Target based on method of the present invention is to determine the timing difference of the signal of radio transmitters transmission in the wireless network.More specifically, can determine the timing difference of the signal that basic transceiver station sends in the mobile wireless network.It is poor that this timing difference corresponding to the synchronization discrepancy between the basic transceiver station is known as the real time.In theory, when network by synchronously the time, two basic transceiver stations should send the TDMA pulse train in the time much at one, promptly the synchronous error between two basic transceiver stations should be 0 in the network.But in fact, the mobile wireless network resemble GSM is normally nonsynchronous, and the real time difference is corresponding to the transmission time difference of two pulse trains of two basic transceiver stations transmissions.
Is foundation based on method of the present invention with the difference of calculating between so-called observed time difference OTD and the geometrical time difference GTD.Observed time difference is the summation of real time difference and geometrical time difference.
Describe based on the employed different values of method of the present invention below with reference to Fig. 1, Fig. 1 illustrates the principle of determining the timing difference between basic transceiver station BTS1 and the BTS2.As shown in Figure 1, T
1Expression is from the time of one first wireless signal of basic transceiver station BTS1 transmission, and mobile radio station MS is in time T
3Receive this first wireless signal.Correspondingly, adjacent basic transceiver station BTS2 is in time T
2Send one second wireless signal, mobile radio station MS is in time T
4Receive second wireless signal.
The observed time difference that also is known as the time of advent poor (TDOA) is that mobile radio station receives the time interval that observes between two signals at the basic transceiver station different from two.With reference to Fig. 1, the observed time difference OTD that mobile radio station itself is determined continuously is two time of reception T
3And T
4Between difference: OTD=T
3-T
4Real time, difference RTD was corresponding to the transmission time difference between the signal of two basic transceiver stations transmissions, i.e. RTD=T
1-T
2Because mobile radio station is not known transmission time T
1And T
2So mobile radio station does not know that the real time is poor yet.
And geometrical time difference GTD represents that two basic transceiver stations send and be moved the difference between propagation time of two signals that the station receives.For situation shown in Figure 1, GTD=T
3-T
1-(T
4-T
2).In other words, geometrical time difference corresponding to two different basic transceiver stations to mobile radio station apart from d
1And d
2Between difference divided by the radio velocity of wave propagation, i.e. GTD=(d
1-d
2)/c.If two basic transceiver stations are identical with the distance of mobile radio station, be 0 by GTD, and observed time difference only depend on the synchronization discrepancy of network.In addition, when basic transceiver station (being RTD=0) synchronized with each other, OTD equals GTD, and observed time difference only depends on basic transceiver station and mobile radio station diverse location.
In addition, in order to determine the observed time difference between the signal that basic transceiver station sends and to take this as a foundation that to calculate the real time poor, the measuring equipment of a special use of use, some basic transceiver station that is used as the fixation measuring station has been equipped with this equipment.
According to this embodiment of the invention, this measuring equipment is the on-the-spot test car (STM) that Nokia makes.Certainly, the present invention is not limited in and uses this measuring equipment STM, also can use other suitable measuring equipment arbitrarily.In addition, it is portable that measuring equipment needs not be, and can be positioned on the fixed position.For simply, Fig. 1 only shows a locational measuring equipment STM between two basic transceiver station BTS1 and BTS2.
Use can be determined the position of mobile radio station in the zone that mobile wireless network covers well based on method of the present invention.With reference to Fig. 1,, be necessary to determine apart from d in order to calculate the position estimation of mobile radio station MS in mobile wireless network
1, d
2Between difference, can determine above-mentioned difference by the geometric distance difference at mobile radio station and two basic transceiver stations.Certainly,, be necessary to receive at least one signal,, this basic transceiver station be not shown in Fig. 1 for simply from one the 3rd basic transceiver station in order to calculate the position of mobile radio station.
