Method for determining the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device based on predetermined local positions of adjacent radio communication devices, associated radio communication device and radio communication system

• US 8,712,427 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Bienas, Maik, Gottschalk, Thomas, Schwagmann, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONADO, FRANK E
• Application Number:
  US10/573,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,532 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/4, 455/51
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method determines the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device which is to be locates, in at least one radio cell of a radio communication system. At least one remote mobile radio communication device is located in the same radio cell or in another radio cell as the radio communication device which is to be located, and the current local position thereof is predetermined to said device or to the radio network of the radio communication system and transmits positional information by one or several radio information signals via a direct radio connection or via an indirect radio communication device with the aid of the radio network to the radio communication device which is to be located.

Claims

1. A method of determining a local position of a first mobile radio communication terminal device in a radio cell of a radio network of a radio communication system, wherein the radio cell is fixed by a base station, the method comprising:

before emitting a retrieval signal, emitting a preceding inquiry signal from the first mobile radio communication terminal device requesting that at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of a set of mobile radio communication terminal devices send an acknowledgement signal indicating a readiness thereof to participate in the determination of the local position of the first mobile radio terminal device, wherein the preceding inquiry signal is a broadcast radio signal, wherein the preceding inquiry signal comprises a first response time or accuracy parameter, or both;

transmitting, from the first mobile radio communication terminal device, after receipt of the acknowledgement signal, a retrieval signal retrieving position information of the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that sent the received acknowledgement signal while satisfying the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions;

transmitting position information by at least one radio signal from the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the response first time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions, the location of which is known either to the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices or to the radio network, and which is either in the radio cell or in another radio cell, the at least one radio signal being transmitted to the first mobile radio communication terminal device via either a direct radio connection or an indirect radio connection via the radio network;

inferring a distance between the first mobile radio communication terminal device and the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions on the basis of the signal propagation time of the at least one radio signal,

wherein a second response time or accuracy parameter for the position information is a condition for the first mobile radio communication terminal device to use the radio signal from each of the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions in the inferring of the distance.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each second mobile radio communication terminal device sends the one radio information signal within a predetermined response period for each respective second mobile radio communication terminal device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined minimum accuracy of a position of each second mobile radio communication terminal device is a condition for each respective second mobile radio communication terminal device to send the acknowledgement signal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a time difference between a receipt of the retrieval signal and a sending the radio information signal by each respective second mobile radio communication terminal device is included in each radio information signal as a position parameter of the position information.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein a current position of each respective second mobile radio communication terminal device and/or a sending time of the radio information signal from each respective second mobile radio communication terminal device is included in each radio information signal as a position parameter of the position information.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating the position of the first mobile radio communication terminal device via a Round Trip Time (RTT), an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) using the position information included in each radio information signal, and/or a Global Positioning System (GPS) position device in the first mobile radio communication terminal device using the position information included in each radio information signal.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein, in the calculating, position information received by the first mobile radio communication terminal device is used.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the position information received by the first mobile radio communication terminal device to a position determining unit in the radio network which calculates a current local position of the first mobile radio communication terminal device.

9. A radio communication terminal device, comprising:

an inquiry unit for requesting Information of readiness to participate in the position determination and position information from at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of a set of mobile radio communication terminal devices located in a radio cell of a radio network of a radio communication system or in a different radio cell, wherein the radio cells are fixed by base stations, a position of the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device being known to either the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device or to the radio network, wherein the inquiry unit uses a broadcast radio signal as a preceding inquiry signal for requesting information of readiness to participate in the position determination, wherein the preceding inquiry signal comprises a first response time or accuracy parameter, or both;

transmitting, from the radio communication terminal device, after receipt of the acknowledgement signal, a retrieval signal retrieving position information of the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal device that sent the received acknowledgment signal while satisfying the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions;

transmitting position information by at least one radio signal from the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the response first time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions, the location of which is known either to the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices or to the radio network, and which is either in the radio cell or in another radio cell, the at least one radio signal being transmitted to the first mobile radio communication terminal device via either a direct radio connection or an indirect radio connection via the radio network;

wherein a distance between the radio communication terminal device and the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions is inferred on the basis of the signal propagation time of the at least one radio signal,

wherein a second response time or accuracy parameter for the position information is a condition for the radio communication terminal device to use the radio signal from each of the at least one mobile radio communication terminal device of the set of mobile radio communication terminal devices that satisfied the first response time or accuracy parameter, or both conditions in the inferring of the distance.

10. A radio communication system comprising the radio communication terminal device of claim 9.