Architecture and method to 4G-mobile positioning
View Patent ↗A mobile device and a method and circuit for determining a position of the mobile device is disclosed. A positioning signal is received at a communication circuit of the mobile device. The received positioning signal is sent from the communication circuit to a position-determining module for determining the position of the mobile device from the positioning signal. A switch may be configured to selectively couple the position-determining module to the communication circuit.
1. A method of determining a position of a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving a positioning signal at a circuit of the mobile device, wherein the circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication; and
sending the received positioning signal from the circuit, prior to a communication modem of the circuit, to a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module of the mobile device via a switch that selectively couples the circuit to the M-LMS module to determine the position of the mobile device from the positioning signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switch selectively couples the circuit to the M-LMS module prior to the communication modem.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling the switch using a control signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the positioning signal to the M-LMS module directly from an antenna of the circuit.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the positioning signal to the M-LMS module from a frequency channel at a back end of a switchplexer module receiving the positioning signal from an antenna of the circuit, wherein a frequency band of the frequency channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the circuit further includes an antenna that is at least one of a primary antenna and a diversity antenna.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning signal is a signal within a frequency band from about 902 Megahertz (MHz) to about 928 MHz.
8. A circuit for determining a position of a mobile communication device, comprising:
a communication circuit including an antenna and a communication modem, wherein the communication circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication;
a splitter configured to split a positioning signal received at the antenna prior to the positioning signal being received at the communication modem;
a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module configured to determine the position of the mobile device using the split positioning signal; and
a switch configured to selectively electrically couple the M-LMS module to the communication circuit at the splitter to send the split positioning signal to the M-LMS module.
9. The circuit of claim 8 , further comprising a control unit configured to enable the switch to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the communication circuit.
10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is further configured to disable the switch and place the M-LMS module in an idle state.
11. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled directly to the antenna.
12. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled to a frequency channel at a back end of a switchplexer module that receives the positioning signals from the antenna, wherein a frequency band of the channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.
13. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the antenna further comprises at least one of a primary antenna and a diversity antenna.
14. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the positioning signal is within a frequency band between about 902 Megahertz (MHz) and 928 MHz.
15. A mobile communication device, comprising:
a circuit including an antenna and a communication modem, wherein the circuit is configured for wireless two-way communication;
a splitter configured to split a positioning signal received at the antenna prior to the positioning signal being received at the communication modem;
a multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) module configured to determine a position of the mobile device using the split positioning signal; and
a switch configured to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the splitter to direct the split positioning signal to the M-LMS module.
16. The mobile communication device of claim 15 , further comprising a control unit configured to enable the switch to electrically couple the M-LMS module to the circuit.
17. The mobile communication device of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to disable the switch and place the M-LMS module in an idle state.
18. The mobile communication device of claim 15 , wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled directly to an antenna of the circuit.
19. The mobile communication device of claim 15 , wherein the switch is selectively electrically coupled to a frequency channel of a switchplexer module that receives a signal from an antenna of the circuit, wherein a frequency band of the frequency channel corresponds to a frequency band of the positioning signal.
20. The mobile communication device of claim 15 , wherein the positioning signal is within a frequency band between about 902 Megahertz (MHz) and 928 MHz.
21. The mobile communication device of claim 15 , further comprising a signal amplifier configured to amplify the split positioning signal to compensate for a splitter loss at the splitter.