More specifically, description is embodied in the application of this method with reference to Fig. 2, determines the principle of mobile station location.The fact of calculating the position institute foundation of mobile radio station according to this method is and since the basic transceiver of mobile radio station to the first station apart from d
1With the basic transceiver of mobile radio station to the second station apart from d
2Between difference be constant, the possible position of mobile radio station MS between two adjacent basic transceiver station BTS is positioned on the hyperbola.In other words, related mobile radio station is subjected to the domination of the fixed observer time difference of the signal that receives from two basic transceiver stations.Because measurement result has a definite error limit value, in fact the possible position zone of mobile radio station is on two areas between the hyperbola, and the width in this area depends on the error limit value of measurement result.Gray area among Fig. 2 illustrates the possible band of position, and dotted line is represented the observed time difference measured.In order accurately to determine the position of mobile radio station, be necessary from least three basic transceiver station received signals.In this case, mobile radio station is positioned at two hyp cross sections, and wherein two (fixing) observed time differences according to three basic transceiver stations obtain these two hyperbolas (even can constitute the 3rd hyperbola according to the signal that receives from three basic transceiver stations).Illustrate the physical location zone of mobile radio station by a black region in the gray area cross section among Fig. 2.If basic transceiver station and more observed time difference more than three are arranged, can further reduce the possible locating area of mobile radio station, thereby increase the setting accuracy of mobile radio station.
In order accurately to determine the position of a particular mobile station according to geometrical time difference, must know observed time difference OTD and real time difference RTD.And, poor in order to determine the real time, must know the position at different basic transceivers station and the position of measuring equipment STM.Pre-determine and define the position at basic transceiver station by the coordinate in the x-y plane.Owing to also know the position of measuring equipment, can calculate geometrical time difference GTD with respect to measuring equipment.Like this, because measuring equipment has been determined the observed time difference OTD between the signal that measuring equipment receives, so can determine real time difference RTD according to said method.Poor by determining to calculate this real time to the geometrical time difference GTD of the distance at basic transceiver station and the difference between the observed time difference OTD corresponding to measuring equipment.
And because the real time difference is independent of determined position, the value that calculates is poor corresponding to the real time that mobile radio station observed.Like this, after mobile radio station was determined observed time difference OTD, the derivation value was sent to certain central location.Afterwards, can calculate geometrical time difference, and determine range difference between mobile radio station and the basic transceiver station according to geometrical time difference.In this way, owing to can calculate a geometrical time difference, so according to the signal that receives from two the basic transceiver stations hyperbola that can draw.If receive signal from three basic transceiver stations, by three hyperbolas that can draw according to two geometrical time differences, thereby the possible position of mobile radio station is determined in permission.
Fig. 3 is one and illustrates and can use based on method of the present invention, determines the legend of the example of the position of mobile radio station in the GSM mobile wireless network.
Shown in the dotted line among Fig. 3, by a base station controller BSC, a moving exchanging center MSC, the Short Message Service-SMS-SC of service centre sends the RTD result that measuring equipment STM calculates to a location-based service center LSC.Alternatively, the OTD result that measuring equipment also can only be determined to the report of location-based service center, and that the real time is then calculated at the location-based service center is poor.The location-based service center may be provided as the corpus separatum in as shown in Figure 3 the mobile wireless network, also can be distributed on the whole mobile wireless network, for example is distributed in the basic arbitrarily transceiver station.In addition, as shown in phantom in Figure 3, by can be by service basic transceiver station BTS, base station controller BSC, moving exchanging center MSC, Short Message Service-SMS-SC of service centre transmits TDOA information (or OTD result) from mobile radio station MS to location-based service center LSC.
Usually, the location-based service center then calculate the OTD result that sends from mobile radio station and the RTD result that sends from measuring equipment STM between difference so that calculate the position estimation of mobile radio station MS.In other words, the location-based service center calculates the position of mobile radio station according to geometrical time difference, and geometrical time difference is the difference between observed time difference and the real time difference.Then determined mobile station location coordinate is exported in some application (for example application among Fig. 31 and 2) of mind-set in the location-based service, and above-mentioned application has proposed to relate to the Location Request of a specific mobile radio station in advance to the location-based service center.Such Location Request causes OTD request of mind-set mobile radio station transmission from location-based service.
The one-shot measurement the possibility of result of the time difference is different from measurement result next time because basic transceiver is stood firm, so periodically report the OTD result that measuring equipment calculates to the location-based service center.
As shown in Figure 3, needn't provide a measuring equipment STM for each basic transceiver station BTS.For example, in very approaching each other urban district, many basic transceivers station, per the 6th basic transceiver station provides a measuring equipment just enough.
