Method and apparatus for location finding in a communication system

• US 5,945,948 A
• Filed: 09/03/1996
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reed, John D., Buford, Kevin A., Ghosh, Amitava, Rozanski, Walter J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/706,751
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 342/457, 342/357, 375/200, 455/422
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0215 Interference
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• 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

A method for determining a subscriber unit location in a communication system is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a signal from the subscriber unit at a first base station, determining a first receive time of the signal based on a sequence of spreading symbols at the first base station, determining a first angle of arrival of the signal at the first base station, and determining the location of the subscriber unit from the first receive time, the first angle of arrival, and further predetermined information about the first base station. The signal is formed via modulation by the sequence of spreading symbols.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a subscriber unit location in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal from the subscriber unit at a first base station the signal being formed via modulation by a sequence of spreading symbols;

determining a first receive time of the signal based on the sequence of spreading symbols at the first base station,

determining an estimate of a first angle of arrival of the signal at the first base station, the estimate being determined using a fixed beam antenna; and

determining the location of the subscriber unit from the first receive time, the first angle of arrival, and further predetermined information about the first base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a second receive time of the signal based on the spreading sequence at a second base station.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of determining an estimate of a second angle of arrival of the signal at the second base station the estimate being determined using a fixed beam antenna.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of determining the location of the subscriber unit based on the second receive time and the second angle of arrival.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of determining a third receive time of the signal based on the spreading sequence at a third base station.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining an estimate of a third angle of arrival at the third base station, the estimate being determined using a fixed beam antenna.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the second base station comprises an auxiliary base station.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the second base station comprises a microcell base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed beam of the antenna is formed using an antenna array.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed beam antenna is a sector antenna.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting system gain for a given subscriber unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received signal has a first ray and a second ray.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting a time offset in a receiver of the first base station in response to the first ray of the received signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting an antenna array in response to the first ray of the received signal.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting the first ray with a first finger of the receiver and detecting the second ray with a second finger of the receiver.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of increasing the transmit power of the signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmit power is increased in response to a control signal from the first base site to the subscriber unit.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmit power is increased by adding delay prior to responding to a subscriber unit access request.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmit power is increased by decreased antenna gain in the direction of the subscriber unit.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the estimate of the first angle of arrival to determine an adjusted estimate of the first angle of arrival.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the adjusted estimate of the first angle of arrival is determined based on information from a geographic database.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the geographic database comprises location zone mapping data.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined information comprises a database.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the database comprises a road database.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of calibrating the determined location by comparing the determined location with a calibration measurement.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the calibration measurement is determined using a GPS receiver.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the calibration measurement is a known location of a fixed unit.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a height estimate of the subscriber unit based on the received signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the height estimate is determined using a patch array antenna.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the height estimate is determined using a vertical antenna.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the height estimate is determined using an antenna below a roof top of a building.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking the subscriber unit by performing a plurality of location measurements.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of comparing a location measurement with a prior location measurement.

34. The method of claim 2, further comprising handing off a call at one of the base stations to a second communication system.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a second location measurement using a second communication system.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the communication system comprises a CDMA system and the second communication system comprises an analog cellular system.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the subscriber unit crosses a boundary into a predefined area.

38. The method of claim 37, including the step of reporting the subscriber unit'"'"'s boundary crossing to a predefined entity.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the second location measurement is based on a measurement from at least two base stations.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the second location measurement is based on a measurement from three base stations and wherein the second location measurement has a higher confidence level than the first location measurement.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining the estimated location of the subscriber unit based on a weighted combination of the first and second location measurements.

39. A method for estimating a subscriber unit location in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

performing a first location measurement having a first confidence level by;

receiving a signal from the subscriber unit at a first base station, the signal being formed via modulation by a sequence of spreading symbols;

determining a first receive time of the signal based on the sequence of spreading symbols at the first base station, and

determining an estimate of a first angle of arrival of the signal at the first base station, the estimate being determined using a fixed beam antenna;

performing a second location measurement having a second confidence level;

determining an estimated location of the subscriber unit based on the first and second location measurements.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the first location measurement is taken at a first time and the second location measurement is taken at a second time.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the second location measurement is a calibrated measurement having a high confidence level.

45. A communication system having plural base stations and operable for locating a communication unit, the communication system comprising:

a controller responsive to a first and a second base station, each of the first and second base stations comprising a receiver operable for receiving a signal from the communication unit, the signal being formed via modulation by a sequence of spreading symbols, the receiver adapted to be coupled to an antenna having a limited angle of reception, the receiver configured to determine an estimate of a first angle of arrival of the signal and a detector operable for determining a receive time of the signal based on the sequence; and

a location processor responsive to the controller operable for requesting the first and second base stations to determine first and second receive times of the signal based on the sequence, and for determining a location of the communication unit from the first and second receive times, the first angle of arrival of the signal, and further information about the first and second base stations.

46. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a first base station in wireless communication with a subscriber unit, the first base station receiving a signal from the subscriber unit, the signal being formed via modulation by a sequence of spreading symbols;

a first time of arrival detector determining a first receive time of the signal based on the sequence of spreading symbols at the first base station,

an angle of arrival detector adapted to be coupled to a fixed beam antenna, said angle of arrival detector determining a first angle of arrival of the signal at the first base station; and

a location estimation unit determining an estimated location of the subscriber unit from the first receive time, the first angle of arrival, and further predetermined information about the first base station.

47. The wireless communication system of claim 46, further comprising a second base station in wireless communication with the subscriber unit.

48. The wireless communication system of claim 47, further comprising a second time of arrival detector determining a second receive time of the signal based on the sequence of spreading symbols at the second base station.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising a second angle of arrival detector in communication with the second base station.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein the fixed beam antenna comprises a sectorized antenna.

51. The system of claim 46, wherein the fixed beam antenna comprises an antenna array.