US-12621789-B2 - Network assisted position measurements

Abstract

A method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network is disclosed. A corresponding target device including a receiving unit and a radio frequency measurement unit, a base station or a location server including a selector and a transmitter, and to a reference device with configurable properties. A system including a base station or a location server, a target device, and a reference device for determining the position of a target device within a communication network are also disclosed.

Inventors

• Mohammad ALAWIEH
• Ferdinand KEMETH
• NORBERT FRANKE

Assignees

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20210614

Claims (20)

1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising triggering the reference device by use of a request for transmission operations.
15. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP2018/085013, filed Dec. 14, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Embodiments of the present invention refer to a method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network. Further embodiments refer to a corresponding target device comprising a receiving unit and a radio frequency (RF) measurement unit, to a base station or a location server comprising a selector and a transmitter, and to a reference device with configurable properties. Further embodiments refer to a system comprising a base station or a location server, a target device, and a reference device for determining the position of a target device within a communication network. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IOT) devices are only supported with an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) positioning method which does not achieve good performance and sufficient accuracy, and it requires a time synchronization among the base stations. Reference is made to the document Sven Fischer: “Introduction to OTDOA on LTE Networks”, 7 Aug. 2014, pages 1-18, XP055533290, Retrieved from the Internet, URL: https://www.qualcomm.com/media/documents/files/introduction-to-otdoa-on-Ite-networks-highlights.pdf [retrieved on 2018 Dec. 12]. The document discloses an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) positioning, wherein a user equipment (UE) conducts reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements between two cells—the reference cell and a measured neighbouring cell. The document further discloses the usage of positioning reference signals (PRS) to allow the UE to perform proper timing (ranging) measurements of signals from multiple cells to improve OTDOA positioning performance. The document also introduces ‘PRS muting’, that is, eNodeBs can be configured for time based blanking. When strong PRS signal is muted, the weak PRS signals from neighbour cells are more easily detected by the user equipment. Reference is made to the document QUALCOMM INCORPORATED: “Combined Downlink and Uplink NR Positioning Procedures”, 3GPP DRAFT; R2-1817899_(POSITIONING PROCEDURES); 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE, 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES; F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS CEDEX; FRANCE; RAN WG2; Spokane, USA; 20181112-20181116 12 Nov. 2018. The document discloses a round trip-time (RTT) positioning, wherein the position of a device can then be determined based on distance (RTT) measurements to multiple base stations. Power consumption is an issue for low power wide area network (LPWAN) devices, like NB-IOT devices, thus, the update rate of the IOT devices is very low. Fingerprinting, continuous power detection of other nodes during reception or transmissions at higher rates are power-consuming options. Moreover, LPWAN devices, like NB-IOT, cannot directly communicate with each other. SUMMARY According to an embodiment, a method for determining the position of a target device within a communication network may have the steps of: 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 signal transmitted by the reference device and performing a radio frequency, RF, measurement by the use of the information, so as to obtain 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 signal; wherein the base station or the location server triggers the reference device to transmit the signal; and wherein the method includes calculating the position of the target device based on the results of the RF measurements. Another embodiment may have a reference device 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 signal and/or enhance the ability of a target device to receive the signal from the reference device, wherein the transmitted signal is configured to be triggered by the base station or by the location server or is configured to be a timely scheduled transmission of the reference device. According to another embodiment, a system may have a base station or a location server and one or more reference devices 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 pro