenna, other than an antenna used for communication of user data traffic, is used to form the virtual positioning cell.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the positioning radio resource occurs according to a predetermined schedule.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein the positioning radio resource occurs dynamically according to received instructions.

28. A network node adapted to improve conditions for ground-based positioning of mobile terminals in a wireless communication system, where said arrangement comprises:

an antenna arrangement comprising at least one antenna;

an antenna arrangement control unit adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement in a positioning radio resource, to form a virtual positioning cell; and

at least one of a transmitting unit adapted to transmit, and a receiving unit adapted to receive, reference signals used for positioning in said positioning radio resource, using the adapted antenna arrangement.

29. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement to form the virtual positioning cell so that it has a different coverage area as compared to a traffic cell associated with the network node.

30. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement to form the virtual positioning cell so that it at least partly overlaps with at least one other virtual positioning cell.

31. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to change the radiation pattern of at least one antenna generally used for communication of user data traffic, to form the virtual positioning cell.

32. The network node according to claim 31, wherein the radiation pattern is changed in the vertical dimension.

33. The network node according to claim 31, wherein the radiation pattern is changed in the horizontal dimension.

34. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement so that at least one dedicated antenna, other than an antenna used for communication of user data traffic, is used to form the virtual positioning cell.

35. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement according to a predetermined schedule.

36. The network node according to claim 28, wherein the antenna arrangement control unit is further adapted to adapt the configuration of the antenna arrangement dynamically, according to received instructions.