IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,034,134
Granted Patent B2
US 10,034,134 · App. 15/824,170 · Granted Jul 24, 2018

Location determination for user equipment (UE) that are served by wireless repeater chains

Inventors: Yu Wang (Fairfax, VA); Sanghoon Sung (Ashburn, VA); Dhaval Dipak Mehta (Aldie, VA); Udit A. Thakore (Fairfax, VA)
Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
H04W4/023H04B7/14H04L43/0864H04W24/10H04W88/02H04W88/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,034,134
App. No.
15/824,170
Granted
Jul 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless base station locates User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain that is served by the wireless base station. The wireless base station maintains a data structure that indicates geographic locations for wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain. The wireless base station wirelessly exchanges user data with the wireless repeater chain responsive to the UE exchanging the user data with one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain. The wireless base station determines repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE. The wireless base station determines the wireless repeater serving the UE based on the repeater hops. The wireless base station indicates a geographic location in the data structure for the wireless repeater serving the UE.

Claims (25)

1. A method of operating a wireless base station to locate User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain that is served by the wireless base station, the method comprising:

the wireless base station maintaining a data structure that indicates geographic locations for wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain;

the wireless base station wirelessly exchanging user data with the wireless repeater chain responsive to the UE exchanging the user data with one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain;

the wireless base station determining repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE, wherein the wireless base station determining the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE comprises determining Round Trip Delay (RTD) between the wireless base station and the UE;

the wireless base station determining the wireless repeater serving the UE based on the repeater hops; and

the wireless base station indicating one of the geographic locations in the data structure for the one of the wireless repeaters serving the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station determining the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE comprises determining when the RTD indicates that the UE is beyond a wireless base station range.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station determining the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE comprises the wireless base station determining the repeater hops based on internal processing delays in the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless base station maintaining the data structure to indicate internal processing delays for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station determining the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE comprises the wireless base station determining the repeater hops based on wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless base station maintaining the data structure to indicate wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station determining the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE comprises the wireless base station determining the repeater hops based on internal processing delays in the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain and based on wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless base station maintaining the data structure to indicate internal processing delays and wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless base station comprises a Long Term Evolution eNodeB.

10. A wireless base station to locate User Equipment (UE) that is served by a wireless repeater chain that is served by the wireless base station, the wireless base station comprising:

a base station data processing system configured to maintain a data structure that indicates geographic locations for wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain; and

a base station wireless data transceiver configured to wirelessly exchange user data with the wireless repeater chain responsive to the UE exchanging the user data with one of the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain, to determine repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE, to determine the wireless repeater serving the UE based on the repeater hops, and to indicate one of the geographic locations in the data structure for the one of the wireless repeaters serving the UE, wherein the base station data processing system is configured to determine the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE by determining Round Trip Delay (RTD) between the wireless base station and the UE.

11. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to determine the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE by determining when the RTD indicates that the UE is beyond a wireless base station range.

12. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to determine the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE based on internal processing delays in the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

13. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to maintain the data structure to indicate internal processing delays for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

14. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to determine the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE based on wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

15. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to maintain the data structure to indicate wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

16. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to determine the repeater hops in the wireless repeater chain between the wireless base station and the UE based on internal processing delays in the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain and based on wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

17. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the base station data processing system is configured to maintain the data structure to indicate internal processing delays and wireless repeater ranges for the wireless repeaters in the wireless repeater chain.

18. The wireless base station of claim 10 wherein the wireless base station comprises a Long Term Evolution eNodeB.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
To: T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 055604/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 28, 2017
From: WANG, YU; SUNG, SANGHOON; MEHTA, DHAVAL DIPAK; THAKORE, UDIT A.
To: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
Reel/Frame 044236/0058 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15363312 · Nov 29, 2016
Related Publication 20180152810A1 · May 31, 2018