Method and system for determining locations of mobile stations using directional corrections

• US 7,800,540 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hou, Jiongkuan, Swift, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/533,192
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 342/451, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A base station almanac (BSA) stores directional forward link calibration (FLC) values that correct for differences between the listed locations of base station antennas and the actual locations of the antennas. Each directional FLC value is specific to wireless signals that are transmitted from a particular base station antenna and propagate toward a particular receiving area. A mobile station operating in a receiving area measures a wireless signal from a base station antenna located outside of the receiving area to obtain a signal measurement. The location of the mobile station is determined by applying a positioning algorithm that uses the signal measurement corrected by the directional FLC value for that particular combination of base station antenna and receiving area.

Claims

1. A system for mobile station location determination, said system comprising:

data storage storing positioning information, wherein said positioning information identifies at least one receiving area and a plurality of transmitting areas, and said positioning information includes, for said at least one receiving area, a plurality of directional correction values, each of said directional correction values being specific to wireless signals transmitted from a particular one of said transmitting areas and received in said at least one receiving area; and

a position determining entity (PDE) for determining locations of mobile stations using said positioning information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said positioning information is a base station almanac (BSA).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said transmitting areas are associated with base station antennas, and said BSA includes listed locations of said base station antennas.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said directional correction values correct for differences between said listed locations of said base station antennas and actual locations of said base station antennas.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said PDE is configured to:

(a) receive from a mobile station operating in a receiving area a signal measurement that said mobile station obtained by measuring a wireless signal transmitted by a base station located in a transmitting area;

(b) receive from said mobile station an identification of said receiving area and said base station;

(c) obtain from said BSA base station coordinates for said base station;

(d) obtain from said BSA a directional correction value that is specific for signals transmitted from said base station in said transmitting area and received in said receiving area; and

(e) determine a location of said mobile station by applying an algorithm that uses said signal measurement, said directional correction value, and said base station coordinates.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said signal measurement is a measurement of a phase of a pilot signal transmitted by said base station.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said directional correction value corrects for a difference between an actual location of said base station'"'"'s antenna and said base station coordinates listed in said BSA.