Method for selecting a signal, and a cellular radio system

• US 6,353,601 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Siira, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/812,329
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/440, 455/444, 455/561, 455/562, 455/439, 455/441, 455/443, 455/524-525, 370/331, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for setting up a connection and to a cellular radio system used during a hand-off. The cellular radio system comprises subscriber terminals and base stations that communicate with the subscriber terminals and that form antenna beams that are oriented towards the subscriber terminal in order to set up an optimum connection to the subscriber terminal. The cellular radio system comprises calculation means for calculating the location of the subscriber terminal in the cellular radio system on the basis of the established connection, the base stations that set up the connection to the subscriber terminal orienting their antenna beams rapidly towards the subscriber terminal on the basis of the aforementioned location data.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a connection, used during a hand-off in a cellular radio system including subscriber terminals and a plurality of base stations including a first base station that form antenna beams which are steered towards a subscriber terminal in order to set up an optimum connection, the method comprising:

calculating a location of the subscriber terminal in the cellular radio system in relation to one of the base stations, wherein the calculating includes calculating a transmission direction angle of a radiation pattern of the first base station; and

at least one other base station steering its antenna beam towards the subscriber terminal on the basis of the calculated subscriber terminal location when the location is calculated.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the subscriber terminal location data consists of the direction and distance of the subscriber terminal with respect to the base station.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the data concerning the direction and distance of the subscriber terminal is used for determining the location of the subscriber terminal with respect to another base station.

5. A method according to claim 1 or 2, which method is used during a hand-off and wherein the subscriber terminal location data is transmitted to the base station in advance.

6. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locations of the base stations in the cellular radio system with respect to each other are previously known.

7. A method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising calculating, on the basis of the established connection, the angles of transmission and reception of the base station antenna beams and the distance of the subscriber terminal from the base station, the aforementioned data being used to calculate the angles of transmission and reception of the antenna beam used in some other base station, and the length of the delay over the connection between the aforementioned base station and subscriber terminal.

8. A method according to claim 1 or 2, used in a cellular radio system that is realized with the SDMA method.

2. A method for setting up a connection, used during a hand-off in a cellular radio system including at least one subscriber terminal and a plurality of base stations including a first base station that form antenna beams which are steered towards the subscriber terminal in order to set up an optimum connection, the method comprising:

calculating a location of the subscriber terminal in the cellular radio system on the basis of the connection to the first base station, wherein the calculating includes calculating a transmission direction angle of a radiation pattern of the first base station; and

the antenna beam of at least one other base station being steered towards the subscriber terminal by utilizing the calculated location when the location is calculated.

9. A cellular radio system used during a hand-off, the cellular radio system including subscriber terminals and a plurality of base stations including a first base station that communicate with the subscriber terminals and that form antenna beams that are steered towards a subscriber terminal in order to set up an optimum connection with the subscriber terminal, the cellular radio system comprising:

calculation means for calculating a location of the connected subscriber terminal, the calculating means including means for calculating a transmission direction angle of a radiation pattern of the first base station;

wherein at least one of the base stations steers its antenna beam towards the subscriber terminal on the basis of the calculated location when the location is calculated.

10. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, wherein the subscriber terminal location data consists of the direction and distance of the subscriber terminal with respect to the base station.

11. A cellular radio system according to claim 10, wherein the direction of the subscriber terminal is calculated from the angles of transmission and reception of the antenna beam.

12. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, wherein the calculation means calculate the angles of transmission and reception of the antenna beam of some other base station and the signal delay between the subscriber terminal and the base station on the basis of the connection set up previously.

13. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, wherein the location data is utilized for determining the location of the subscriber terminal with respect to some other base station.

14. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, wherein the calculation means are adapted to transmit the location data to the base station in advance.

15. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, wherein the locations of the base stations in the cellular radio system with respect to each other are previously known.

16. A cellular radio system according to claim 9, used in a cellular radio system realized with the SDMA method.

17. A method for setting up a connection used during a handoff in a cellular radio system, the method comprising:

(a) defining a distance in accordance with a position of at least one subscriber terminal and a position of a first of a plurality of base stations;

(b) the first base station transmitting a main antenna beam towards the at least one subscriber terminal;

(c) calculating a location of the at least one subscriber terminal based upon the distance and a transmission direction angle of the main beam;

(d) communicating the location of the at least one subscriber terminal to the least one other of the plurality of base stations; and

(e) simultaneously steering an antenna beam of the at least one other base station towards the at least one subscriber terminal based upon the location, simultaneously steering the antenna beam in order to set up an optimum connection when the location is calculated.