BEACON SECTORING FOR POSITION DETERMINATION

• US 20100130230A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Naguib, Ayman Fawzy, Sridhara, Vinay, Aggarwal, Alok
• Application Number:
  US12/622,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for sector-based position determination of a mobile station are presented. One method includes determining an estimate of a distance between the mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP), receiving sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP, and combining the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station. One apparatus includes a wireless transceiver, a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, and a memory coupled to the processor which stores executable instructions and data. The instructions cause the processor to determine an estimate of a distance between the mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP), receive sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP, and combine the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

Claims

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

determining an estimate of a distance between the mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP);

receiving sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP; and

combining the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a geometric description of the sector in which the mobile resides from the sector information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sector information includes a number of sectors and an index, a value defining the angular extent of the sector, and/or coordinates defining the region which is associated with the sector.

4. The method according to 3, wherein the coordinates are in a local reference frame associated with the at least one WAP, and further comprising:

transforming the coordinates in the local reference frame into a common reference frame.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the sector information from beacons signals transmitted by the at least one WAP.

6. The method according to 5, further comprising:

receiving beacon signals providing information associated with a plurality of sectors, wherein each beacon signal is transmitted in a round-robin manner.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the sector information from a back end server through an external network.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sector information from a plurality of WAPs, wherein the sector information from each WAP is uniquely associated therewith; and

determining whether sector combinations received from the plurality of WAPs are valid.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining whether the sector combinations are valid comprises:

computing dynamically whether a set of sectors received is valid based upon their coordinates and/or what the most likely position is based on the distance estimates and sector information.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a signal for estimating an angle of arrival at the at least one WAP; and

receiving sector information from the at least one WAP derived from the estimated angle of arrival.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one WAP includes a femtocell.

11. An apparatus for determining position using sectors, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores executable instructions and data for causing the processor to;

determine an estimate of a distance between a mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP),

receive sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP, and

combine the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

determine a geometric description of the sector in which the mobile resides from the sector information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sector information includes a number of sectors and an index, a value defining the angular extent of the sector, and/or coordinates defining the region which is associated with the sector.

14. The apparatus according to 13, wherein the coordinates are in a local reference frame associated with the at least one WAP, and wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

transform the coordinates in the local reference frame into a common reference frame.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

receive the sector information from beacons signals transmitted by the at least one WAP.

16. The apparatus according to 15, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

receive beacon signals providing information associated with a plurality of sectors, wherein each beacon signal is transmitted in a round-robin manner.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

receive the sector information from a back end server through an external network.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

receive sector information from a plurality of WAPs, wherein the sector information from each WAP is uniquely associated therewith; and

determine whether sector combinations received from the plurality of WAPs are valid.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the instructions causing the processor to determine whether the sector combinations are valid includes instructions causing the processor to:

compute dynamically whether a set of sectors received is valid based upon their coordinates and/or what the most likely position is based on the distance estimates and sector information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions further causing the processor to:

transmit a signal for estimating an angle of arrival at the at least one WAP; and

receive sector information from the at least one WAP derived from the estimated angle of arrival.

42. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one WAP includes a femtocell.

21. An apparatus for determining position using sectors, comprising:

means for determining an estimate of a distance between a mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP);

means for receiving sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP; and

means for combining the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining a geometric description of the sector in which the mobile resides from the sector information.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the sector information includes a number of sectors and an index, a value defining the angular extent of the sector, and/or coordinates defining the region which is associated with the sector.

24. The apparatus according to 23, wherein the coordinates are in a local reference frame associated with the at least one WAP, and further comprising:

means for transforming the coordinates in the local reference frame into a common reference frame.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving the sector information from beacons signals transmitted by the at least one WAP.

26. The apparatus according to 25, further comprising:

means for receiving beacon signals providing information associated with a plurality of sectors, wherein each beacon signal is transmitted in a round-robin manner.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving the sector information from a back end server through an external network.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving sector information from a plurality of WAPs, wherein the sector information from each WAP is uniquely associated therewith; and

means for determining whether sector combinations received from the plurality of WAPs are valid.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the means for determining whether the sector combinations are valid further comprises:

means for computing dynamically whether a set of sectors received is valid based upon their coordinates and/or what the most likely position is based on the distance estimates and sector information.

30. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for transmitting a signal for estimating an angle of arrival at the at least one WAP; and

means for receiving sector information from the at least one WAP derived from the estimated angle of arrival.

31. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

instructions to determine an estimate of a distance between a mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP);

instructions to receive sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP; and

instructions to combine the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

32. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, further comprising:

instructions to determine a geometric description of the sector in which the mobile resides from the sector information.

33. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the sector information includes a number of sectors and an index, a value defining the angular extent of the sector, and/or coordinates defining the region which is associated with the sector.

34. The machine-readable medium according to 33, wherein the coordinates are in a local reference frame associated with the at least one WAP, and further comprising:

instructions to transform the coordinates in the local reference frame into a common reference frame.

35. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, further comprising:

instructions to receive the sector information from beacons signals transmitted by the at least one WAP.

36. The machine-readable medium according to 35, further comprising:

instructions to receive beacon signals providing information associated with a plurality of sectors, wherein each beacon signal is transmitted in a round-robin manner.

37. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, further comprising:

instructions to receive the sector information from a back end server through an external network.

38. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, further comprising:

instructions to receive sector information from a plurality of WAPs, wherein the sector information from each WAP is uniquely associated therewith; and

instructions to determine whether sector combinations received from the plurality of WAPs are valid.

39. The machine-readable medium according to claim 38, wherein the instructions to determine whether the sector combinations are valid comprises:

instructions to compute dynamically whether a set of sectors received is valid based upon their coordinates and/or what the most likely position is based on the distance estimates and sector information.

40. The machine-readable medium according to claim 31, further comprising:

instructions to transmit a signal for estimating an angle of arrival at the at least one WAP; and

instructions to receive sector information from the at least one WAP derived from the estimated angle of arrival.