Base station, wireless communications network and methods for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE50791-E
Application number	US-202318195218-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	May 9, 2023
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A base station is configured to control a wireless communication network cell of a wireless communication network and is configured to use a coarse position information related to a coarse position of a user equipment to determine a direction towards the user equipment. The base station is configured to transmit a positioning signal to the user equipment and to direct the transmission of the positioning signal towards the user equipment. The positioning signal is adapted to allow for a determining of a fine position information relating to the user equipment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A base station configured to control a wireless communications network cell of a wireless communications network, the base station comprising:
a wireless interface for transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals; wherein the base station is configured to use a coarse position information related to a coarse position of an a user equipment to determine a direction towards the user equipment; wherein the base station is configured to transmit a positioning signal to the user equipment and to direct the transmission of the positioning signal towards the user equipment; wherein the positioning signal is adapted to allow for a determining of a fine position information relating to the user equipment; and wherein the base station is configured to receive a response signal from the user equipment, the response signal comprising data related to the positioning signal and indicating a parameter of reception of the positioning signal, and determine the fine position information using the parameter of reception, wherein the base station is configured to repeat determining of the a position of the user equipment in subsequent steps, wherein the base station is configured to use the fine position information of the user equipment determined in a first step as the coarse position information in a second step following the first step; and wherein the base station is configured to direct the positioning signal using a beamforming technique, and wherein the base station is configured to reduce a width of a second beam used in the second step when compared to a width of a first beam used in the first step; or wherein the fine position information is more accurate when compared to the coarse position information by at least 5%.

2 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning signal is adapted to allow for a determination of the fine position information based on data related to the positioning signal, the data indicating a parameter of reception of the positioning signal.

3 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to receive athe response signal from the user equipment, the response signal comprising data related to the positioning signal and indicating a parameter of reception of the positioning signal; and
wherein the base station is configured to provide the parameter of reception of the sequence to a calculator for determining the fine position information.

4 . The base station according to claim 3 , wherein the base station comprises the controllercalculator.

5 . The base station according to claim 2 , wherein the parameter of reception is related to at least one of a time of arrival, a time difference of arrival and a direction of arrival.

6 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to direct the transmission of the positioning signal using a beamforming technique.

7 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to transmit the positioning signal in a shared channel of the wireless communications network cell.

8 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to determine a direction of arrival based on a signal received from the user equipment and wherein the base station is configured to determine the coarse position information of the first step based the direction of arrival.

9 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to receive the coarse position information of the first step from a location server of the wireless communications network or from a further base station.

10 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to receive a signal from the user equipment comprising a position information, wherein the base station is configured to use the received position information as the coarse position information of the first step.

11 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is a first user equipment and wherein the base station is configured to exclude a direction towards a second user equipment or towards a further base station from the direction of the positioning signal.

12 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein, to direct the transmission of the positioning signal towards the user equipment, the base station is configured to obtain information related to at least a first direction of arrival of a first path and a second direction of arrival of a second path between the base station and the user equipment and to transmit the positioning signal along the first direction and along the second direction.

13 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to receive a control information from the user equipment and to direct the transmission of the positioning signal towards the user equipment responsive to the control information so as to implement a first transmission pattern, wherein the base station is configured to transmit the positioning signal according to a second transmission pattern in absence of the control information.

14 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is associated to a further base station of the wireless communications network, and wherein the base station is configured to receive the coarse position information from a location server of the wireless communications network or from the further base station.

15 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is a first user equipment and wherein the positioning signal is a first positioning signal, wherein the base station is configured to transmit the first positioning signal so as to comprise a first sequence of a plurality of predetermined sequences for positioning signals, wherein the base station is configured to transmit a second positioning signal comprising a second sequence of the plurality of sequences in a direction of a second user equipment whilst not transmitting the second positioning signal into a direction of the first user equipment.

16 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence comprises a Positioning Reference Signal or is a Positioning Reference Signal.

17 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications network is an LTE network.

18 . The base station according to claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to determine a Line of Sight path between the user equipment and the base station, wherein the base station is configured to transmit the positioning signal along the direction of the Line of Sight path whilst excluding a direction of a Non-Line of Sight path.

19 . A wireless communications network comprising:
a user equipment; a first base station according to claim 1 and configured to control a first wireless communications network cell of the wireless communications network and configured to transmit a first positioning signal to the user equipment and to direct the transmission of the first positioning signal towards the user equipment; wherein the first positioning signal is adapted to allow for a determining of a fine position information relating to the user equipment, the wireless communications network comprising a second base station according to claim 1 , wherein the first base station is configured to transmit a first positioning signal and wherein the second base station is configured to transmit a second positioning signal configured to control a second wireless commu

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Kurras Martin
• Thiele Lars
• Landmann Markus
• Grossmann Marcus
• Hadaschik Niels
• Franke Norbert

Classifications

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W64/00 Primary

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

• H04L5/005

  of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals · CPC title

• G01S5/02 Primary

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• H04W16/28

  using beam steering · CPC title