Network assisted GPS positioning for Femto Cells in wireless networks

• US 8,089,400 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Fang, Yonggang, Bhalla, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C
• Application Number:
  US12/137,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.4, 342/357.42
• US Class Current: 342/357.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Network designs and techniques for using a navigation satellite positioning system to operate a femto cell base station in a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for using a navigation satellite positioning system to operate a femto cell base station in a wireless network, comprising:

providing a navigation satellite positioning receiver in a femto cell base station to receive positioning signals from a navigation satellite positioning system;

providing a navigation satellite positioning client module in the receiver to communicate navigation satellite positioning messages with the network and to control the receiver in receiving the positioning signals;

providing a navigation satellite positioning server module in the network to communicate with the navigation satellite positioning client module and to maintain a database of location information of femto cell base stations in the network and corresponding geographic latitude, longitude and elevation data associated with a location of each femto cell base stations;

operating the navigation satellite positioning client module to send location address information of the femto cell base station to the navigation satellite positioning server module, wherein the location address information comprises at least a portion of an address associated with an area in which the femto cell base station is located;

in response to the location address information of the femto cell base station, operating the navigation satellite positioning server module to search in the database to get geographic latitude, longitude and elevation data associated with the location address information, compute the satellites covering the location based on the geographic latitude, longitude and elevation data and send the geographic latitude, longitude and elevation data and ID information of the satellites covering the location of the femto cell base station to the navigation satellite positioning client module;

operating the navigation satellite positioning client module to reset the receiver based on the geographic latitude, longitude and elevation data and ID information of the satellites from the navigation satellite positioning server module;

operating the receiver to acquire positioning signals from the satellites that are listed in ID information of the satellites from the navigation satellite positioning server module; and

operating the receiver to update the geographic data and timing data of the femto cell base station based on the acquired positioning signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location address information comprises a ZIP code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location address information comprises a name of a city.

4. A method, comprising:

sending, from a femto cell base station to a positioning server, address information associated with an area in which the femto cell base station is located;

identifying, at the positioning server, identities of one or more satellites in a navigation satellite positioning system that cover the area, wherein the femto cell base station is configured to provide wireless service to mobile stations;

receiving, at the femto cell base station from the positioning server, satellite identity information that comprises the identities of the one or more satellites of the navigation satellite positioning system that cover the area;

operating a receiver in the femto cell base station to acquire positioning signals from the one or more satellites identified by the satellite identity information;

accessing geographic data and timing data of the femto cell base station; and

updating the accessed geographic data and timing data of the femto cell base station based on the acquired positioning signals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending information comprises sending a ZIP code associated with the address.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein sending information associated with the address comprises sending an Internet Protocol (IP) address that is associated with the address.

7. A system, comprising:

a server configured to provide information regarding visibility of satellites associated with a navigation satellite positioning system based on address information; and

a femto cell base station configured to communicate with the server and provide wireless service to mobile stations, wherein the femto cell base station comprises a receiver to receive positioning information from the navigation satellite positioning system, wherein the femto cell base station is configured to perform operations comprising;

sending information associated with an address, which is associated with an area in which the femto cell base station is located, to obtain one or more identities of satellites in the navigation satellite positioning system that currently cover the area;

receiving satellite identity information that comprises identities of satellites of the navigation satellite positioning system that currently cover the area;

operating the receiver to acquire positioning signals from the satellites identified by the satellite identity information; and

updating geographic data and timing data of the femto cell base station based on the acquired positioning signals.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the femto cell base station is configured to send the information that comprises a ZIP code associated with the address.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the femto cell base station is configured to send the information associated with the address that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address that is associated with the address.