Method and system for reporting usage of a repeater in wireless communications

• US 7,734,249 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sill, Tim W., Mitchell, Gene S. Jr., Smithey, Paul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/365,379
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/7, 455/16, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/426.1, 455/426.2
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0273 using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• 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 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method and system for detecting, at a repeater, that a communication passing between a wireless communication device and radio access network infrastructure via the wireless repeater has a predefined characteristic and responsively outputting a reporting signal is disclosed. The reporting signal may be sent to a database which is accessible to a positioning system. The reporting signal may contain information regarding attributes of the repeater. Using the attributes of the repeater, the positioning system may be able to perform more accurate triangulation when locating the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a wireless repeater, that a communication passing between a wireless communication device and radio access network infrastructure via the wireless repeater has a predefined characteristic;

responsively outputting a reporting signal,

receiving the reporting signal;

using the reporting signal as a basis for determining a location of the repeater; and

using the location of the repeater as a basis for determining a location of the wireless communication device,

wherein using the location of the repeater as a basis for determining the location of the wireless communication device comprises;

(i) determining a delay between the wireless communication device and the repeater, and (ii) determining, based at least in part on the location of the repeater and the delay between the wireless communication device and the repeater, the location of the wireless communication device, and

wherein determining the delay between the wireless communication device and the repeater comprises;

(i) determining a delay between the repeater and a radio access network component associated with the repeater, (ii) determining a delay introduced by the repeater, (iii) determining a delay between the wireless communication device and the radio access network component associated with the repeater, and (iv) subtracting the delay between the repeater and the radio access network component associated with the repeater and the delay introduced by the repeater, from the delay between the wireless communication device and the radio access network component associated with the repeater.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a call origination message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined characteristic in the communication comprises predefined dialed digits.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting a reporting signal comprises generating and transmitting a repeater-usage message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the repeater-usage message includes an identifier of the wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the repeater-usage message includes an identifier of the repeater.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the repeater-usage message comprises sending the repeater-usage message to the database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein using the location of the repeater to determine the location of the wireless communication device comprises using the location of the repeater to perform triangulation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication has a first intended destination and the reporting signal has a second intended destination different from the first destination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first intended destination is a base transceiver station (BTS), wherein the second intended destination is a database, wherein outputting the reporting signal comprises generating and transmitting a repeater-usage message, and wherein transmitting the repeater-usage message comprises sending the repeater-usage message to the database, the method further comprising sending the communication to the BTS.

11. A repeater comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless communication device;

a second transceiver configured to communicate with radio access network infrastructure;

amplification circuitry coupled between the first transceiver and second transceiver, the amplification circuitry being configured to amplify a communication passing between the wireless communication device and the radio access network infrastructure;

a modem;

one or more processors, including at least one processor coupled to the modem and programmed to detect a predefined characteristic in a communication passing between the wireless communication device and the radio access network infrastructure via the repeater and to responsively cause the modem to send a reporting signal, wherein the communication comprises a call origination message; and

a chipset operable to receive the communication, and to demodulate the call origination message to obtain dialed digits associated with the call origination message.

12. The repeater of claim 11, further comprising a radio frequency splitter operable to receive the communication from the first transceiver and send the communication to the at least one processor and to the amplification circuitry.

13. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to receive from the chipset the dialed digits associated with the call origination message, and wherein the predefined characteristic is predefined dialed digits.

14. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to generate the reporting signal.

15. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the modem comprises a wireless modem and wherein the at least one processor causes the modem to send the reporting signal over an air interface.

16. The repeater of claim 15, wherein responsively outputting the reporting signal comprises transmitting the reporting signal to the repeater-usage database via the radio access network.

17. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the communication has a first intended destination, and wherein the reporting signal has a second intended destination different from the first destination.

18. The repeater of claim 17, wherein the first intended destination is a base transceiver station (BTS), and wherein the second intended destination is a repeater-usage database, and wherein outputting the reporting signal comprises transmitting the reporting signal to the repeater-usage database via the radio access network infrastructure, and wherein the second transceiver is further configured to send the communication to the BTS.

19. A repeater comprising:

a first transceiver operable to communicate with a wireless communication device;

a second transceiver operable to communicate with radio access network infrastructure;

amplification circuitry, coupled between the first transceiver and second transceiver, for amplifying communications passing between a wireless communication device and the radio access network infrastructure;

a modem;

one or more processors, including at least one processor coupled to the modem and programmed to detect a predefined characteristic in a communication passing between the wireless communication device and the radio access network infrastructure via the repeater and to responsively cause the modem to send a reporting signal, wherein the communication comprises a call origination message; and

a chipset operable to receive the communication and to demodulate the call origination message to obtain dialed digits associated with the call origination message.