POSITIONING LOCATION FOR REMOTE RADIO HEADS (RRH) WITH SAME PHYSICAL CELL IDENTITY (PCI)

• US 20130051317A1
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ji, Tingfang, Palanki, Ravi, Gaal, Peter, Xu, Hao, Wei, Yongbin
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• 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 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A method of wireless communication includes configuring a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs) to prevent position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions on the same subframes where the macro eNodeB transmits PRS. The configured RRHs each have a same physical cell identity (PCI) as the macro eNodeB. The RRHs communicating in accordance with the configuration.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs), each having a same physical cell identity (PCI) as a macro eNodeB, to prevent position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions on subframes where the macro eNodeB transmits PRS; and

communicating in accordance with the configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, in which configuring a plurality of remote radio heads comprises configuring no PRS transmissions at the remote radio heads.

3. The method of claim 1, in which configuring a plurality of remote heads comprises silencing PRS transmissions at the remote radio heads.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a PRS (position reference signal) transmission pattern at the remote radio heads different from a macro eNodeB PRS transmission pattern.

5. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs);

receiving uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE); and

determining a position location of the UE based on received signal time difference (RSTD) measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

combining the RSTD measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB with measurements from the UE, in which the UE measurements are based on RSTD of position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the measurements from the UE are based on RRHs that have been configured to silence PRS transmissions on subframes where a macro eNodeB transmits PRS.

8. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

generating a unique position location reference signal (PRS) for a remote radio head based on at least one of a virtual cell ID or unique cell global identification (CGI) of the remote radio head; and

transmitting the unique position location reference signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising signaling to a user equipment (UE) that the position location reference signal is based on at least one of the cell global identification or the virtual cell ID.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising signaling to a user equipment (UE), a position reference signal configuration of a plurality of remote radio heads in neighboring cells when the UE is near a serving cell boundary.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising

receiving uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE);

and

determining a position location of the UE based on the received uplink transmissions.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured;

to configure a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs), each having a same physical cell identity (PCI) as a macro eNodeB, to prevent position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions on subframes where the macro eNodeB transmits PRS; and

to communicate in accordance with the configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, in which the processor configures the plurality of remote radio heads by configuring no PRS transmissions at the remote radio heads.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, in which the processor configures the plurality of remote heads by silencing PRS transmissions at the remote radio heads.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, in which the processor configures a PRS (position reference signal) transmission pattern at the remote radio heads different from a macro eNodeB PRS transmission pattern.

16. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured;

to configure a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs);

to receive uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE); and

to determine a position location of the UE based on received signal time difference (RSTD) measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the processor is further configured:

to combine the RSTD measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB with measurements from the UE, in which the UE measurements are based on RSTD of position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the measurements from the UE are based on RRHs that have been configured to silence PRS transmissions on subframes where a macro eNodeB transmits PRS.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured;

to generate a unique position location reference signal (PRS) for a remote radio head based on at least one of a virtual cell ID or unique cell global identification (CGI) of the remote radio head; and

to transmit the unique position location reference signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the processor is further configured to signal to a user equipment (UE) that the position location reference signal is based on at least one of the cell global identification or the virtual cell ID.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the processor is further configured to signal to a user equipment (UE), a position reference signal configuration of a plurality of remote radio heads in neighboring cells when the UE is near a serving cell boundary.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the processor is further configured:

to receive uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE); and

to determine a position location of the UE based on the received uplink transmissions.

23. A computer program product for wireless communication in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to configure a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs), each having a same physical cell identity (PCI) as a macro eNodeB, to prevent position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions on subframes where the macro eNodeB transmits PRS; and

program code to communicate in accordance with the configuration.

24. A computer program product for wireless communication in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to configure a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs);

program code to receive uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE); and

program code to determine a position location of the UE based on received signal time difference (RSTD) measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB.

25. A computer program product for wireless communication in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to generate a unique position location reference signal (PRS) for a remote radio head based on at least one of a virtual cell ID or unique cell global identification (CGI) of the remote radio head; and

program code to transmit the unique position location reference signal.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs), each having a same physical cell identity (PCI) as a macro eNodeB, to prevent position location reference signal (PRS) transmissions on subframes where the macro eNodeB transmits PRS; and

means for communicating in accordance with the configuration.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs);

means for receiving uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE); and

means determining a position location of the UE based on received signal time difference (RSTD) measurements of the received uplink transmissions at the RRHs and macro eNodeB.

28. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for generating a unique position location reference signal (PRS) for a remote radio head based on at least one of a virtual cell ID or unique cell global identification (CGI) of the remote radio head; and

means for transmitting the unique position location reference signal.