Relative RSTD Calculation for Positioning Error Elimination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing positioning methods, such as UTDOA and OTDOA, suffer from positioning errors due to timing alignment errors (TAE) between base station clocks, leading to inaccuracies in determining the location of mobile terminals.

Innovation Solution

The method involves calculating relative Reference Signal Time Differences (RSTD) by subtracting the measured RSTDs of two mobile terminals to eliminate TAE, thereby improving positioning precision and allowing for accurate location determination of multiple mobile terminals in a single operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If RSTD is measured using traditional UTDOA or OTDOA positioning methods, then positioning can be performed, but positioning precision deteriorates due to TAE introduction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the TAE component from the RSTD measurement by introducing a second mobile terminal as a reference. The relative RSTD calculation separates the desired positioning information from the clock synchronization error, removing the harmful TAE effect from the positioning calculation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The second mobile terminal acts as an intermediary reference object. By measuring RSTD between two mobile terminals and subtracting it from the RSTD of the first mobile terminal, the patent creates a relative measurement that uses the second terminal as a mediator to cancel out the base station clock errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If multiple mobile terminals are positioned simultaneously using traditional methods, then system capacity increases, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to cumulative TAE effects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning throughputVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the positioning measurements of multiple mobile terminals into a relative RSTD framework. By combining the RSTD measurements of multiple terminals and expressing them relative to a common reference, the method enables simultaneous positioning while maintaining accuracy through the cancellation of common TAE components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If base station clocks are perfectly synchronized to eliminate TAE, then positioning precision improves, but system complexity and synchronization requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidsynchronization system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful TAE effect into a beneficial reference signal. Instead of treating the clock synchronization error as something to be eliminated through complex synchronization systems, the method uses the TAE as a common reference that cancels out in differential measurements, turning the problem into a solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3264839B1Positioning method, positioning server and positioning system
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3264839B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3264839B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3(a)
  • EP3264839B1 patent drawingFigure 3(b)

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a positioning method, a positioning server, and a positioning system, to eliminate a positioning error brought by a TAE, improve positioning precision, and accurately position multiple mobile terminals at a time. The positioning method includes: separately obtaining, by a positioning server, location coordinates of M positioning nodes; separately obtaining, by the positioning server, a reference signal time difference RSTD between an ith positioning node and an (i+1)th positioning node in the M positioning nodes and a jth mobile terminal in two mobile terminals; determining, by the positioning server, a relative RSTD according to the RSTD; and determining, by the positioning server, location coordinates of the two mobile terminals according to the relative RSTD and the location coordinates of the M positioning nodes. The present invention is applicable to the field of wireless communications technologies.