Method and system for femtocell positioning using low earth orbit satellite signals

• US 9,634,755 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radioxio, LLC
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Inventors: Leclercq, Maxime, Spyropoulos, Ioannis, Kumar, Nishant
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/928,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20160056882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 370331, 4554271
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/425 by combining or switching between signals derived from different satellite radio beacon positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18554 using the position provided by an existing geolocalisation system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Methods and systems for femtocell positioning using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signals may comprise receiving LEO RF satellite signals utilizing a LEO satellite signal receiver path when medium Earth orbit (MEO) signals are attenuated below a threshold needed for positioning purposes. A position of said wireless communication device (WCD) may be measured based on the received LEO RF satellite signals. The measured position of the WCD may be compared to a threshold radius defined by a stored initial position. Wireless communication services to the other WCDs may be enabled when the measured position is within the threshold radius. Reentry of the stored initial position may be requested when the measured position is outside of the threshold radius. The WCD may be disabled when the measured position of the WCD falls outside of the threshold radius more than a predetermined number of times.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

in a wireless communication device comprising a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signal receiver path and a medium Earth orbit (MEO) path, said wireless communication device being operable to provide wireless communication services to other wireless communication devices;

receiving LEO RF satellite signals utilizing said LEO satellite signal receiver path when MEO signals received by said MEO path are attenuated below a threshold needed for positioning purposes;

measuring a position of said wireless communication device based on said received LEO RF satellite signals;

comparing said measured position of said wireless communication device to a threshold radius defined by a stored initial position; and

enabling said wireless communication services to said other wireless communication devices when said measured position is within said threshold radius.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising requesting reentry of said stored initial position when said measured position is outside of said threshold radius.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising disabling said wireless communication device when said measured position of said wireless communication device falls outside of said threshold radius more than a predetermined number of times.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device comprises one or more of:

a femtocell device or a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored initial position is entered by one of:

a user, a service provider, or a manufacturer of said wireless communication device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored initial position is entered by one or more of:

manually entering coordinates, clicking on a map, and entering an address.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device provides cellular telephone service to said other wireless communication devices.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising measuring said position of said wireless communication device upon powering up of said wireless communication device.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising measuring said position of said wireless device on a periodic basis.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising measuring said position of said wireless communication device when one or more motion sensors in said wireless communication device detect motion.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device is controlled by a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) central processing unit (CPU).

12. A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits for use in a wireless communication device comprising a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signal receiver path and a medium Earth orbit (MEO) path, said one or more circuits being operable to provide wireless communication services to other wireless communication devices, and said one or more circuits being operable to;

receive LEO RF satellite signals utilizing said LEO satellite signal receiver path when MEO signals received by said MEO path are attenuated below a threshold needed for positioning purposes;

measure a position of said wireless communication device based on said received LEO RF satellite signals;

compare said measured position of said wireless communication device to a threshold radius defined by a stored initial position; and

enable said wireless communication services to said other wireless communication devices when said measured position is within said threshold radius.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to request reentry of said stored initial position when said measured position is outside of said threshold radius.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to disable said wireless communication device when said measured position of said wireless communication.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said wireless communication device comprises one or more of:

a femtocell device or a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said stored initial position is entered by one of:

a user, a service provider, or a manufacturer of said wireless communication device.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein said stored initial position is entered by one or more of:

manually entering coordinates, clicking on a map, and entering an address.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein said wireless communication device provides cellular telephone service to said other wireless communication devices.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to measure said position of said wireless communication device upon powering up of said wireless communication device and/or on a periodic basis.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to measure said position of said wireless communication device when one or more motion sensors in said wireless communication device detect motion.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein said wireless communication device is controlled by a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) central processing unit (CPU).

22. A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits for use in a femtocell device comprising a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signal receiver path and a medium Earth orbit (MEO) path, said one or more circuits being operable to provide wireless communication services to other wireless communication devices, and said one or more circuits being operable to;

receive LEO RF satellite signals utilizing said LEO satellite signal receiver path when MEO signals received by said MEO path are attenuated below a threshold needed for positioning purposes;

measure a position of said femtocell device based on said received LEO RF satellite signals;

compare said measured position of said femtocell device to a threshold radius defined by a stored initial position; and

enable said wireless communication services to said other wireless communication devices when said measured position is within said threshold radius.