Mobile-station and macro-network-aided location determination of a low-cost internet base station (LCIB)

• US 7,577,443 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Barbee, Bryan T., Sill, Timothy W., Yenney, Christopher M., Deal, William H., Moll, Keith E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/960,987
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/450, 455/441, 455/438, 455/437, 455/435.1, 455/456.2, 455/404.2, 370/328, 370/341
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for implementing mobile-station and macro-network-aided location determination of a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB). In an embodiment, a location of a mobile station that is associated with an LCIB is determined. The location of the mobile station is used to determine a location of the LCIB.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a low cost Internet base station (LCIB), wherein the LCIB has a backhaul connection to a macro network, detecting that (i) a mobile station has associated with the LCIB and (ii) the LCIB is not receiving a sufficient Global Positioning System (GPS) signal for acquiring an initial GPS fix, and responsively sending a location request to at least one network entity;

the at least one network entity receiving the location request, and responsively (i) determining a location of the mobile station, (ii) using the location of the mobile station to determine a location of the LCIB, and (iii) transmitting to the LCIB over the backhaul connection at least one of (a) location information reflecting the location of the LCIB and (b) an LCIB operational parameter identified at least in part based on the determined location of the LCIB.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the location information over the backhaul connection comprises transmitting the location information over a virtual-private-network (VPN) connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station having associated with the LCIB comprises the mobile station having registered with the LCIB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location request comprises sending the location request to the mobile station over a first air interface, wherein, in response to receiving the location request, the mobile station communicates with a macro network over a second air interface to initiate a location-determination session with the macro network for determining the location of the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mobile station communicating with the macro network over the second air interface to initiate the location-determination session comprises:

the mobile station checking whether it has a sufficient GPS signal and sufficient macro-network coverage for engaging in the location-determination session;

in response to determining that it does not have at least one of a sufficient GPS signal and sufficient macro-network coverage for engaging in the location-determination session, the mobile station caching the location request; and

after caching the location request, the mobile station later determining that it has both a sufficient GPS signal and sufficient macro-network coverage for engaging in the location-determination session, and responsively engaging in the location-determination session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location request comprises sending the location request to the macro network over the backhaul connection, wherein, in response to receiving the location request, the macro network communicates with the mobile station over an air interface to initiate a location-determination session with the mobile station for determining the location of the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile station comprises the mobile station using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to determine the location of the mobile station, the method further comprising the mobile station transmitting the location of the mobile station to a macro network over an air interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile station comprises the mobile station using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to receive GPS data, the method further comprising:

the mobile station transmitting the GPS data to the macro network over an air interface; and

the macro network using at least the GPS data to compute the location of the mobile station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the LCIB and the mobile station transmitting at least one of an identifier of the LCIB and an identifier of the mobile station to the macro network,

wherein using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB comprises using at least one transmitted identifier to identify at least one of the LCIB and the mobile station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB comprises using an account association to identify at least one of the LCIB and the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB comprises setting the location of the LCIB equal to the location of the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB comprises deriving the location of the LCIB from the location of the mobile station and a set of dead-reckoning data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB comprises using the location of the mobile station to determine the location of the LCIB only if (a) the mobile station has traveled less than a threshold distance since communicating with the LCIB and/or (b) the mobile station has communicated with the LCIB within a threshold timeout period.

14. The method of claim 1, carried out multiple times, wherein the location of the LCIB that is determined each time reflects an average of (a) a location determined that time and (b) a location determined in connection with at least one previous time.

15. A method carried out by a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB), the LCIB comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and a backhaul connection with a macro network, the method comprising:

using the GPS receiver to attempt to acquire a GPS fix;

in response to failing to acquire the GPS fix, sending a location request to at least one of the macro network and a mobile station that is associated with the LCIB, wherein sending the location request causes (a) a location of the mobile station to be determined by at least one of the mobile station and the macro network and (b) a location of the LCIB to be determined by at least one of the LCIB and the macro network based on the location of the mobile station; and

receiving over the backhaul connection at least one of (a) the location of the LCIB and (b) an LCIB operational parameter identified at least in part based on the location of the LCIB.

16. A low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) comprising:

a communication interface for providing an air interface to at least one mobile station;

a location module comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

a backhaul connection with a macro network;

a processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

use the GPS receiver to attempt to acquire a GPS fix;

in response to failing to acquire the GPS fix, send a location request to at least one of the macro network and a mobile station that is associated with the LCIB, wherein sending the location request causes (a) a location of the mobile station to be determined by at least one of the mobile station and the macro network and (b) a location of the LCIB to be determined by at least one of the LCIB and the macro network based on the location of the mobile station; and

receive over the backhaul connection at least one of (a) the location of the LCIB and (b) an LCIB operational parameter identified at least in part based on the location of the LCIB.