System and method for locating UMTS user equipment using measurement reports
View Patent ↗A system and method for estimating a location of a wireless device receiving signals from a plurality of nodes of a communication system. A first value may be determined based on a network timing characteristic for one of the nodes, and a second value may be determined based on a network measurement report characteristic. An observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola may then be calculated based on the first and second values, and a location of the wireless device estimated as a function of the OTDOA hyperbola.
1. A method for estimating a location of a wireless device receiving signals from a plurality of nodes of a communication system, the method comprising:
(a) determining a first value based on a network timing characteristic for one of said nodes;
(b) determining a second value based on a network measurement report characteristic;
(c) calculating an observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola based on said first and second values; and
(d) estimating a location of said wireless device as a function of said OTDOA hyperbola,
wherein said plural nodes include a serving node and a neighboring node and wherein the calculating of the OTDOA includes using a second value determined from a difference between a connection frame number (“CFN”) of said serving node and a system frame number (“SFN”) of said neighboring node, and
wherein the estimating of the location of said wireless device includes determining a third value selected from the group consisting of: a round trip time (“RTT”) value, a cell identification value, a signal strength value, and combinations thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said nodes are selected from the group consisting of: base stations, base station sectors, and combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication system is selected from the group consisting of: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMax”) network, Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (“OFDMA”) network, WiFi network, and Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) network.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of: IS-95, Evolution-Data Optimized (“EDVO”), CDMA2000, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“1×RTT”).
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said network timing characteristic is a frame offset.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said frame offset is a system frame number (“SFN”).
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said network measurement report characteristic is a time offset value.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said time offset value is selected from the group consisting of: chip offset value and sample offset value.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said nodes are not synchronized.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information received from a satellite signal.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information transmitted from a component of said system.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said component is a network synchronization unit (“NSU”).
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said NSU directly estimates the network measurement report characteristic.
15. A system for estimating a location of a wireless device receiving signals from a plurality of nodes of a communication system, comprising:
circuitry for determining a first value based on a network timing characteristic for one of said nodes;
circuitry for determining a second value based on a network measurement report characteristic;
circuitry for calculating an observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola based on said first and second values; and
circuitry for estimating a location of said wireless device as a function of said OTDOA,
wherein said plural nodes include a serving node and a neighboring node and wherein said circuitry for calculating the OTDOA includes circuitry for using a second value determined from a difference between a connection frame number (“CFN”) of said serving node and a system frame number (“SFN”) of said neighboring node, and
wherein said circuitry for estimating the location of said wireless device includes circuitry for determining a third value selected from the group consisting of: a round trip time (“RTT”) value, a cell identification value, a signal strength value, and combinations thereof.
16. The system of claim 15 including a network synchronization unit.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein said wireless device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein said nodes are selected from the group consisting of: base stations, base station sectors, and combinations thereof.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein said communication system is selected from the group consisting of: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMax”) network, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (“OFDMA”), Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network, WiFi network, and Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) network.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of: IS-95, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), Evolution-Data Optimized (“EDVO”), CDMA2000, and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“1×xRTT”).
21. The system of claim 15 wherein said network timing characteristic is a frame offset.
22. The system of claim 21 wherein said frame offset is a system frame number (“SFN”).
23. The system of claim 15 wherein said network measurement report characteristic is a time offset value.
24. The system of claim 23 wherein said time offset value is selected from the group consisting of: chip offset value, sample offset value.
25. The system of claim 15 wherein said nodes are not synchronized.
26. The system of claim 15 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information received from a satellite signal.
27. The system of claim 15 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information transmitted from a component of said system.
28. A method for estimating a location of a wireless device receiving signals from a plurality of nodes of a communication system, the method comprising:
(a) determining a first value based on a network timing characteristic for one of said nodes;
(b) determining a second value based on a network measurement report characteristic;
(c) calculating an observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola based on said first and second values; and
(d) estimating a location of said wireless device as a function of said OTDOA hyperbola,
wherein said plural nodes include a serving node, a first neighboring node, and a second neighboring node, and wherein the calculating of the OTDOA includes using a second value determined from a difference between a system frame number (“SFN”) of said first neighboring node and a SFN of said second neighboring node, and
wherein the estimating of the location of said wireless device includes determining a third value selected from the group consisting of: a round trip time (“RTT”) value, a cell identification value, a signal strength value, and combinations thereof.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein said wireless device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
30. The method of claim 28 wherein said nodes are selected from the group consisting of: base stations, base station sectors, and combinations thereof.
31. The method of claim 28 wherein said communication system is selected from the group consisting of: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMax”) network, Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (“OFDMA”) network, WiFi network, and Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) network.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of: IS-95, Evolution-Data Optimized (“EDVO”), CDMA2000, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“1×RTT”).
33. The method of claim 28 wherein said network timing characteristic is a frame offset.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein said frame offset is a system frame number (“SFN”).
35. The method of claim 28 wherein said network measurement report characteristic is a time offset value.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein said time offset value is selected from the group consisting of: chip offset value and sample offset value.
37. The method of claim 28 wherein said nodes are not synchronized.
38. The method of claim 28 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information received from a satellite signal.
39. The method of claim 28 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information transmitted from a component of said system.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein said component is a network synchronization unit (“NSU”).
41. The method of claim 40 wherein said NSU directly estimates the network measurement report characteristic.
42. A system for estimating a location of a wireless device receiving signals from a plurality of nodes of a communication system, comprising:
circuitry for determining a first value based on a network timing characteristic for one of said nodes;
circuitry for determining a second value based on a network measurement report characteristic;
circuitry for calculating an observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola based on said first and second values; and
circuitry for estimating a location of said wireless device as a function of said OTDOA,
wherein said plural nodes include a serving node, a first neighboring node, and a second neighboring node, and wherein said circuitry for calculating the OTDOA includes circuitry for using a second value determined from a difference between a system frame number (“SFN”) of said first neighboring node and a SFN of said second neighboring node, and
wherein said circuitry for estimating the location of said wireless device includes circuitry for determining a third value selected from the group consisting of: a round trip time (“RTT”) value, a cell identification value, a signal strength value, and combinations thereof.
43. The system of claim 42 including a network synchronization unit.
44. The system of claim 42 wherein said wireless device is selected from the group consisting of: cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, and wireless transceiver.
45. The system of claim 42 wherein said nodes are selected from the group consisting of: base stations, base station sectors, and combinations thereof.
46. The system of claim 42 wherein said communication system is selected from the group consisting of: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“WiMax”) network, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (“OFDMA”), Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network, WiFi network, and Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) network.
47. The system of claim 46 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of: IS-95, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), Evolution-Data Optimized (“EDVO”), CDMA2000, and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“ 1 xRTT”).
48. The system of claim 42 wherein said network timing characteristic is a frame offset.
49. The system of claim 48 wherein said frame offset is a system frame number (“SFN”).
50. The system of claim 42 wherein said network measurement report characteristic is a time offset value.
51. The system of claim 50 wherein said time offset value is selected from the group consisting of: chip offset value, sample offset value.
52. The system of claim 42 wherein said nodes are not synchronized.
53. The system of claim 42 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information received from a satellite signal.
54. The system of claim 42 wherein said nodes are synchronized as a function of information transmitted from a component of said system.