Methods, systems, and devices for determining a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device

• US 8,738,042 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Chun, Shi, Guangming, Chin, Tom, Cheng, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/272,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6, 455/456.1, 455/436, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/550.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods, systems, and/or devices to identify and/or determine a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device among the multiple wireless communications technologies, such as different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Having identified a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device among the multiple wireless communications technologies, the mobile device'"'"'s location may be estimated using location information regarding the closest identified base station. In some cases, a handover or other procedure may be performed with respect to the mobile device and the closest identified base station. The multiple wireless communications technologies may include, but are not limited to, WiMAX, CDMA 1x, LTE, and/or EVDO.

Claims

1. A method for determining a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of propagation delays with respect to a common reference time between the multi-mode mobile device and each of a first plurality of base stations, wherein each of the first plurality of base stations is associated with a different wireless communications technology from a plurality of wireless communications technologies, wherein determining the propagation delays comprises;

determining a plurality of event markers, each of the plurality of event markers representing an event associated with a transmission from a base station of the first plurality of base stations;

determining a plurality of receive times and a plurality of transmission times associated with the event markers; and

determining the propagation delays based on the receive times and the transmission times;

comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the first plurality of base stations associated with the different wireless communications technologies; and

identifying a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the first plurality of base stations based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a position information for the identified closest base station; and

utilizing the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as a position of the multi-mode mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the position information for the identified closest base station includes a GPS position of the identified closest base station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as the multi-mode mobile device position comprises estimating the mobile device position based on the position information for the identified closest base station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a handover procedure of the multi-mode mobile device to the identified closest base station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and a second plurality of base stations, wherein each base station of the second plurality of base stations is associated with a first wireless communications technology from the plurality of wireless communications technologies;

comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the second plurality of base stations associated with the first wireless communications technologies; and

identifying a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the second plurality of base stations based on comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the second plurality of base stations associated with the first wireless communications technologies; and

utilizing the closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the second plurality of base stations as one of the base stations from the first plurality of base stations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective transmission time includes a respective GPS time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective receive time comprises a time difference with respect to a first receive time from the plurality of receive times.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first receive time is the common reference time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of event markers comprises at least a frame boundary, a frame tick, or a control channel cycle boundary.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communications technologies comprises at least two of WiMAX, CDMA 1x, LTE, or EVDO.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communications technologies comprises a plurality of Radio Access Technologies (RAT).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least determining the plurality of propagation delays, comparing the plurality of propagation delays, or identifying the closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device occurs at the multi-mode device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting information regarding the closest base station from the multi-mode device to at least one of the first plurality of base stations or a core network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least determining the plurality of propagation delays, comparing the plurality of propagation delays, or identifying the closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device occurs at a first base station from of the first plurality of base stations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the plurality of propagation delays at the first base station comprises:

receiving a plurality of receive times transmitted from at least the multi-mode mobile device or one or more of the other base stations from the first plurality of base stations;

determining a plurality of transmission times; and

determining each respective propagation delay utilizing the respective receive time and the respective transmission time for each respective base station from the first plurality of base stations.

17. The wireless communications device of claim 15, wherein determining the plurality of propagation delays at the first base station comprises:

receiving a plurality of receive times transmitted from at least the multi-mode mobile device or one or more of the other base stations from the first plurality of base stations;

determining a plurality of transmission times; and

determining each respective propagation delay utilizing the respective receive time and the respective transmission time for each respective base station from the first plurality of base stations.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least determining the plurality of propagation delays, comparing the plurality of propagation delays, or identifying the closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device occurs at a core network device.

19. An apparatus for determining a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device, the system comprising:

a means for determining a plurality of propagation delays with respect to a common reference time between the multi-mode mobile device and each of a first plurality of base stations, wherein each of the first plurality of base stations is associated with a different wireless communications technology from a plurality of wireless communications technologies, wherein the means for determining the propagation delays comprises;

a means for determining a plurality of event markers, each of the plurality of event markers representing an event associated with a transmission from a base station of the first plurality of base stations;

a means for determining a plurality of receive times and a plurality of transmission times associated with the event markers; and

a means for determining the propagation delays based on the receive times and the transmission times;

a means for comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the first plurality of base stations associated with the different wireless communications technologies; and

a means for identifying a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the first plurality of base stations based on the comparison.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a means for determining a position information for the identified closest base station; and

a means for utilizing the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as a position of the multi-mode mobile device.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a means for performing a handover procedure of the multi-mode mobile device to the identified closest base station.

