Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining location of a mobile device(s) in a distributed antenna system(s)

摘要

Distributed antenna systems provide location information for client devices communicating with remote antenna units. The location information can be used to determine the location of the client devices relative to the remote antenna unit(s) with which the client devices are communicating. A location processing unit (LPU) includes a control system configured to receive uplink radio frequency (RF) signals communicated by client devices and determines the signal strengths of the uplink RF signals. The control system also determines which antenna unit is receiving uplink RF signals from the device having the greatest signal strength.

主权项

1. A distributed antenna system (DAS), comprising:
a head-end unit comprising:
at least one downlink interface unit configured to:
receive downlink radio frequency (RF) signals from a base station; anddistribute the downlink RF signals over at least one downlink communications medium to a plurality of remote antenna units;at least one uplink interface unit configured to:
receive uplink RF signals from the plurality of remote antenna units over at least one uplink communications medium; anddistribute the received uplink RF signals to the base station; the plurality of remote antenna units each comprising at least two antennas configured in a diversity arrangement, the plurality of remote antenna units configured to use a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) scheme and to be installed in known locations, the a plurality of remote antenna units configured to:
receive the downlink RF signals from the head-end unit;transmit the downlink RF signals into a respective coverage area;receive uplink RF signals from client devices located in respective coverage areas; anddistribute the received uplink RF signals to the head-end unit; and a location processing unit (LPU), comprising:
a plurality of signal monitoring devices configured to receive each of the uplink RF signals distributed from the plurality of remote antenna units located in the known locations; anda controller configured to:
determine signal strengths of the received uplink RF signals;determine which remote antenna unit among the plurality of remote antenna units is receiving the uplink RF signals from at least one client device having the greater signal strength; anddetermine location information for the at least one client device based on identification of the remote antenna unit receiving the uplink RF signals having the greater signal strength.