Real-time location determination for in-building distributed antenna systems

A system for determining a location of a wireless mobile device with respect to an interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides, the system comprising:

• a first wireless probe at a first location within the interconnected network, a second wireless probe at a second location within the interconnected network, and a third wireless probe at a third location within the interconnected network;
• one or more processors;
• memory;
• and
• machine-language instructions stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to carry out functions including:
• determining a first propagation delay of a wireless signal transmitted from the wireless mobile device to the first wireless probe, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a first opening in a first wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the first wireless probe along a first path within the interconnected network;
• determining a second propagation delay of the wireless signal transmitted from the wireless mobile device to the second wireless probe, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a second opening in a second wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the wireless second probe along a second path within the interconnected network;
• determining a third propagation delay of the wireless signal transmitted from the wireless mobile device to the third wireless probe, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a third opening in a third wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the third wireless probe along a third path within the interconnected network, and
• determining the location of the wireless mobile device with respect to the first, second, and third wireless probes using the first, second, and third propagation delays.

A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by the computing device of an interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

• determining a first propagation delay of a wireless signal transmitted from a wireless mobile device to a first wireless probe at a first location within the interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a first opening in a first wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the first wireless probe along a first path within the interconnected network;
• determining a second propagation delay of the wireless signal transmitted from the wireless mobile device to a second wireless probe at a second location within the interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a second opening in a second wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the second wireless probe along a second path within the interconnected network;
• determining a third propagation delay of the wireless signal transmitted from the wireless mobile device to a third wireless probe at a third location within the interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides, wherein the wireless signal enters the interconnected network through a third opening in a third wireless waveguide that is part of the interconnected network, and thereafter propagates to the third wireless probe along a third path within the interconnected network;
• and
• determining the location of the wireless mobile device with respect to the first, second, and third wireless probes using the first, second, and third propagation delays.