Method for terminal positioning, base station and user equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766323-B2
Application number	US-201514624162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for terminal positioning. The method comprises: generating cell-specific reference signals CRSs, and transmitting the CRSs on one or more ports used for transmitting the CRSs; generating a positioning reference signal PRS, and transmitting the PRS on one of the one or more ports used for transmitting the CRSs. The method for terminal positioning provided by the embodiment of the present invention can reduce an impact caused by the limited number of symbols for transmitting the PRS, and increase the number of reference signal symbols available for positioning within a subframe, thereby reducing an impact of a secondary peak and enhancing the energy of a primary peak.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for terminal positioning, wherein the method comprises:
receiving by a user terminal, a positioning reference signal subframe from a base station, wherein the positioning reference signal subframe comprises cell-specific reference signals (CRSs) transmitted on at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs, and a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted on one of the at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs;
generating by the user terminal, a local PRS and a local CRS which are transmitted within a PRS bandwidth on one of the at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs;
correlating by the user terminal, the received PRS with the local PRS to obtain a first correlation value, correlating the received CRSs with the local CRS to obtain a second correlation value, and performing measurement of a reference signal time difference according to the first correlation value and the second correlation value;
wherein the measurement of a reference signal time difference comprises:
correlating the received PRS with the local PRS within a same subframe, and correlating the received CRSs with the local CRS within the same subframe;
accumulating complex correlation results within the same subframe;
performing a square operation processing on the complex correlation result within the same subframe;
accumulating square operation processing results of multiple subframes;
obtaining a peak value location according to the square operation processing results;
obtaining a reference signal arrival time of a cell according to the peak value location;
obtaining a reference signal arrival time difference according to the reference signal arrival times of multiple cells.

2. The method for terminal positioning according to claim 1 , wherein the correlating the received CRSs with the local CRS to obtain a second correlation value specifically comprises:
correlating a part of the received CRSs transmitted in a region which is outside a control channel region with a part of the local CRS transmitted in the region which is outside the control channel region, to obtain the second correlation value.

3. The method for terminal positioning according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a measuring assisting message sent by a network side, to acquire, according to the measuring assisting message, a correspondence of a base station between a port for transmitting the PRS and a port for transmitting a CRS.

4. A base station, comprising a first processor which executes instruction codes stored in a first non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform:
generating cell-specific reference signals (CRSs);
generating a positioning reference signal (PRS);
wherein the base station comprises a second processor which executes instruction codes stored in a second non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform:
transmitting the CRSs on one or more ports used for transmitting the CRSs to a user terminal; and transmitting the PRS on one of the one or more ports used for transmitting the CRSs to the user terminal, so that the user terminal receives the CRSs and the PRS, generates a local PRS and a local CRS which are transmitted within a PRS bandwidth on one of the one or more ports used for transmitting the CRSs, correlates the received PRS with the local PRS to obtain a first correlation value and correlates the received CRSs with the local CRS to obtain a second correlation value, and performing measurement of a reference signal time difference according to the first correlation value and the second correlation value;
wherein the measurement of a reference signal time difference comprises:
correlating the received PRS with the local PRS within a same subframe, and correlating the received CRSs with the local CRS within the same subframe;
accumulating complex correlation results within the same subframe;
performing a square operation processing on the complex correlation result within the same subframe;
accumulating square operation processing results of multiple subframes;
obtaining a peak value location according to the square operation processing results;
obtaining a reference signal arrival time of a cell according to the peak value location;
obtaining a reference signal arrival time difference according to the reference signal arrival times of multiple cells.

5. The base station according to claim 4 , wherein the PRS is transmitted on port 0 .

6. A user equipment, comprising a first processor which executes instruction codes stored in a first non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform:
receiving a positioning reference signal subframe, wherein the positioning reference signal subframe comprises cell-specific reference signals (CRSs) transmitted on at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs, and a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted on one of the at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs;
wherein the user equipment comprises a second processor which executes instruction codes stored in a second non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform:
generating a local PRS and a local CRS which are transmitted within a PRS bandwidth on the one of the at least two ports used for transmitting the CRSs;
correlating the received PRS with the local PRS to obtain a first correlation value, and correlating the received CRSs with the local CRS to obtain a second correlation value, and
performing measurement of a reference signal time difference according to the first correlation value and the second correlation value;
correlating the received PRS with the local PRS within a same subframe, and correlate the received CRSs with the local CRS within the same subframe;
accumulating complex correlation results within the same subframe;
performing a square operation processing on the complex correlation result within the same subframe;
accumulating square operation processing results of multiple subframes;
obtaining a peak value location according to the square operation processing results;
obtaining a reference signal arrival time of a cell according to the peak value location; and
obtaining a reference signal arrival time difference according to the reference signal arrival times of multiple cells.

7. The user equipment according to claim 6 , wherein the second processor is further configured to correlate a part of the received CRSs transmitted in a region which is outside a control channel region with a part of the local CRS transmitted in the region which is outside the control channel region, to obtain the second correlation value.

8. The user equipment according to claim 6 , wherein the first processor performs:
receiving a measuring assisting message sent by a network side,
acquiring, according to the measuring assisting message, a correspondence of a base station between a port for transmitting the PRS and a port for transmitting a CRS.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Jinnan

Classifications

• G01S5/0221

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S5/10 Primary

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) · CPC title

• H04W64/00

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

• G01S1/20

  using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems · CPC title