Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining location of a mobile device(s) in a distributed antenna system(s)
Distributed antenna systems provide location information for client devices communicating with remote antenna units. The location information can be used to determine the location of the client devices relative to the remote antenna unit(s) with which the client devices are communicating. A location processing unit (LPU) includes a control system configured to receive uplink radio frequency (RF) signals communicated by client devices and determines the signal strengths of the uplink RF signals. The control system also determines which antenna unit is receiving uplink RF signals from the device having the greatest signal strength.
1. A wireless communication system wireless configured to receive and distribute downlink radio frequency (RF) signals and receive and distribute uplink RF signals, comprising:
a plurality of fiber optic cables;
a plurality of remote units, each remote unit being optically coupled to at least one of the fiber optic cables, and each remote unit comprising at least two antennas in a diversity arrangement, the plurality of remote units configured to use a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) scheme and installed in known locations, the plurality of remote units configured to:
receive the downlink RF signals as optical downlink RF signals;
convert the optical downlink RF signals into electrical downlink signals;
transmit the downlink RF signals into a respective coverage area;
receive uplink RF signals from client devices located in respective coverage areas; and
distribute the received uplink RF signals; and
a location processing unit (LPU), comprising:
a plurality of signal monitoring devices configured to receive each of the uplink RF signals distributed from the plurality of remote units located in the known locations; and
a controller configured to:
determine signal strengths of the received uplink RF signals;
determine which remote unit among the plurality of remote units is receiving the uplink RF signals from at least one client device having the greater signal strength; and
determine location information for the at least one client device based on identification of the remote unit receiving the uplink RF signals having the greater signal strength.
2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into frequency blocks.
3. The wireless communication system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the frequency blocks in the uplink RF signals.
4. The wireless communication system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to convert the received uplink RF signals into baseband uplink RF signals, and wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize to a downlink RF signal received from a base station.
5. The wireless communication system of claim 2 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received into resource blocks (RB) separately identifiable to a particular user device.
6. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into temporal blocks.
7. The wireless communication system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the temporal blocks in the uplink RF signals.
8. The wireless communication system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strengths of the uplink RF signals as a function of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) of a window of samples of the uplink RF signals.
9. A wireless communication system configured to receive and distribute downlink radio frequency (RF) signals and receive and distribute uplink RF signals, comprising:
at least one optical fiber cable;
the plurality of remote units, each remote unit being optically coupled to the at least one optical fiber cable, and each remote unit comprising:
at least two antennas in a diversity arrangement, the plurality of remote units configured to use a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) scheme and installed in known locations;
at least one optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter; and
at least one electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter,
the a plurality of remote units configured to:
receive the downlink RF signals as optical downlink RF signals;
convert the optical downlink RF signals into electrical downlink signals at the at least one O/E converter;
transmit the downlink RF signals into a respective coverage area;
receive uplink RF signals from client devices located in respective coverage areas; and
distribute the received uplink RF signals; and
a location processing unit (LPU), comprising:
a plurality of signal monitoring devices configured to receive each of the uplink RF signals distributed from the plurality of remote units located in the known locations; and
a controller configured to:
determine signal strengths of the received uplink RF signals;
determine which remote unit among the plurality of remote units is receiving the uplink RF signals from at least one client device having the greater signal strength; and
determine location information for the at least one client device based on identification of the remote unit receiving the uplink RF signals having the greater signal strength.
10. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into frequency blocks.
11. The wireless communication system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the frequency blocks in the uplink RF signals.
12. The wireless communication system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to convert the received uplink RF signals into baseband uplink RF signals.
13. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into temporal blocks.
14. The wireless communication system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the temporal blocks in the uplink RF signals.
15. A wireless communication system deployed in a building infrastructure and configured to receive and distribute downlink radio frequency (RF) signals and receive and distribute uplink RF signals, comprising:
a plurality of optical fiber cables;
the plurality of remote units optically coupled to the optical fiber cables and distributed over multiple floors of the building infrastructure, and each remote unit comprising at least two antennas in a diversity arrangement, the plurality of remote units configured to use a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) scheme and installed in known locations, the a plurality of remote units configured to:
receive the downlink RF signals as optical downlink RF signals;
convert the optical downlink RF signals into electrical downlink signals;
transmit the downlink RF signals into a respective coverage area;
receive uplink RF signals from client devices located in respective coverage areas; and
distribute the received uplink RF signals; and
a location processing unit (LPU), comprising:
a plurality of signal monitoring devices configured to receive each of the uplink RF signals distributed from the plurality of remote units located in the known locations; and
a controller configured to:
determine signal strengths of the received uplink RF signals;
determine which remote unit among the plurality of remote units is receiving the uplink RF signals from at least one client device having the greater signal strength; and
determine location information for the at least one client device based on identification of the remote unit receiving the uplink RF signals having the greater signal strength.
16. The wireless communication system of claim 15 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into frequency blocks.
17. The wireless communication system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the frequency blocks in the uplink RF signals.
18. The wireless communication system of claim 15 , wherein the received uplink RF signals are received in channels separated into temporal blocks.
19. The wireless communication system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the signal strength of the uplink RF signals by measuring the signal strength of the temporal blocks in the uplink RF signals.