Uplink coordinated multipoint positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11864150-B2
Application number	US-201917295086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A method and network node for uplink coordinated multipoint positioning are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes employing a coordinated multipoint function to decode data from a WD using signals received from the WD by the network node and from signals received from the WD by a plurality of cooperating network nodes. The method further includes converting the decoded WD data signal into a time domain reference signal and convert the signals received from the plurality of cooperating network nodes into time domain neighbour signals. The method also includes cross-correlating the time domain reference signal with the time domain neighbour signals to determine a time difference of arrival for each of the plurality of time domain neighbour signals. The method also includes calculating a position of the WD based on the time differences of arrival and based on locations of the cooperating network nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network node configured to communicate with a wireless device (WD), the network node comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing software instructions configured to control the at least one processor to implement a process including:
employing a coordinated multipoint process to decode data from a WD using signals received from the WD by the network node and from signals received from the WD by a plurality of cooperating network nodes;
converting the decoded WD data into a time domain reference signal and convert the signals received from the plurality of cooperating network nodes into time domain neighbor signals;
cross-correlating the time domain reference signal with the time domain neighbor signals to determine a time difference of arrival for each of the plurality of time domain neighbor signals; and
calculating a position of the WD based on the time differences of arrival and based on locations of the cooperating network nodes.

2. A method implemented in a network node to estimate a time difference of arrival, TDoA, of signals received from a wireless device, the method comprising:
employing a coordinated multipoint process to decode data from a WD using signals received from the WD by the network node and from signals received from the WD by a plurality of cooperating network nodes;
converting the decoded WD data into a time domain reference signal and convert the signals received from the plurality of cooperating network nodes into time domain neighbor signals;
cross-correlating the time domain reference signal with the time domain neighbor signals to determine a time difference of arrival for each of the plurality of time domain neighbor signals; and
calculating a position of the WD based on the time differences of arrival and based on locations of the cooperating network nodes.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising providing a reportConfigEUTRA WD measurement report with a negative A3-Offset greater than 19.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising performing geometric dilution of precision calculations to select a set of cooperating network nodes for use in positioning calculations.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising bounding a channel impulse response in the time domain using a calculated channel impulse response of a demodulation reference signal, DMRS, symbol from at least one of the plurality of time domain neighbor signals.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising using a reference signal transmitted by the WD in every resource block to confirm a channel impulse response calculated from the cross correlation.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a reference signal is selected from signals received from the WD by the network node as a signal having a signal to noise ratio, SNR, of at least 10 dB.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising using trilateration based on reference signal received power, RSRP, to provide an initial estimate of WD location followed by subsequent iterations based on cross correlation of the time domain reference signal with the time domain neighbor signals.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the network node is located remote from the cooperating network nodes and wherein positions of WDs are determined at the remote location.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the received signals are transmitted over a full transmission time interval, TTI, consisting of 14 symbols.

11. A network node configured to communicate with a wireless device (WD), the network node comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing software instructions configured to control the at least one processor to implement a process including:
employing a coordinated multipoint process to decode data from a WD using signals received from the WD by the network node and from signals received from the WD by a plurality of cooperating network nodes;
converting the decoded WD data into a frequency domain reference signal and converting the signals received from the plurality of cooperating network nodes into frequency domain neighbor signals;
multiplying a complex conjugate of the frequency domain reference signal by each of the plurality of frequency domain neighbor signals to produce a plurality of product signals;
converting each of the product signals into a time domain signal to provide a time difference of arrival of each frequency domain neighbor signal; and
calculating a position of the WD based on the time difference of arrival of each frequency domain neighbor signal and based on locations of the cooperating network nodes.

12. A method implemented in a network node to estimate a time difference of arrival, TDoA, of signals received from a wireless device, the method comprising:
employing a coordinated multipoint process to decode data from a WD using signals received from the WD by the network node and from signals received from the WD by a plurality of cooperating network nodes;
converting the decoded WD data into a frequency domain reference signal and converting the signals received from the plurality of cooperating network nodes into frequency domain neighbor signals;
multiplying a complex conjugate of the frequency domain reference signal by each of the plurality of frequency domain neighbor signals to produce a plurality of product signals;
converting each of the product signals into a time domain signal to provide a time difference of arrival of each frequency domain neighbor signal; and
calculating a position of the WD based on the time difference of arrival of each frequency domain neighbor signal and based on locations of the cooperating network nodes.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising providing a reportConfigEUTRA WD measurement report with a negative A3-Offset greater than 19.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising performing geometric dilution of precision calculations to select a set of cooperating network nodes for use in positioning calculations.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising bounding a channel impulse response in the time domain using a calculated channel impulse response of a demodulation reference signal, DIMS, symbol from at least one of the plurality of frequency domain neighbor signals.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising using a reference signal transmitted by the WD in every resource block to confirm a channel impulse response calculated from the cross correlation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a reference signal is selected from signals received from the WD by the network node as a signal having a signal to noise ratio, SNR, of at least 10 dB.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising using trilateration based on reference signal received power, RSRP, to provide an initial estimate of WD location followed by subsequent iterations based on cross correlation of a time domain reference signal with time domain neighbor signals.

19. The method as darned in claim 12 , wherein the network node is located remote from the cooperating network nodes and wherein positions of WDs are determined at the remote location.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the received signals are transmitted over a full transmission time interval, TTI, consisting of 14 symbols.

Assignees

• Smith Roland
• Berg Miguel
• Dwivedi Satyam
• Skof Mike
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Smith Roland
• Berg Miguel
• Dwivedi Satyam
• Skof Mike

Classifications

• H04W64/00 Primary

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• G01S5/0244

  Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto · CPC title

• G01S5/06

  Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/024 Primary

  Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title