Wireless device location services

• US 9,282,546 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Future Technologies, Inc. (Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Wireless Future Technologies, Inc. (Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.))
• Inventors: Hooli, Kari Juhani, Kahaduwe, Ajit, Lunttila, Timo Erkki, Ranta-Aho, Karri Markus, Toskala, Antti Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/337,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• 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: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

A system for determining location information for a wireless device is described. The system includes a UE, a LE and multiple LMUs. The LE sends, to the LMUs, reception instructions with characteristics of the signal transmission from the UE and each LMU receives, from the LE, the reception instructions. The UE sends a signal transmission. Each LMU receives the transmitted signal from the UE, determines locating information based at least in part of the received signal and sends the locating information to the LE. The LE receives the locating information regarding the transmitted signal and determines a location of the UE based at least in part on the received locating information. Methods, apparatus and computer readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a location determining node comprising;

a network interface configured to transmit a request, to an evolved Node B (eNB), to order a user equipment (UE) to transmit sounding reference signals (SRS);

the eNB comprising;

a network interface configured to receive the request from the location determining node;

a processor configured to generate an up link (UL) SRS resource allocation for the UE; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an indication of the UL SRS resource allocation to the UE;

at least three location measurement units (LMUs), each LMU comprising;

a receiver configured to receive, from the UE, an UL SRS;

a processor configured to generate locating information based on the received UL SRS; and

a network interface configured to transmit the locating information to the location determining node,

wherein the location determining node further comprises a processor configured to determine a position of the UE based at least on the locating information generated by each of the at least three LMUs.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three LMUs is located with the eNB.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the network interface of the eNB is further configured to transmit information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation to the location determining node.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the network interface of the location determining node is further configured to transmit the information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation to the at least three LMUs.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the processor of the location determining node is further configured to select the at least three LMUs based on a location associated with the at least three LMUs.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation includes at least one of time resource information, frequency resource information, cyclic shift information, cell identity information, hopping information, or sequence-shift information.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the UL SRS resource allocation is an allocation for periodic transmission of UL SRS.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor of at least one of the three LMUs is configured to generate the locating information using uplink time difference of arrival (ULTDOA) based on the received UL SRS from the UE.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the network interface of each LMU is further configured to transmit information associated with a location of a respective LMU, and wherein the processor of the location determining node is further configured to determine a position of the UE based on the location of the respective LMU.

10. A method for use in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a location determining node transmitting a request, to an evolved Node B (eNB), to order a user equipment (UE) to transmit sounding reference signals (SRS);

the eNB receiving the request from the location determining node;

the eNB generating an up link (UL) SRS resource allocation for the UE; and

the eNB transmitting an indication of the UL SRS resource allocation to the UE;

each of at least three location measurement units (LMUs) receiving, from the UE, an UL SRS;

each of the at least three LMUs generating locating information based on the received UL SRS;

each of the at least three LMUs transmitting the locating information to the location determining node; and

the location determining node determining a position of the UE based at least on the locating information generated by each of the at least three LMUs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the at least three LMUs is located with the eNB.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the eNB transmitting information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation to the location determining node.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the location determining node transmitting the information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation to the at least three LMUs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

the location determining node selecting the at least three LMUs based on a location associated with the at least three LMUs.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the information associated with the UL SRS resource allocation includes at least one of time resource information, frequency resource information, cyclic shift information, cell identity information, hopping information, or sequence-shift information.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the UL SRS resource allocation is an allocation for periodic transmission of UL SRS.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one of the three LMUs is generating the locating information using uplink time difference of arrival (ULTDOA) based on the received UL SRS from the UE.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the network interface of each LMU is further configured to transmit information associated with a location of a respective LMU, and wherein the processor of the location determining node is further configured to determine a position of the UE based on the location of the respective LMU.