Determining neighbour lists

1. A method of compiling a list of usable neighbour location measurement units in a mobile communications network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signal from one of a plurality of transmitters at each of a set of location measurement units and time stamping the signal with the arrival time at each location measurement unit;

(b) determining from the arrival time at each location measurement unit and its distance from the transmitting transmitter the transmission time;

(c) comparing the transmission times determined for each of the location measurement units and placing on the list only those location measurement units whose transmission times fall in a predetermined range of one another,

wherein the mobile communications network comprises a plurality of transmitters with a plurality of location measurement units.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein (a) to (c) are carried out for each transmitter.

3. A method according to claim 2 , when carried out for a predetermined sequence of transmitters at predetermined time intervals.

4. A method according to claim 2 , when carried out using a computer program executed on a processor.

5. A method according to claim 2 , when carried out at a serving location measurement centre in the network.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said time stamping is carried out using a global clock.

7. A method according to claim 1 , which comprises identifying one of said set of location measurement units as a target location measurement unit associated with said transmitter;

comparing the transmission times for the remaining ones of the set of location measurement units with the transmission time for the target location measurement unit; and

only placing the target location measurement unit on the list if its transmission time falls in said predetermined range.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein each transmitter is associated with a base station.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising checking coordinates of a transmitter using the transmission times.

10. A method according to claim 7 , wherein said target location measurement is identified as the location measurement unit physically located at said transmitter.

11. A serving measurement location centre in a mobile communications network, the centre comprising:

a processor arranged to receive from each of a set of the location measurement units receiving a signal from one of the transmitters a transmission time calculated at the respective measurement units;

a store holding a list of useful location measurement units;

said processor being programmed to compare the transmission times determined at each of the location measurement units and to place on the list only the location measurement units whose determined transmission times fall in a predetermined range of one another

wherein the communications network includes a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of location measurement units.

12. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is arranged to receive a signal from each of the transmitters.

13. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is arranged to receive a signal from a predetermined sequence of transmitters at predetermined time intervals.

14. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is programmed to identify one of said set of location measurement units as a target location measurement unit associated with said transmitter, to compare the transmission times for the remaining ones of the set of location measurement units with the transmission time for the target location measurement unit, and only placing the target location measurement unit on the list if its transmission time falls in said predetermined range.

15. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 11 , wherein said transmitters are located at base stations.

16. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 14 , wherein said target location measurement unit is physically located at said transmitter.

17. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 11 , comprising a data store holding data defining the distances of each of the location measurement units from said transmitter.

18. A serving measurement location centre according to claim 17 , which comprises a calculator configured to calculate said transmission times based on said distance data.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, said computer program comprising program code which, when executed on a processor causes the processor to receive from each of a set of location measurement units associated with the base stations a transmission time calculated at the respective location measurement unit, and to further cause the processor to compare the transmission times determined at each of the location measurement units and to place on a list of usable neighbour location measurement units only those whose transmission times fall in a predetermined range of one another.

20. A serving measurement location centre in a mobile communications network, the serving location measurement centre comprising:

a processor means for receiving from each of a set of location measurement units receiving a signal from one of a plurality of transmitters, a transmission time calculated at the respective measurement units;

a storage means for holding a list of useful location measurement units;

said processor means being programmed to compare the transmission times determined at each of the location measurement units and to place on the list only the location measurement units whose determined transmission times fall in a predetermined range of one another,

wherein the communications network includes a plurality of transmitters with a plurality of location measurement units.