Position determination with peer-to-peer communication

• US 20060267841A1
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Chong U., Stein, Jeremy M., Sheynblat, Leonid
• Application Number:
  US11/367,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267841A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/463
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• 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 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

For position determination with peer-to-peer communication, a target terminal broadcasts a request for assistance in determining its position. At least one ranging terminal receives the request. Each ranging terminal sends a response with a time of arrival (TOA) measurement for the request and the position of the ranging terminal. For two-way peer-to-peer, the target terminal receives at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, obtains a TOA measurement for each response, estimates the distance to each ranging terminal based on the TOA measurement for the request and/or the TOA measurement for the response, and computes a position estimate for itself based on the estimated distance and the position for each ranging terminal. For one-way peer-to-peer, a network entity receives at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, computes a position estimate for the target terminal, and sends the position estimate to the target terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to generate a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for a target terminal, to select at least one sector in a wireless network for sending the request, and to send the request to at least one ranging terminal located in the at least one sector and capable of providing the assistance; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request solicits ranging information from the at least one ranging terminal, and wherein the position estimate is determined based on the ranging information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the at least one response.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, to obtain a ranging measurement for each of the at least one response, to estimate a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, wherein the response from each ranging terminal includes a position of the ranging terminal and a ranging measurement for the request, to obtain a ranging measurement for the response from each ranging terminal, to estimate a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement for the request and the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance and the position for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the request to a specific sector in a wireless network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the request to all sectors in a wireless network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request solicits the at least one ranging terminal to obtain ranging information for the target terminal and to forward the ranging information to a network entity capable of determining the position estimate for the target terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the position estimate for the target terminal from the network entity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send information indicative of a timing offset at the target terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain at least one ranging measurement for at least one other transmitter, and to send the at least one ranging measurement to the network entity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, to obtain a ranging measurement for each of the at least one response, to obtain at least one additional ranging measurement for at least one other transmitter, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the at least one ranging measurement for the at least one response and the at least one additional ranging measurement for the at least one other transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one additional ranging measurement for at least one base station in a wireless network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one additional ranging measurement for at least one satellite in a satellite positioning system.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target terminal and the at least one ranging terminal are in a cellular network.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to derive an open loop power estimate for an access channel in a cellular network, and to transmit the request at a power level determined by the open loop power estimate.

17. A method comprising:

generating, at a target terminal, a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for the target terminal;

selecting at least one sector in a wireless network for sending the request; and

sending the request to at least one ranging terminal located in the at least one sector and capable of providing the assistance.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal;

obtaining a ranging measurement for each of the at least one response;

estimating a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal; and

determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, wherein the response from each ranging terminal includes a position of the ranging terminal and a ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal for the request;

obtaining a ranging measurement for the response from each ranging terminal;

estimating a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal for the request and the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal; and

determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance and the position for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating, at a target terminal, a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for the target terminal;

means for selecting at least one sector in a wireless network for sending the request; and

means for sending the request to at least one ranging terminal located in the at least one sector and capable of providing the assistance.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal;

means for obtaining a ranging measurement for each of the at least one response;

means for estimating a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal; and

means for determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, wherein the response from each ranging terminal includes a position of the ranging terminal and a ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal for the request;

means for obtaining a ranging measurement for the response from each ranging terminal;

means for estimating a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal for the request and the ranging measurement for the response from the ranging terminal; and

means for determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance and the position for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

23. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive from a target terminal a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for the target terminal, to obtain ranging information suitable for determining the position estimate for the target terminal, and to send a response with the ranging information; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain a ranging measurement for the request received from the target terminal, and to provide the ranging measurement and a position of the apparatus as the ranging information.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the response to the target terminal.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send information indicative of a timing offset at the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the response to a network entity capable of determining the position estimate for the target terminal.

28. A method of comprising:

receiving at a ranging terminal a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for a target terminal;

obtaining ranging information suitable for determining the position estimate for the target terminal; and

sending a response with the ranging information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the obtaining the ranging information comprises

obtaining a ranging measurement for the request received from the target terminal, and

providing the ranging measurement and a position of the ranging terminal as the ranging information.

30. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at a ranging terminal a request for assistance in determining a position estimate for a target terminal;

means for obtaining ranging information suitable for determining the position estimate for the target terminal; and

means for sending a response with the ranging information.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for obtaining the ranging information comprises

means for obtaining a ranging measurement for the request received from the target terminal, and

means for providing the ranging measurement and a position of the ranging terminal as the ranging information.

32. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive at least one response from at least one ranging terminal for a request sent by a target terminal for assistance in determining a position estimate for the target terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal, wherein each response includes ranging information suitable for determining the position estimate for the target terminal; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the position estimate to the target terminal.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the ranging information from each ranging terminal comprises a ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal for the request sent by the target terminal and a position of the ranging terminal.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to estimate a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on the ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance and the position for each of the at least one ranging terminal.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to remove a timing offset of each ranging terminal from the ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to remove a timing offset of the target terminal from the ranging measurement made by each ranging terminal.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain at least one ranging measurement for at least one transmitter received by the target terminal, and to determine the position estimate for the target terminal further based on the at least one ranging measurement for the at least one transmitter.

39. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at least one response from at least one ranging terminal for a request sent by a target terminal for assistance in determining a position estimate for the target terminal, wherein each response includes ranging information suitable for determining the position estimate for the target terminal; and

means for determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the at least one response from the at least one ranging terminal.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the means for determining the position estimate for the target terminal comprises

means for estimating a distance between the target terminal and each ranging terminal based on a ranging measurement made by the ranging terminal, and

means for determining the position estimate for the target terminal based on the estimated distance and a position for each of the at least one ranging terminal.