Apparatus and method for determining the location of a repeater

• US 7,831,263 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Kenneth, Wheatley, Charles, Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean A
• Application Number:
  US10/703,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/404.2, 455/11.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 370/315, 342/357.09, 342/357.01, 701/200, 701/300
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A repeater is disclosed with position location capability. The repeater includes a position location device for determining the location of the repeater. The position location device uses radio-location signals received independently or by a receiver to determine the location of the repeater. The location of the repeater can be used to update a base station almanac.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a repeater including a receiver, amplification circuitry, and a transmitter disposed on the repeater, the repeater to receive signals transmitted by a base station of a wireless cellular system using the receiver, amplify the received signals using the amplification circuitry, and transmit amplified signals to a mobile station coupled to the wireless cellular system using the transmitter;

a position location device operatively located with and coupled to the repeater, the position location device to receive radio-location signals, and based at least in part on the radio-location signals determine location information associated with a location of the repeater; and

at least one device to maintain a base station almanac to store at least location information associated with locations of a plurality of base stations of the wireless cellular system and the location information associated with the location of the repeater, and receive the location information associated with the location of the repeater from at least one of the repeater and/or the position location device, and wherein the stored location information associated with the location of the repeater is accessible and usable to account for at least one propagation delay associated with at least one amplified signal transmitted by the repeater and received by the mobile station during a subsequent location determination process associated with the mobile station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device is integrated with the repeater.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device is coupled to the repeater by an external connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device comprises a GPS receiver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device comprises a mobile station for use with the wireless cellular system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device is capable of determining the location information associated with the location of the repeater based on radio-location signals received by the receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the position location device is capable of determining the location information associated with the location of the repeater based on radio-location signals received by the position location device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is capable of transmitting the location information associated with the location of the repeater.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is capable of transmitting the location information associated with the location of the repeater to an external device to update the base station almanac.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the external device comprises at least one of the plurality of base stations.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of the plurality of base stations.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the base station is capable of routing the location information associated with the location of the repeater to another device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the base station is capable of querying the repeater for the location information associated with the location of the repeater.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second receiver including the position location device, wherein the position location device determines the location information associated with the location of the repeater based on radio-location signals received by the second receiver.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the base station almanac comprises at least one memory device for storing the location information associated with the location of the repeater.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a processor to retrieve the location information associated with the location of the repeater from the at least one memory device.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the received signals and the location information associated with the location of the repeater retrieved by the processor.

18. A method comprising:

with a repeater, receiving signals transmitted by a base station of a wireless cellular system and transmitting the signals to a mobile station coupled to wireless cellular system;

receiving radio-location signals with a position location device located with and operatively coupled to the repeater;

with the position location device, determining location information associated with the location of the repeater based on the radio-location signals;

transmitting the location information associated with the location of the repeater to at least one device using at least one of the repeater and/or the position location device;

storing the location information associated with the location of the repeater in base station almanac to store at least location information associated with a plurality of base stations of the wireless cellular system and the location information associated with the location of the repeater; and

during a subsequent location determination process associated with the mobile station accessing and using the stored location information associated with the location of the repeater to account for at least one propagation delay associated with at least one signal retransmitted by the repeater and received by the mobile station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the radio-location signals include assistance data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the location information associated with the location of the repeater is transmitted by the repeater in response to a query.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the location information associated with the location of the repeater is transmitted by the repeater during a predetermined time interval.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the location information associated with the location of the repeater is transmitted by the repeater during initial initialization.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the location information associated with the location of the repeater is transmitted by the repeater on an automated basis.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one device comprises a base station.