Techniques for determining the position of an endpoint when a signal from the endpoint is received by multiple receive beams are described. According to some embodiments, the ratios of receive beam amplitudes for symbols received from the endpoint are compared to an ideal ratio that assumes no interference. Since the ideal ratio is indexed to the endpoint's position, the position of the endpoint can be estimated by comparing the calculated ratios to the ideal ratio. Endpoint position accuracy is further improved in some embodiments by using multiple spatially separated antenna arrays that jointly beamform. Embodiments described herein advantageously provide as good as, or better than, GPS-level accuracy without requiring an impractically large number of antennas.

An improved asset location system deploys gateways to communicate with transmitters that are attached to an asset. The gateways create a web of interlocking area where the gateways communicate with the same transmitters. These measurements are combined to increase the accuracy of location data provided to track or locate assets within an operations area.

A communication system has a phased antenna array configured to communicate via a plurality of beams with a wireless device, such as user equipment (e.g., a smart phone). The plurality of beams define a field of view of the phased antenna array, the field of view having a plurality of cells and each of the plurality of beams is associated with one of the plurality of cells within the field of view. A processing device detects the wireless device within the field of view and determines a coarse geographic location of the wireless device within the field of view of the wireless device when the wireless device is within the field of view, or within a cell. The system further determines a fine geographic location for the wireless device based on frequency offset (due to Doppler) and signal flight time.

To automatically determine geographic positions of signal sources in areas with limited satellite coverage, a system receives signal data collected by a receiver moving along a path through a geographic area with limited satellite coverage, the signal data being indicative of changes, over a period of time, in strength of respective signals detected by the moving receiver and emitted by multiple signal sources statically disposed along the path. The system determines a time it takes for a length of a vehicle to pass by the signal source at the determined speed. The system then calculates static positions of the signal sources using the signal data and the determined time, including associating the location of each signal source with a time when the signal source was directly over the roof of the vehicle in which the moving receiver is travelling.

A method for estimating the location of a target user equipment (UE) using a positioning system comprising a set of N positioning reference nodes (PRNs). The method includes determining, from the set of N PRNs, a particular subset of PRNs that minimizes or maximizes an objective function, wherein the objective function is a function that is adapted to map information about a given subset of the N PRNs to an error value indicating a positioning error of the target UE. The method also includes using the determined particular subset of PRNs to estimate the location of the target UE.

A communication system has a phased antenna array configured to communicate via a plurality of beams with a wireless device, such as user equipment (e.g., a smart phone). The plurality of beams defines a field of view of the phased antenna array, the field of view having a plurality of cells and each of the plurality of beams is associated with one of the plurality of cells within the field of view. A processing device detects the wireless device within the field of view and determines a coarse geographic location of the wireless device within the field of view of the wireless device when the wireless device is within the field of view, or within a cell. The system further determines a fine geographic location for the wireless device based on frequency offset (due to Doppler) and signal flight time.

Techniques are disclosed for supporting positioning of a target user equipment (UE) that accesses a wireless network via a mobile base station relay (MBSR). The MBSR functions as an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node accessing the wireless network via a donor base station. The MBSR receives a request for positioning information from a location server via the donor base station related to positioning of the target UE. After determining the positioning information by performing positioning functions of a base station, the MBSR returns the positioning information to the location server via the donor base station, where the positioning information enables positioning of the UE. The location server determines a location of the target UE based at least partially on the positioning information received from the MBSR.

In an aspect, a location server may receive a request to determine a position of a first mobile device at a first scheduled time. The location server may determine a first position of a second mobile device during a first time window before the first scheduled time. The location server may configure the second mobile device to perform positioning operations during a second time window corresponding to the first scheduled time to assist in the determination of the position of the first mobile device at the first scheduled time.

A user equipment (UE) initiates a positioning session based on ranging in a distributed system of UEs. The positioning session includes a plurality of anchor UEs with known positions that provide information including ranging information and their positions to the initiator UE in post-ranging messages. The initiator UE identifies anchor UEs that provide information that does not significantly contribute to the final position estimate for the initiator UE. The initiator UE, for example, may generate position estimates and associated accuracy levels for different subsets of anchor UEs and may use the accuracy levels to identify a subset of anchor UEs that may be used for positioning in place of the full set of anchor UEs without a significant loss of accuracy. Selected UEs are excluded from providing post-ranging messages in subsequent positioning sessions to reduce signaling overhead and improve efficiency.

A method of localizing a near vertical incidence skywave emitter. At a first site a first elevation angle of an incoming signal issued by the near vertical incidence skywave emitter is measured. At a second site a second elevation angle of an incoming signal issued by the near vertical incidence skywave emitter is measured, wherein the second site is different to the first site. The first elevation angle measured and the second elevation angle measured are converted into a first length and a second length respectively, which represent the distance between the respective site and the estimated location of the near vertical incidence skywave emitter. The respective length is processed, thereby generating an estimated area of the near vertical incidence skywave emitter for each of the different sites such that at least two different estimated areas are generated. The estimated areas for each site are superimposed, thereby obtaining an area of interest encompassing the estimated location of the near vertical incidence skywave emitter. Further, a direction finding system is described.