Granted Patent B2

US 12,621,789 · App. 17/346,469 · Granted May 5, 2026

Inventors: Mohammad Alawieh (Erlangen, DE); Ferdinand Kemeth (Erlangen, DE); Norbert Franke (Erlangen, DE)

Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

H04W64/00

Abstract

Claims (48)

1 . A method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network, comprising:

receiving information about a transmitting time and frequency allocation of a reference device, configured to transmit a reference signal and formed by an internet of things, IOT, device, within the communication network at the target device from a base station or a location server;

expecting a reference signal transmitted by the reference device and performing a radio frequency, RF, measurement by the use of the information, so as to acquire a measurement value dependent on a distance between the target device and the reference device, wherein the target device performs the RF measurement on the expected transmitted reference signal;

wherein the base station or the location server triggers the reference device with a wake-up signal or an extended DRX signal to transmit the reference signal in accordance to said transmitting time; and

wherein the method comprises calculating the position of the target device based on the results of the RF measurements.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a coarse estimation of the target device position, the coarse estimation is performed by a single or multiple base stations or by the location server.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the base station or the location server is choosing the reference device from a pool of devices within a detectable range from the target device.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the base station or the location server is requesting information about the capabilities and/or the configurations of the target device from the target device and in response to the request the target device is providing the information about the capabilities and the configurations of the target device for the base station or for the location server.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the base station or the location server is requesting information about the capabilities and/or the configurations of the reference device from the reference device and in response to the request the reference device is providing the information about the capabilities and the configurations of the reference device for the base station or for the location server.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the base station or the location server is informed on a scheduled transmission by the reference device or by the location server or by the base station.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the base station or the location server is sending information to the target device about the scheduled transmission and/or a transmitting time and/or a frequency of the chosen reference device.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the base station or the location server indicates a search window to find the transmitted reference signal of the reference device, in order to perform the RF measurement.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the target device is performing the RF measurement on the transmitted reference signal of the reference device when the reference device is triggered or based on the information about the transmitting time and frequency of the reference device.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the RF measurement comprises a receive reference signal strength indication, RSSI, and/or a signal noise ratio, SNR or SNIR, and/or a reference signal received power, RSRP, and/or reference signal received quality, RSRQ, measurement.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the base station or the location server is requesting measurement results of the RF measurement from the target device and in response to the request the target device is providing measurement results of the RF measurement to the base station or to the location server; or the target device is reporting measurement results of the RF measurement to the base station or to the location server.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method comprises calculating the position of the target device based on the reported results of the RF measurements at the location server.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the base station or the location server allocates and/or deallocates one or more reference devices in time.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising triggering the reference device by use of a request for transmission operations.

15 . The method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network according to claim 1 , comprising:

selecting a reference device, wherein the selecting is performed by a selector of a base station or of a location server;

identifying whether the reference device is available and/or is capable of supporting the target device, wherein the identifying is performed by the location server;

configuring properties and/or properties of period and/or power of the reference device, wherein the configuring is performed by the base station or by the location server; and

transmitting information about the reference device to a target device such that the target device can perform an RF measurement by the use of the information, so as to acquire a measurement value dependent on a distance between the target device and the reference device, wherein the transmitting is performed by a transmitter of the base station or of the location server.

16 . A reference device configured to transmit a reference signal and formed by an IOT device,

in a radio resource control connection mode and/or

configured to be triggered on request by a base station or by a location server with a wake-up signal or through an extended discontinuous reception mechanism for transmission operations, in order to provide an opportunity to repeat a transmitted reference signal and/or enhance the ability of a target device to receive the reference signal from the reference device,

wherein the transmitted reference signal

is configured to be triggered by the base station or by the location server so as to the transmitted reference signal in accordance to a transmitting time; or

is configured to be a timely scheduled transmission of the reference device so as to the transmitted reference signal in accordance to a transmitting time.

17 . The reference device according to claim 16 , comprising a sensor for determining the position of the moving IOT reference device or a stationary IOT device with a known position wherein the position of the IOT reference device determined by the location server or comprising a sensor for determining the position of the moving IOT reference device wherein a sensor information of the is sent to the base station or to the location server.

18 . The reference device according to claim 16 , comprising a second sensor measuring speed and/or direction, wherein the reference device is configured to send sensor information of the second sensor to the base station or to the location server.

19 . A system comprising a base station or a location server, a target device and one or more reference devices configured to transmit a reference signal and formed by an IOT device,

in a radio resource control connection mode and/or

configured to be triggered on request by a base station or by a location server with a wake-up signal or through an extended discontinuous reception mechanism for transmission operations, in order to provide an opportunity to repeat a reference signal and/or enhance the ability of a target device to receive the reference signal from the reference device,

wherein the transmitted reference signal

is configured to be triggered by the base station or by the location server so as to the transmitted reference signal in accordance to a transmitting time or

is configured to be a timely scheduled transmission of the reference device so as to the transmitted reference signal in accordance to a transmitting time,

wherein the system is configured to perform a method determining the position of a target device within a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving information about a transmitting time and frequency allocation of a reference device, formed by an internet of things, IOT, device, within the communication network at the target device from a base station or a location server;

expecting a reference signal transmitted by the reference device and performing a radio frequency, RF, measurement by the use of the information, so as to acquire a measurement value dependent on a distance between the target device and the reference device, wherein the target device performs the RF measurement on the expected transmitted reference signal;

wherein the base station or the location server triggers the reference device to transmit the reference signal; and

wherein the method comprises calculating the position of the target device based on the results of the RF measurements.

20 . A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving information about a transmitting time and frequency allocation of a reference device, configured to transmit a reference signal and formed by an internet of things, IOT, device, within the communication network at the target device from a base station or a location server;

expecting a reference signal transmitted by the reference device and performing a radio frequency, RF, measurement by the use of the information, so as to acquire a measurement value dependent on a distance between the target device and the reference device, wherein the target device performs the RF measurement on the expected transmitted reference signal;

wherein the base station or the location server triggers the reference device to transmit the reference signal in accordance to said transmitting time; and

wherein the method comprises calculating the position of the target device based on the results of the RF measurements,

when said computer program is run by a computer.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (24)