WiMAX base station and method for determining location information for a mobile station in a WiMAX network

• US 8,340,693 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Joey
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US12/507,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 342/357.08, 370/203
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02216 Timing or synchronisation of the receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 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 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Embodiments of a WiMAX base station and a method for determining current location information of a mobile station in a WiMAX network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a first timing adjustment is determined from receipt of the ranging frame from the mobile station within the granted uplink time-slot, and a second timing adjustment is received from the non-serving base station. The second timing adjustment may be determined by the non-serving base station based on receipt of a ranging frame from the mobile station.

Claims

1. A serving base station configured to perform uplink time difference of arrival (U-TDOA), comprising:

processing circuitry to;

measure a first timing adjustment by receipt of a first upload (UL) burst from a mobile station in a first granted slot of a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame; and

determine a position of the mobile station based at least in-part on the first timing adjustment received by the serving base station, a second timing adjustment from a non-serving base station, a third timing adjustment from a second non-serving base station, and a fourth timing adjustment from a third non-serving base station; and

network interface circuitry to receive the second timing adjustment from the non-serving base station, the third timing adjustment from the second non-serving base station, and the fourth timing adjustment from the third non-serving base station, the second timing adjustment being measured by the non-serving base station from receipt of a second UL burst from the mobile station in a second granted slot of a second OFDMA frame.

2. The serving base station of claim 1, wherein the serving base station and the non-serving base station employ frequency diversity.

3. The serving base station of claim 1, wherein the serving base station operates synchronously with the non-serving base station.

4. The serving base station of claim 1, wherein the UL burst from the mobile station is initiated in response to a request from an external network.

5. The serving base station of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the U-TDOA based at least upon a difference between the first timing adjustment and the second timing adjustment.

6. A serving base station configured to perform uplink time difference of arrival (U-TDOA), comprising:

processing circuitry to;

measure a first timing adjustment by receipt of an upload (UL) burst from the mobile station in a granted slot of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame; and

determine a position of the mobile station based at least in-part on the first timing adjustment received by the serving base station, a second timing adjustment from a non-serving base station, a third timing adjustment from a second non-serving base station, and a fourth timing adjustment from a third non-serving base station; and

network interface circuitry to receive the second timing adjustment from the non-serving base station, the third timing adjustment from the second non-serving base station, and the fourth timing adjustment from the third non-serving base station, the second timing adjustment being measured by the non-serving base station from receipt of the UL burst from the mobile station in the granted slot of the OFDMA frame.

7. The serving base station of claim 6, wherein the serving base station and the non-serving base station operate on the same frequency band.

8. The serving base station of claim 6, wherein the serving base station operates synchronously with the non-serving base station.

9. The serving base station of claim 6, wherein the UL burst from the mobile station is initiated in response to a request from an external network.

10. The serving base station of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the U-TDOA based at least upon a difference between the first timing adjustment and the second timing adjustment.