USING MULTIPLE ACCESS CHANNELS FOR WIRELESS DEVICE POSITIONING

• US 20130307730A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Fang, Yonggang, Yu, YuanFang, Lu, Ting, Zhao, Xiaowu
• Granted Patent: US 9,389,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/464
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• 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

Abstract

A wireless device performs a transmission on a primary and auxiliary access channels to enable reception by at least three base stations. The base stations perform a measurement on the received transmission, e.g., a time of arrival of the transmission. The base stations report their measurements to a position determination entity. The position determination entity estimates geographic position of the wireless device. One method used by the position determination entity includes tri-lateralization based on the received measurement reports.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications implemented by a wireless device, comprising:

receiving, at the wireless device, a position request message from a requester base station;

measuring, in response to the received position request message, characteristics of signals received from multiple base stations, including the requester base station;

preparing a position report using the signal characteristics, wherein the position report provides information enabling determination of geographic location of the wireless device; and

transmitting the position report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the position report comprises transmitting the position report over an access channel or an enhanced access channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the position report is transmitted at 1.2 kbps, 2.4 kbps or 4.8 kbps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the position report includes a time of arrival information.

5. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives a position request message from a base station;

a signal measurer that measures characteristics of signals received from multiple base stations;

a report preparer that prepares, in response to the received position request message, a position report using the signal characteristics; and

a transmitter that transmits the position report on an access channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the position report comprises transmitting the position report at 1.2 kbps, 2.4 kbps or 4.8 kbps.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transmitter continues transmissions of the position report until a positioning complete message is received by the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the position report includes a received signal power information.

9. A method of facilitating determination of position of a mobile station, the method implanted in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, at a first base station, an access transmission from a mobile station on a primary access channel;

receiving, at a second base station, the access transmission from the mobile station on a first auxiliary access channel;

receiving, at a third base station, the access transmission from the mobile station on a second auxiliary access channel;

generating, based on the access transmission, a first positioning report at the first base station;

generating, based on the access transmission, a second positioning report at the second base station;

generating, based on the access transmission, a third positioning report at the third base station; and

communicating the first positioning report, the second positioning report and the third positioning report to a position determination entity operating in the wireless communications network for estimating position of the mobile station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first positioning report, the second positioning report and the third positioning report are generated based on a time of arrival of the access transmission at respective base stations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the position of the mobile station is estimating using a tri-lateration algorithm.

12. A system for facilitating determination of position of a mobile station, comprising:

a first base station that receives an access transmission from a mobile station on a primary access channel;

a second base station that receives the access transmission from the mobile station on a first auxiliary access channel;

a third base station that receives the access transmission from the mobile station on a second auxiliary access channel; and

a position determination entity that determines the position of the mobile station;

wherein the first base station generates, based on the access transmission, a first positioning report and transmits the first positioning report to the position determination entity;

wherein the second base station generates, based on the access transmission, a second positioning report and transmits the second positioning report to the position determination entity; and

wherein the third base station generates, based on the access transmission, a third positioning report and transmits the third positioning report to the position determination entity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first positioning report, the second positioning report and the third positioning report are generated based on a time of arrival of the access transmission at respective base stations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the position determination entity determines the position of the mobile station using a tri-lateration algorithm.