DISTANCE ESTIMATION

• US 20140323151A1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bulja, Senad, Claussen, Holger, Kennedy, Irwin O.
• Application Number:
  US14/357,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323151A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements

Abstract

A method, a network access node and a computer program product are disclosed. The method of estimating a distance between at least one network access node and a network node of a wireless communications network, comprises: measuring total path losses between the at least one network access node and the network node on at least two different frequencies; determining frequency-dependent path losses of transmissions by the at least one network access node on the at least two different frequencies; and estimating a distance between the network node and the at least one network access node using the total path losses and the frequency-dependent path losses on the at least two different frequencies. By measuring the total path losses between network nodes on different frequencies and using frequency-dependent path losses determined for those frequencies, it is possible to estimate the distance between network nodes. This effectively removes the effects of the frequency-dependent path losses for the different frequencies in order to estimate the distance between network nodes.

Claims

1. A method of estimating a distance between at least one network access node and a network node of a wireless communications network, comprising:

measuring total path losses between said at least one network access node and said network node on at least two different frequencies;

determining frequency-dependent path losses of transmissions by said at least one network access node on said at least two different frequencies; and

estimating a distance between said network node and said at least one network access node using said total path losses and said frequency-dependent path losses on said at least two different frequencies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses are determined from a difference in said total path losses on each different frequency between said at least one network access node and said network node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses are determined from transmissions on each different frequency between at least two network access nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses are determined from transmissions on each different frequency between at least three network access nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses are determined from transmissions on each different frequency and a distance between network access nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising determining an average frequency-dependent path loss on each different frequency between network access nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses at each different frequency are determined using an effective frequency-dependent attenuation between said network access nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said effective frequency-dependent attenuation is determined using a path loss measured at each different frequency between said network access nodes and a distance between said network access nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising determining an average effective frequency-dependent attenuation on each different frequency between said network access nodes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said frequency-dependent path losses are determined from predetermined frequency-dependent path losses approximated for different deployment environments.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said distance is estimated from a corrected path loss determined by removing said frequency-dependent path losses from said total path losses on each different frequency.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said distance is estimated using said total path loss, a transmission power and said average effective frequency-dependent attenuation on each different frequency.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising estimating a distance between said network node and each of said network access nodes.

15. A computer program product operable, when executed on a computer, to perform the method of claim 1.

14. A network node operable to estimating a distance between at least one network access node and a network node of a wireless communications network, comprising:

measurement logic operable to measure total path losses between the at least one network access node and the network node on at least two different frequencies;

determining logic operable to determine frequency-dependent path losses of transmissions by the at least one network access node on the at least two different frequencies; and

estimating logic operable to estimate a distance between the network node and the at least one network access node using the total path losses and the frequency-dependent path losses on the at least two different frequencies.