Autonomous muting indication to enable improved time difference of arrival measurements

• US 8,897,812 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Frank, Colin, Krishnamurthy, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG-HURST, KATHY W
• Application Number:
  US13/759,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 370/329, 370/311, 370/450, 370/445
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method, a user communication device, and a base station are disclosed. A transceiver 302 may receive a serving transmission from a serving base station. A processor 304 may make a status determination of an autonomous muting status of a neighbor base station based on the serving transmission.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a time difference of arrival measurement in a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a muting status indication in a position assistance data from a serving base station, wherein the position assistance data includes at least a physical cell identifier corresponding to a neighbor base station, a muting status applicable to a positioning reference signal transmission from the neighbor base station, and a neighbor cell search offset applicable to a positioning reference signal transmission from the neighbor base station;

making a status determination of a muting status of a neighbor base station, where the status determination includes inferring that the muting status is inactive based on the received muting status indication;

receiving a positioning reference signal transmitted from the neighbor base station; and

determining a time difference of arrival of the neighbor base station transmission based on the received positioning reference signal and based on the muting status.

2. An apparatus for measuring a time difference of arrival measurement in a mobile equipment, comprising:

a receiver that receives a muting status indication in a positioning assistance data from a serving base station, wherein the positioning assistance data includes at least a physical cell identifier corresponding to a neighbor base station, a muting status applicable to a positioning reference signal transmission from the neighbor base station, and a neighbor cell search offset applicable to a positioning reference signal transmission from the neighbor base station; and

a processor coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to make a status determination of a muting status of a neighbor base station, where the status determination includes inferring that the muting status is inactive based on the received muting status indication,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a positioning reference signal transmitted from the neighbor base station; and

wherein the processor is further configured to determine a time difference of arrival of the neighbor base station transmission based on the received positioning reference signal and the muting status.