Method for determining the position of a mobile station

• US 6,850,761 B2
• Filed: 05/26/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pallonen, Jorma
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US09/194,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,808 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562, 455/67.1, 455/63, 455/452, 455/62, 455/67.3, 455/436, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/441, 455/453, 455/446, 455/509, 455/513, 455/456, 455/457, 455/435, 455/574, 455/550, 455/56.1, 342/457, 342/450, 342/453
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/28 using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a base station of a cellular radio system, which base station comprises antenna equipment for receiving signals from a certain mobile station simultaneously by at least two antenna beams directed in different directions, and measuring equipment for measuring the signal levels of the signals received by the respective antenna beans. For determining the position of the mobile station with greater accuracy the base station is provided with calculating means which are responsive to the measuring equipment to determine the direction from the base station to the mobile station by calculating the relations between the signal levels of the signals for the respective beams.

Claims

1. A method for determining the position of a mobile station located in a coverage area of a base station in a radio system and for using location information, in which method the base station comprises equipment for receiving signals from the same mobile station simultaneously by at least two antenna beams directed in different directions, the method comprising:

measuring signal levels of signals received from a same mobile station by different antenna beams of said base station,

comparing the signal levels of the signals received from the same mobile station by the different antenna beams,

determining a direction to the mobile station in relation to the bas station on the basis of a relations between the signal levels measured for the different antenna beams, and

calculating a distance from the mobile station to the base station on the basis of a timing advance, given to the mobile station by the base station and propagation speed of the radio signals, wherein said distance and said direction is used for making a decision whether or not said mobile station should be transferred to another base station by a handover.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein calculating a mean value for the measuring results during a determined time period and determining the direction to the mobile station on the basis of the relations between the calculated mean values.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein choosing a beam by which signals with the strongest signal level have been received and at least one of the adjacent beams (D), comparing the measured signal levels for the antenna beams, and determining the direction to the mobile station on the basis of the relation between the signal levels for the chosen antenna beams.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile station is located

in the centre of the first chosen beam, if signal level (RSSI1) of the signals received by the beam is essentially higher than a signal level (RSSI2) of the signals received by the other chosen antenna beam,

in a border area between the antenna beams, if the signal level (RSSI1, RSSI2) of the signals received by the chosen antenna beams are substantially the same, and

between the centre of the first chosen antenna beam and the border zone of the beams, if the signal level (RSSI1) of the signals received by the first antenna beam is somewhat higher than the signal level (RSSI2) of the signals received by the other antenna beam.

5. Base station (BTS1) of a radio system, which base station comprises:

antenna equipment for receiving signals from a certain mobile station simultaneously by at least two antenna beams directed in different directions,

measuring equipment for measuring the signal levels of the signal received by the different antenna beams,

equipment for defining a timing advance for the mobile station which is in radio connection with the base station to compensate for a time lag caused by the distance between the mobile station and the base station, and

calculation means which are responsive to the measuring equipment for determining the direction from the base station to the mobile station on the basis of the relations of the signal levels measured for the different antenna beams, and which calculation means comprise equipment for calculating the distance between the base station and the mobile station on the basis of the timing advance defined for the mobile station and the propagation speed of the radio signals,

wherein said calculation means are adapted to transmit said direction and said distance further in the system in order to be used for making a decision whether or not said mobile station should be transferred to another base station by a handover.

6. Base station according to claim 5, wherein that the calculation means are arranged for calculating for each beam the mean value of the signal levels of the signals received from the mobile station by the respective antenna beams, whereby the calculation means are arranged to determine the direction from the base station to the mobile station on the basis of relations between the calculated mean values.

7. Base station according to claim 5, in wherein that the calculation means include means for choosing the antenna beam (1) with the strongest signal level and at least one adjacent beam (2), wherein the calculating means are arranged for determining the direction from the base station to the mobile station on the basis of the relations of the signal levels (RSSI1, RSSI2) of the signals received via the chosen antenna beams (1, 2).

8. Base station according to claim 5, wherein said base station is a base station of a cellular radio system divided into logical traffic channels in accordance with a TDMA principle.