22. A wireless communications device configured for determining a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device, the wireless communications device comprising:

a propagation delay determination module configured to determine a plurality of propagation delays with respect to a common reference time between the multi-mode mobile device and each of a first plurality of base stations, wherein each of the first plurality of base stations is associated with a different wireless communications technology from a plurality of wireless communications technologies, wherein determining the propagation delays comprises;

determining a plurality of event markers, each of the plurality of event markers representing an event associated with a transmission from a base station of the first plurality of base stations;

determining a plurality of receive times and a plurality of transmission times associated with the event markers; and

determining the propagation delays based on the receive times and the transmission times;

a propagation delay comparison module configured to compare the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the first plurality of base stations associated with the different wireless communications technologies; and

a closest base station identification module configured to identify a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the first plurality of base stations based on the comparison.

23. The wireless communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

a position information module configured to;

determine a position information for the identified closest base station; and

utilize the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as a position of the multi-mode mobile device.

24. The wireless communications device of claim 23, wherein the position information for the identified closest base station includes a GPS position of the identified closest base station.

25. The wireless communications device of claim 23, wherein utilizing the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as the multi-mode mobile device position comprises estimating the mobile device position based on the position information for the identified closest base station.

26. The wireless communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

a handover module configured to perform a handover procedure of the multi-mode mobile device to the identified closest base station.

27. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein:

the propagation delay determination module is further configured to determine a plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and a second plurality of base stations, wherein each base station of the second plurality of base stations is associated with a first wireless communications technology from the plurality of wireless communications technologies;

the propagation delay comparison module is further configured to compare the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the second plurality of base stations associated with the first wireless communications technologies; and

the closest base station identification module is further configured to identify a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the second plurality of base stations based on comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the second plurality of base stations associated with the first wireless communications technologies; and

further comprising;

a position information module configured to utilize the closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the second plurality of base stations as one of the base stations from the first plurality of base stations.

28. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein each respective transmission time includes a respective GPS time.

29. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein each respective receive time comprises a time difference with respect to a first receive time from the plurality of receive times.

30. The wireless communications device of claim 29, wherein the first receive time is the common reference time.

31. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of event markers comprises at least a frame boundary, a frame tick, or a control channel cycle boundary.

32. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of wireless communications technologies comprises at least two of WiMAX, CDMA 1x, LTE, or EVDO.

33. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of wireless communications technologies comprises a plurality of Radio Access Technologies (RAT).

34. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the wireless communications device comprises the multi-mode mobile device.

35. The wireless communications device of claim 34, further comprising:

a transmitter module configured to transmit information regarding the closest base station from the multi-mode device to at least one of the first plurality of base stations or a core network.

36. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the wireless communications device comprises a first base station from the first plurality of base stations.

37. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the wireless communications device comprises a core network device.

38. A computer program product for determining a closest base station to a multi-mode mobile device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for determining a plurality of propagation delays with respect to a common reference time between the multi-mode mobile device and each of a first plurality of base stations, wherein each of the first plurality of base stations is associated with a different wireless communications technology from a plurality of wireless communications technologies, wherein the code for determining the propagation delays comprises;

code for determining a plurality of event markers, each of the plurality of event markers representing an event associated with a transmission from a base station of the first plurality of base stations;

code for determining a plurality of receive times and a plurality of transmission times associated with the event markers; and

code for determining the propagation delays based on the receive times and the transmission times;

code for comparing the plurality of propagation delays between the multi-mode mobile device and the first plurality of base stations associated with the different wireless communications technologies; and

code for identifying a closest base station to the multi-mode mobile device from the first plurality of base stations based on the comparison.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising:

code for determining a position information for the identified closest base station; and

code for utilizing the position information for the identified closest base station from the first plurality of base stations as a position of the multi-mode mobile device.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising:

code for performing a handover procedure of the multi-mode mobile device to the identified closest base station.