Method for iterative determination of distance between receiving station and transmitting station and also calculating unit and computer software product

• US 7,064,711 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Strickland, Stuart, Warken, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/820,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 342/109, 342/133, 342/458, 342/463
• US Class Current: 342/458
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

Information received by a calculating unit via a signal from a transmitting station to a receiving station is provided with a code, a number of integral multiples of the code coming into the receiving station during the signal transfer time that the signal requires to travel between the transmitting station and the receiving station. During a first iteration, the number of integral multiples of the code is calculated and the calculated number is used at least in a second iteration without a fresh calculation being carried out.

Claims

1. A method for iterative determination of a distance between a receiving station and a transmitting station, comprising:

receiving information by a calculating unit concerning a signal from the transmitting station that is received by the receiving station, the signal including a code which is received by the receiving station an integral number of times during a signal transfer time required for the signal to travel between the transmitting station and the receiving station;

calculating, during a first iteration, the integral number of times the code is received; and

using the integral number in at least a second iteration without recalculating.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the integral number calculated in the first iteration is used in all iterations.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said calculating uses an estimation of a position of the receiving station to calculate the integral number.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving station is located in a radio cell of a radio communications system, and

further comprising basing the estimation of the position of the receiving station on a cell identifier of the radio cell, the cell identifier being assigned to the receiving station.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.

13. A method according to claim 2, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.

14. A method according to claim 3, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said calculating uses an estimation of a position of the receiving station to calculate the integral number.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving station is located in a radio cell of a radio communications system, and

further comprising basing the estimation of the position of the receiving station on a cell identifier of the radio cell, the cell identifier being assigned to the receiving station.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.

6. A device for iterative determination of a distance between a receiving station and a transmitting station, comprising:

an interface receiving information concerning a signal from the transmitting station that is received by the receiving station, the signal including a code which is received by the receiving station an integral number of times during a signal transfer time required for the signal to travel between the transmitting station and the receiving station; and

a calculation unit calculating, during a first iteration, the integral number of times the code is received and using the integral number at least in a second iteration without recalculating.

7. A computer software product embodied on at least one computer-readable medium storing instructions to control a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving information by a calculating unit concerning a signal from the transmitting station that is received by the receiving station, the signal including a code which is received by the receiving station an integral number of times during a signal transfer time required for the signal to travel between the transmitting station and the receiving station;

calculating, during a first iteration, the integral number of times the code is received; and

using the integral number in at least a second iteration without recalculating.

8. A computer software product according to claim 7, wherein the integral number calculated in the first iteration is used in all iterations.

9. A computer software product according to claim 8, wherein said calculating uses an estimation of a position of the receiving station to calculate the integral number.

10. A computer software product according to claim 9, wherein the receiving station is located in a radio cell of a radio communications system, and

further comprising basing the estimation of the position of the receiving station on a cell identifier of the radio cell, the cell identifier being assigned to the receiving station.

11. A computer software product according to claim 10, wherein a value other than zero is used in the first iteration for the signal transfer time.