Method for selecting base transceiver stations for gathering data to determine a mobile station's location in a wireless network

• US 6,216,002 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Holmring, Anders T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, SHEILA B
• Application Number:
  US09/075,579
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 455/440, 455/436, 455/426, 455/444, 455/456, 455/435, 379/115, 379/118
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for selecting base transceiver stations to obtain radio signal timing data that is used to make a location determination of a mobile station in a wireless network. The mobile station'"'"'s serving base transceiver station is selected. Base transceiver stations on the mobile station'"'"'s handover candidate list that are connected to the same base station controller as the serving base station and not cosited with a previously selected base transceiver station are selected next. If a sufficient number of base transceiver stations has not been selected, base transceiver stations on a positioning neighbor list that are connected to the same base station controller as the serving base station and not cosited with a previously selected base station are selected.

Claims

1. In a wireless network having a plurality of base transceiver stations for transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from a mobile station which is communicating with a serving base transceiver station and has developed a handover candidate list of ones of said plurality of base transceiver stations, the network having for each base transceiver station a list of positioning neighbor base transceiver stations, the method of selecting base transceiver stations for obtaining timing advance values of said mobile station with respect to a plurality of base transceiver stations, which comprises:

first, selecting said serving base transceiver station;

eliminating from the handover candidate and the positioning neighbor lists of base transceiver stations considered for selection those base transceiver stations with a base station controller different from that of the serving base station transceiver;

next, selecting one or more base transeiver stations from said handover candidate list; and

then, selecting one or more base transceiver stations from said positioning neighbor list.

2. In a wireless network having a plurality of base transceiver stations for transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from a mobile station which is communicating with a serving base transceiver station and has developed a handover candidate list of ones of said plurality of base transceiver stations, the network having for each base transceiver station a list of positioning neighbor base transceiver stations, the method of selecting base transceiver stations for obtaining timing advance values of said mobile station with respect to a plurality of base transceiver stations, which comprises:

first, selecting said serving base transceiver station;

next, selecting one or more base transceiver stations from said handover candidate list;

then, selecting one or more base transceiver stations from said positioning neighbor list; and

eliminating from consideration any base transceiver station cosited with a base transceiver station already selected.