Method and apparatus for determining a distance between a base station and a mobile unit

• US 7,269,387 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gabler, Karl-Heinz, Wolf, Günter Lothar
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/856,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/9, 455/10, 455/11.1, 4554561- 6, 455/457, 455/67.11, 455/14, 455/67.16, 455/67.7, 455/404.2, 455/521, 342/450, 342/453, 342457-458, 342/211, 342/213, 342241-243, 342246-249
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for detecting at least one repeater between a base station and a mobile unit. The method includes determining a first estimate of a distance traveled by a signal on a wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit, determining a second estimate of the distance traveled by the signal on the wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit, and comparing the first and second estimates. The method also includes determining whether the signal was processed by the at least one repeater based upon comparing the first and second estimates.

Claims

1. A method for detecting at least one repeater between a base station and a mobile unit, comprising:

determining a first estimate of a distance traveled by a signal on a wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit;

determining a second estimate of the distance traveled by the signal on the wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit;

comparing the first and second estimates; and

determining whether the signal was processed by the at least one repeater based upon comparing the first and second estimates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first estimate comprises determining at least one of a round-trip time associated with the signal, a time for the signal to travel from the base station to the mobile unit, and a time for the signal to travel from the mobile unit to the base station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the first estimate comprises determining the first estimate based upon at least one of the round-trip time associated with the signal, the time for the signal to travel from the base station to the mobile unit, and the time for the signal to travel from the mobile unit to the base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second estimate comprises receiving a quantity indicative of a transmitted power and a quantity indicative of a received power.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the quantity indicative of the transmitted power comprises receiving the quantity indicative of at least one of a power transmitted by the base station and a power transmitted by the mobile unit.

6. The method of claim 4, where in receiving the quantity indicative of the received power comprises receiving a quantity indicative of at least one of a power received by the base station and a power received by the mobile unit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the second estimate comprises determining the second estimate based upon the transmitted power, the received power, and a channel model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second estimates comprises determining whether a difference between the first and second estimates is larger than a first predetermined difference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the signal was processed by at least one repeater comprises determining that the signal was processed by at least one repeater when the difference between first and second estimates is larger than the first predetermined difference.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the distance traveled by the signal on the wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the distance traveled by the signal comprises determining the distance traveled by the signal based on at least one time delay associated with the at least one repeater and at least one channel model associated with the wireless communication link.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a position of the mobile unit; and

determining at least one of a time delay and an amplification factor associated with the repeater based upon the determined position.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether the signal was processed by a plurality of repeaters based upon comparing the first and second estimates.

14. An apparatus for detecting at least one repeater between a base station and a mobile unit, comprising:

a processing unit configured to;

determine a first estimate of a distance traveled by a signal on a wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit;

determine a second estimate of the distance traveled by the signal on the wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit;

compare the first and second estimates; and

determine whether the signal was processed by the at least one repeater based upon comparing the first and second estimates.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

determine at least one of a round-trip time associated with the signal, a time for the signal to travel from the base station to the mobile unit, and a time for the signal to travel from the mobile unit to the base station; and

determine the first estimate based upon at least one of at least one of the round-trip time associated with the signal, the time for the signal to travel from the base station to the mobile unit, and the time for the signal to travel from the mobile unit to the base station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive a quantity indicative of at least one of a power transmitted by the base station and a power transmitted by the mobile unit;

receive a quantity indicative of at least one of a power received by the base station and a power received by the mobile unit; and

determine the second estimate based upon at least one of the power transmitted by the base station and the power transmitted by the mobile unit, at least one of the power received by the base station and the power received by the mobile unit, and a channel model.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine that the signal was processed by at least one repeater when a difference between the first and second estimates is larger that a predetermined difference.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the distance traveled by the signal on the wireless communication link between the base station and the mobile unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

determine a position of the mobile unit; and

determine at least one of a time delay and an amplification factor associated with the repeater based upon the determined position.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether the signal was processed by a plurality of repeaters based upon comparing the first and second estimates.