Wireless terminal location using apparatus and methods employing carrier diversity
First Claim
1. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
- receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations, respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; and
determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; and
determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratios;
wherein determining at least two channel gain ratios includes using information indicative of the relative transmission power of the first, second, and third signals transmitted by said first, second, and third base stations, respectively; and
wherein the relative transmission power between said first and second base stations and ii) said second and third base stations is predetermined, said step of determining at least two channel gain ratios including accessing stored information indicating the power relationship.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, receive, identify, and measure broadcast signals from a plurality of cells. They determine relative transmission power relationships corresponding to the received measured signals and determine at least two channel gain ratios. A geographic area is determined corresponding to the obtained at least two channel gain ratios and information indicating the geographic region in which such gain ratios may be detected. Each cell'"'"'s base station transmits broadcast signals, e.g., beacon signals, pilot signals, and/or assignment signals for one more carriers. Some base stations use multiple carriers at different power levels. Some adjacent cells use different power levels for the same carrier. This carrier diversity approach tends to reduce overall interference in the system, yet provides mobiles with a variety of different strength signals which may be monitored and which vary as a function of distance from the source transmitter.
67 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
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receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations, respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; and determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; and determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratios; wherein determining at least two channel gain ratios includes using information indicative of the relative transmission power of the first, second, and third signals transmitted by said first, second, and third base stations, respectively; and wherein the relative transmission power between said first and second base stations and ii) said second and third base stations is predetermined, said step of determining at least two channel gain ratios including accessing stored information indicating the power relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
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receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations, respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; and determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; and determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratios, wherein determining at least two channel gain ratios includes using information indicative of the relative transmission power of the first, second, and third signals transmitted by said first, second, and third base stations, respectively; and wherein each of said first, second and third signals is a single tone signal over a time interval less than 3 OFDM symbol transmission periods in duration. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
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receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said first base station; receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said second base station; receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said third base station; receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations, respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; and determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratios, wherein determining at least two channel gain ratios includes using information indicative of the relative transmission power of the first, second, and third signals transmitted by said first, second, and third base stations, respectively; and wherein said broadcast information about said first, second, and third transmission power levels is transmitted by a single one of said first, second, and third base stations.
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14. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
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receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said first base station; receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said second base station; and receiving broadcast information about the transmission power level used by said third base station; receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; and determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratios, wherein determining at least two channel gain ratios includes using information indicative of the relative transmission power of the first, second, and third signals transmitted by said first, second, and third base stations, respectively; and wherein each base station transmits power information about the transmission power level used by the transmitting base station. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A wireless communications device which determines its geographic location based upon received signals from three or more base stations using at least two different carrier frequencies, the wireless communications device comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a plurality of signals including first, second, and third signals from first, second, and third base stations, respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; a power measurement module for measuring the received power of said first second and third signals; a relative transmission power determination module for determining relative transmission powers between said first, second, and third signals; stored predetermined base station transmission power relationship information, said stored predetermined base station power relationship information being used by said relative power determination module; a channel gain ratio module for determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a channel gain ratio between a first channel gain and a second channel gain, said first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, said second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base and said wireless communications device, and a third channel gain being a channel gain between said third base station and said wireless communications device; and a geographic area determination module for determining a geographic area corresponding to said at least two determined channel gain ratios. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of operating a wireless communications device to perform a location determination operation, the method comprising:
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receiving first, second and third signals from first, second and third base stations respectively, said first and second signals corresponding to first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, said first and second carrier frequencies being different; determining at least two channel gain ratios, said at least two channel gain ratios including a first channel gain ratio and a second channel gain ratio, the first channel gain ratio being a ratio of a first channel gain to a second channel gain, the first channel gain being a channel gain between said first base station and said wireless communications device, the second channel gain being a channel gain between said second base station and said wireless communications device; and
determining a geographic area which corresponds to said at least two determined channel gain ratioswherein said first, second and third signals are orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals; and wherein each of said first, second and third signals is a single tone signal over a time interval less than 3OFDM symbol transmission periods, in duration.
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Specification