Patent ID: 6317474
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: H04H,H04J

Abstract:
A method in a wireless communication system for estimating a time-of-arrival (TOA) of a synchronization signal sent simultaneously from at least two non-collocated transmitters,the method comprising, in the at least two non-collocated transmitters, the step oftransmitting the synchronization signal such that it includes at least three predetermined tone frequencies;the method further comprising, in a receiver, the steps of:receiving the synchronization signal;separating the synchronization signal into a plurality of segments;calculating segment Fourier transform values corresponding to the at least three predetermined tone frequencies, for ones of the plurality of segments, thereby creating a set of segment Fourier transform values;computing a set of segment TOA values corresponding to the set of segment Fourier transform values;determining a set of segment weights from the set of segment Fourier transform values; andestimating the TOA of the synchronization signal from the set of segment TOA values and the set of segment weights.