Method for measuring distance and position using spread spectrum signal, and an equipment using the method

Terminal equipment in a terminal positioning system for positioning the terminal equipment using received timings of received signals as to particular incoming waves transmitted from a plurality of base stations to the terminal equipment;

• comprising:
• a signal receiving part for receiving said signals from said base stations;
• a delay profile calculating part for creating a delay profile representing a correlation between each of said received signals and a predetermined code by calculating a correlation value between them;
• and
• a received timing calculating part for determining each of said received timings relative to the plurality of the base stations by using said delay profile:
• wherein said received timing calculation part determines each of said received timings with reference to a rise timing where said delay profile rises from a noise level;
• and said rise timing is set when the value of said delay profile is equal to a threshold value within a predetermined time before an incoming wave determining timing used to determine the presence of said incoming wave.

A terminal positioning apparatus which measures a position of terminal equipment by using received timings of received radio signals as to particular incoming waves transmitted between a plurality of base stations and said terminal equipment;

• comprising:
• a delay profile calculating part for creating a delay profile representing a correlation between each of said received signals and a predetermined code by calculating a correlation value between them;
• and
• a received timing calculating part for determining each of said received timings relative to the plurality of the base stations by using said delay profile:
• wherein said received timing calculation part determines each of said received timings with reference to a rise timing where said delay profile rises from a noise level;
• and said rise timing is set when the value of said delay profile is equal to a threshold value within a predetermined time before an incoming wave determining timing used to determine the presence of said incoming wave.

A terminal positioning method using received timings of received signals as to particular incoming waves transmitted between a plurality of base stations and a terminal, the method comprising steps of:

• a first step of calculating a correlation value between each of said received signals and a predetermined code to create a delay profile representing a correlation between each of said received signals and the predetermined code;
• a second step of determining said received timings of each of said incoming waves with reference to a rise timing where each of said delay profiles rises from a noise level;
• a third step of calculating a position of said terminal by using said received timings relative to the plurality of the base stations,
• a fourth step of setting one threshold value for determining said rise timing is set on the basis of measured noise power;
• and
• a fifth step of setting another threshold value, which is larger than said one threshold value and is used to determine each of incoming waves, on the basis of a value obtained by multiplying measured noise power by coefficient C1, where C1 is set to 10≦C1,
• wherein a received timing of said each incoming wave is determined at a point in time where a value of said delay profile becomes equal to said another threshold value, and said rise timing is set when the value of said delay profile is equal to said one threshold value before the received timing of said incoming wave.

Terminal equipment in a terminal positioning system for positioning the terminal equipment using received timings of received signals as to particular incoming waves transmitted from a plurality of base stations to the terminal equipment;

• comprising:
• a signal receiving part for receiving said signals from said base stations;
• a delay profile calculating part for creating a delay profile representing a correlation between each of said received signals and a predetermined code by calculating a correlation value between each of said received signals and the predetermined code;
• and
• a received timing calculating part for determining each of said received timings relative to the plurality of the base stations by using said delay profile,
• wherein said received timing calculation part determines each of said received timings with reference to a rise timing where said delay profile rises from a noise level, and
• wherein said rise timing is set when a value of said delay profile becomes equal to one threshold value, which is set on the basis of measured noise power, before an incoming wave determination timing which is used to determine a reception of each of said incoming waves and that is a timing where the value of said delay profile becomes equal to another threshold which is larger than said one threshold value and is set on the basis of a value obtained by multiplying the measured noise power by coefficient C1, where C1 is set to 10≦C1.

A terminal positioning apparatus which measures a position of terminal equipment by using received timings of received radio signals as to particular incoming waves transmitted between a plurality of base stations and said terminal equipment;

• comprising:
• a delay profile calculating part for creating a delay profile representing a correlation between each of said received signals and a predetermined code by calculating a correlation value between each of said received signals and the predetermined code;
• and
• a received timing calculating part for determining each of said received timings relative to the plurality of the base stations by using said delay profile, wherein said received timing calculation part determines each of said received timings with reference to a rise timing where said delay profile rises from a noise level, and
• wherein said rise timing is set when a value of said delay profile becomes equal to one threshold value, which is set on the basis of measured noise power, before an incoming wave determination timing which is used to determine a reception of each of said incoming waves and that is a timing where the value of said delay profile becomes equal to another threshold which is larger than said one threshold value and is set on the basis of a value obtained by multiplying the measured noise power by coefficient C1, where C1 is set to 10≦C1.