METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED POSITION LOCATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20180115973A1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Peter John, Grob, Matthew Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 10,694,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02216 Timing or synchronisation of the receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for providing improved position location (e.g., time-of-arrival) measurement and enhanced position location in wireless communication systems. In an example method, an access terminal may receive a reference signal in a time slot, the reference signal comprising a sequence of symbols known to a receiver before being received, and may determine, based at least in part on the reference signal, a position location of the access terminal.

Claims

1. An access terminal (AT), comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a reference signal in a time slot, the reference signal comprising a sequence of symbols known to the AT before being received; and

a measurement unit configured to determine a position location of the AT based at least in part on the reference signal.

2. The AT of claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive a pilot signal on a pilot channel in the time slot, wherein the reference signal is on a traffic channel in the time slot.

3. The AT of claim 2, wherein determining the position location of the AT is further based on the pilot signal.

4. The AT of claim 3, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are time-division-multiplexed.

5. The AT of claim 3, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are code-division-multiplexed.

6. The AT of claim 2, wherein a pattern of the pilot signal is the same as a pattern of the reference signal.

7. The AT of claim 1, wherein determining the position location of the AT comprises using time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements.

8. The AT of claim 1, wherein determining the position location of the AT comprises performing a position location measurement.

9. The AT of claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive the reference signal on a periodic basis.

10. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving at an access terminal (AT) a reference signal in a time slot, the reference signal comprising a sequence of symbols known to a receiver before being received; and

determining a position location of the AT based at least in part on the reference signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a pilot signal on a pilot channel in the time slot, wherein the reference signal is on a traffic channel in the time slot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the position location of the AT is further based on the pilot signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are time-division-multiplexed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are code-division-multiplexed.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a pattern of the pilot signal is the same as a pattern of the reference signal.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the position location of the AT comprises using time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the position location of the AT comprises performing a position location measurement.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the reference signal is on a periodic basis.

19. An access terminal (AT), comprising:

means for receiving a reference signal in a time slot, the reference signal comprising a sequence of symbols known to the AT before being received; and

means for determining a position location of the AT based at least in part on the reference signal.

20. The AT of claim 19, further comprising means for receiving a pilot signal on a pilot channel in the time slot, wherein the reference signal is on a traffic channel in the time slot.

21. The AT of claim 20, wherein determining the position location of the AT is further based on the pilot signal.

22. The AT of claim 21, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are time-division-multiplexed.

23. The AT of claim 21, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are code-division-multiplexed.

24. The AT of claim 20, wherein a pattern of the pilot signal is the same as a pattern of the reference signal.

25. The AT of claim 19, wherein the means for determining the position location of the AT comprises means for using time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements in determining the position location.

26. The AT of claim 19, wherein the means for determining the position location of the AT comprises means for performing a position location measurement.

27. The AT of claim 19, wherein the means for receiving the reference signal comprises means for receiving the reference signal on a periodic basis.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communications, the medium storing one or more programs containing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an access terminal (AT), cause the AT to perform operations comprising:

receiving a reference signal in a time slot, the reference signal comprising a sequence of symbols known to the AT before being received; and

determining a position location of the AT based at least in part on the reference signal.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the AT to receive a pilot signal on a pilot channel in the time slot, wherein the reference signal is on a traffic channel in the time slot.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein determining the position location of the AT is further based on the pilot signal.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are time-division-multiplexed.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the pilot signal and the reference signal are code-division-multiplexed.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein a pattern of the pilot signal is the same as a pattern of the reference signal.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the instructions for determining the position location of the AT causes the AT to use time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements in determining the position location.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the instructions for determining the position location of the AT causes the AT to perform a position location measurement.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein execution of the instructions for receiving the reference signal causes the AT to receive the reference signal on a periodic basis.