Architecture and method to 4G-mobile positioning

• US 9,521,508 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bani Hani, Mohammad Shafiq, Sheynman, Arnold, Bernhardt, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/921,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20140378158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A mobile device and a method and circuit for determining a position of the mobile device is disclosed. A positioning signal is received at a communication circuit of the mobile device. The received positioning signal is sent from the communication circuit to a position-determining module for determining the position of the mobile device from the positioning signal. A switch may be configured to selectively couple the position-determining module to the communication circuit.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a positioning signal at a circuit of the mobile device, wherein the circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication; and

sending the received positioning signal from the circuit, prior to a communication modem of the circuit, to a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module of the mobile device via a switch that selectively couples the circuit to the M-LMS module to determine the position of the mobile device from the positioning signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch selectively couples the circuit to the M-LMS module prior to the communication modem.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the switch using a control signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the positioning signal to the M-LMS module directly from an antenna of the circuit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the positioning signal to the M-LMS module from a frequency channel at a back end of a switchplexer module receiving the positioning signal from an antenna of the circuit, wherein a frequency band of the frequency channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuit further includes an antenna that is at least one of a primary antenna and a diversity antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signal is a signal within a frequency band from about 902 Megahertz (MHz) to about 928 MHz.

8. A circuit for determining a position of a mobile communication device, comprising:

a communication circuit including an antenna and a communication modem, wherein the communication circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication;

a splitter configured to split a positioning signal received at the antenna prior to the positioning signal being received at the communication modem;

a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module configured to determine the position of the mobile device using the split positioning signal; and

a switch configured to selectively electrically couple the M-LMS module to the communication circuit at the splitter to send the split positioning signal to the M-LMS module.

9. The circuit of claim 8, further comprising a control unit configured to enable the switch to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the communication circuit.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to disable the switch and place the M-LMS module in an idle state.

11. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled directly to the antenna.

12. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled to a frequency channel at a back end of a switchplexer module that receives the positioning signals from the antenna, wherein a frequency band of the channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.

13. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the antenna further comprises at least one of a primary antenna and a diversity antenna.

14. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the positioning signal is within a frequency band between about 902 Megahertz (MHz) and 928 MHz.

15. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a circuit including an antenna and a communication modem, wherein the circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication;

a splitter configured to split a positioning signal received at the antenna prior to the positioning signal being received at the communication modem;

a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module configured to determine a position of the mobile device using the split positioning signal; and

a switch configured to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the splitter to direct the split positioning signal to the M-LMS module.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, further comprising a control unit configured to enable the switch to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the circuit.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to disable the switch and place the M-LMS module in an idle state.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled directly to an antenna of the circuit.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled to a frequency channel of a switchplexer module that receives a signal from an antenna of the circuit, wherein a frequency band of the frequency channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the positioning signal is within a frequency band between about 902 Megahertz (MHz) and 928 MHz.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 15, further comprising a signal amplifier configured to amplify the split positioning signal to compensate for a splitter loss at the splitter.