Method and arrangement for locating a mobile terminal in a multicell radio arrangement

• US 8,086,252 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Luers, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/991,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for locating a mobile terminal in a multicell radio system are provided. A plurality of radio base stations detect the field strength of a data transmission of the mobile terminal and the location of the mobile terminal is determined the values are provided. The mobile terminal is switched into an active state, then a plurality of the radio base stations are set to the radio channel used by the mobile terminal to be located, and the mobile terminal is prompted to emit a response message as a result of the communication of a test data transmission. The received field strength of the received response message is measured by the radio base stations and communicated to a central device, after which the location of the mobile terminal is determined by the central device on the basis of the measured values.

Claims

1. A method for locating a desired mobile terminal in a multicell radio system having a plurality of radio base stations, comprising:

sending a plurality of request messages to the plurality of radio base stations to determine a first radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations that is associated with the desired mobile terminal;

sending a command message to the first radio base station to switch the desired mobile terminal from an inactive state to an active state, the desired mobile terminal and the first radio base station being set to a first radio channel;

the desired mobile terminal receiving the command message and switching from the inactive state to the active state, when the desired mobile terminal is in the inactive state, the desired mobile terminal not transmitting and only activating a receiver of the desired mobile terminal for a first predetermined amount of time in a predetermined time span, the predetermined time span being greater than the first predetermined amount of time, when the desired mobile terminal is in the active state, the desired mobile terminal having the receiver active continuously for a second predetermined amount of time to receive data from the first radio base station, the second predetermined amount of time being defined in the command message;

determining whether the plurality of radio base stations are transmitting high priority data;

switching at least one radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations to the first radio channel if the at least one radio base station is not transmitting high priority data;

the first radio base station transmitting at least one test data message to the desired mobile terminal;

the desired mobile terminal transmitting a response message to the first radio base station in response to the at least one test data message, the response message having a field strength;

measuring the field strength of the transmitted response message; and

determining a location of the desired mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising interrupting a data transmission of the at least one radio base station prior to the switching to the first radio channel if the data transmission is not high priority data, the data transmission being independent of the determining of the location of the desired mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising switching the at least one radio base station that was switched to the first radio channel back to an original radio channel of that radio base station and continuing the data transmission that was interrupted, the switching back occurring after the determining of the location of the desired mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the desired mobile terminal switching from the active mode to the inactive mode after the second predetermined period of time elapses.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the command message is comprised of a beacon having a flag, the flag informing the desired mobile device to switch to the active state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first radio base station periodically transmitting ping messages to the desired mobile terminal to prevent the desired mobile terminal from switching back to the inactive state until measurements needed for determining the location of the desired mobile terminal are completed.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a second radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations transmitting at least one second test data message to the desired mobile terminal;

a third radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations transmitting at least one third test data message to the desired mobile terminal;

the desired mobile terminal sending a second response message having a field strength to the second radio base station in response to the at least one second test data message; and

the desired mobile terminal sending a third response message having a field strength to the third radio base station in response to the at least one third test data message; and

wherein the determining of the location of the desired mobile terminal utilizes the field strength from the response message received by the first radio base station, the field strength from the second response message received by the second radio base station, and the field strength from the third response message received by the third radio base station.

8. A method for locating a mobile terminal in a multicell radio system having a plurality of radio base stations comprising:

switching the mobile terminal to an active state;

setting a radio channel for at least a portion of the radio base stations to be the same as a radio channel used by the mobile terminal to be located;

transmitting a response message from the mobile terminal in response to the mobile terminal receiving a test data message;

by at least a portion of the radio base stations;

measuring a received field strength of the response message which is received by the respective base station, and transmitting the field strength to a central device; and

determining the location of the mobile terminal by the central device via the measured values; and

wherein the radio base stations carrying out time-critical and/or high-priority data transmissions are excluded from switching of their radio channel.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the inactive state of the mobile terminal is defined such that the mobile terminal is not transmitting and only activating a receiver of the mobile terminal for a first predetermined amount of time in a predetermined time span, the predetermined time span being greater than the first predetermined amount of time, and wherein active state of the mobile terminal is defined such that the mobile terminal having the receiver active continuously for a second predetermined amount of time to receive data from a radio base station.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising interrupting a data transmission of at least one radio base station of the portion of the radio base stations prior to the setting of the radio channel of the at least one radio base station if the data transmission is not high priority data, the data transmission being independent of the determining of the location of the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising switching each of the at least one radio base station that was set to the radio channel used by the mobile terminal back to an original radio channel of that radio base station and continuing the data transmission that was interrupted, the switching back occurring after the determining of the location of the desired mobile terminal.

12. A multi-cell radio system for locating a mobile terminal, comprising:

a central device; and

a plurality of radio base stations; and

the central device sending a plurality of request messages to the plurality of radio base stations and determining a first radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations that is associated with the mobile terminal;

the central device sending a command message to the first radio base station to switch the mobile terminal from an inactive state to an active state;

the central device determining whether any of the plurality of radio base stations are transmitting high priority data;

at least one other radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations switching to a radio channel if the at least one other radio base station is not transmitting high priority data;

the first radio base station transmitting the at least one test data message to the mobile terminal;

the mobile terminal transmitting a response message in response to the at least one test data message, the response message having a field strength;

the at least one other radio base station and the first radio base station measuring the field strength of the response message; and

the central device determining a location of the mobile terminal based on the measured field strength of the response message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first radio base station sets a flag in a beacon that is transmitted by the first radio base station in response to the central device sending the command message, the flag causing the mobile terminal to switch from the inactive state to the active state, when the mobile terminal is in the inactive state, the mobile terminal not transmitting and only activating a receiver of the mobile terminal for a first predetermined amount of time in a predetermined time span, the predetermined time span being greater than the first predetermined amount of time, and when the mobile terminal is in the active state, the mobile terminal having the receiver active continuously for a second predetermined amount of time to receive data from the first radio base station, the second predetermined amount of time being defined in the command message.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first radio base station transmits a beacon, and the mobile terminal checks the beacon of the first radio base station to determine if there is data to be received from the first radio base station.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the mobile terminal switches to the active state for the second predetermined period of time upon determining that there is data to be received from the first radio base station.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the central device initiates a periodic transmission of a ping message to prevent the mobile terminal from switching to the inactive state until measurements needed for the determining the location of the mobile terminal are completed.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one other radio base station that is switched to the radio channel waits until a high priority data transmission is complete prior to performing the switching to the radio channel.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one other radio base station interrupts a data transmission prior to the switching to the radio channel if the data transmission is not high priority data, the data transmission being independent of the determining of the location of the mobile terminal.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the at least one other radio base station that was switched to the radio channel switchs back to an original radio channel of that radio base station and continues the data transmission that was interrupted, the switching back occurring after the location of the mobile terminal is determined.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the central device a radio base station.