Method and apparatus for synchronizing base stations using remote synchronizing stations

• US 6,433,739 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/430,620
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 342/387, 342/457, 342/385, 342/442
• US Class Current: 342/387
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 7/02 by radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining any offset between the timing of a communication base station and the timing of a GPS constellation using a remote synchronization station at which the timing of a base station can be measured and compared with known timing to determine an offset.

Claims

1. A remote synchronizing station, including:

a) a receiver configured to receive signals from a base station, the time at which signals are transmitted from the base station and the transmission delay being known values;

b) a clock, synchronized with clocks present in each of the base stations;

c) processing circuitry, coupled to the receiver and to the clock, configured to;

i) measure the time of arrival of signals from the base station;

ii) calculate the transmission delay as the difference between the time of arrival and the time of transmission of signals transmitted from the base station; and

iii) calculate the difference between the calculated transmission delay and the known transmission delay.

2. The remote synchronizing station of claim 1, further including a transmitter, coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to transmitting the calculated difference between the actual delay and the known delay.