And according to another optimum embodiment of the present invention, mobile radio station MS can oneself determine its position.For this reason, send the real time difference RTD that measuring equipment or location-based service center calculation go out to mobile radio station.Mobile radio station is determined the timing information of the signal that receives from several basic transceivers station, i.e. observed time difference, and calculate geometrical time difference in the mode identical with aforesaid way.According to geometrical time difference, mobile radio station can be determined the position of himself.
More specifically, utilize following four channels to send real time difference RTD and the observed time difference OTD that calculates to location-based service center LSC from measuring equipment STM:
Short Message Service (SMS),
Undefined supplementary service data (USSD),
A measurement report, a message between BSSMAP message and moving exchanging center MSC and the location-based service center LSC, or
A brand-new message.
Short Message Service be a kind of from a mobile radio station to another mobile radio station, or the special GSM service that transmits short-text messages from a central base station all mobile radio stations to the specific geographical area.In fact, Short Message Service is realized as a connectionless protocol, and goes up transmission message at a signaling channel (assist control channel (SACCH) or Separate Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH) at a slow speed).
And undefined supplementary service data (USSD) is all data of undefined its content of any standard.A provider can use the service of these data realizations specific to provider.
In addition, use Base Station System Management Application Part (BSSMAP) message in the communication between moving exchanging center MSC and base station system BSS.They support that all need relate to the process of the information processing of independent calling and resource management between mobile switching centre and the base station system.
According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3,, between basic transceiver station BTS and mobile radio station MS, use Short Message Service SMS in order to send OTD request and result.And according to this embodiment, the SMS channel also is used to send RTD result from measuring equipment STM to location-based service center LSC at uplink direction.
Use the SACCH channel to send metrical information following advantage is arranged.Because the interval with 480ms in gsm system sends the SACCH pulse train, so send metrical information very continually.And, even can during an ongoing calling, send metrical information.And, because a channel that has existed is used to send additional information, neither can increase the load of Radio Link, can not reduce the quality that sends voice signal yet.
When the RTD request of using Short Message Service or undefined supplementary service data or order are sent to measuring equipment, by send that a special measuring command signal can trigger and control survey equipment STM in measuring process.Dotted line among Fig. 3 has represented to use the command signal of Short Message Service to send.This command signal can comprise following information:
The quantity of the measurement collection of a SMS message,
Measuring frequency (for example per 30 seconds are once),
Measuring period (for example back 10 minutes, 5 SMS message or cease and desist order) up to receiving one,
The sign of measured basic transceiver station BTS.
According to the present invention, owing to can determine accurately that the real time between a plurality of basic transceivers station is poor, so can accurately determine to be arranged in the position of certain locational mobile radio station of mobile wireless network.Particularly, experiment shows that can locate mean error to mobile radio station reduces near 300m.And, owing to can obtain positional information in real time, thus can be apace, and obtain the positional information of mobile radio station with short interval.
And according to foregoing description, measuring equipment is arranged in basic transceiver station.Done following advantage like this.Because the antenna of received signal is arranged in the antenna at basic transceiver station, so all there is a direct-view that arrives other basic transceiver station to connect in many cases.As a result, less from the decay between the signal of adjacent basic transceiver station reception.And, owing to only need carry out some software modifications at mobile radio station, so only need do effort slightly.Like this, under the situation that increases expense hardly, can realize the present invention.In addition, measuring equipment can certainly be used for other purpose.But measuring equipment also needn't be positioned at basic transceiver station, and measuring equipment certainly is positioned on some other the correct position.
In the foregoing description, by an example application of method of the present invention in the basic transceiver station of mobile wireless network described.But certainly be used to determine the timing difference between the several radio transmitters in the wireless network of any kind based on method of the present invention.
And although the front is that example is described with full Europe digital cellular wireless network GSM, the present invention also can be used to other digital system arbitrarily under the situation of carrying out some modification.For example, the present invention JDC system that also can be used to the DCS1800/1900 system or use in Japan.
Should be appreciated that the front just is described at optimum embodiment.Thereby the present invention is not limited only to above-mentioned optimum embodiment, but should covering power field technique personnel in defined aim of the present invention and scope, carry out as appended claims change and revise.