System and method for configuring and managing on-demand positioning reference signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10440500-B2
Application number	US-201816031122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A method for operating a device includes selecting a set of access nodes in accordance with a first estimated position of a user equipment (UE), sending, to the set of access nodes, a first message to activate positioning signal transmission, sending, to the UE, a request for position measurement information, and receiving, from the UE, the position measurement information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for operating a core network device, the method comprising:
selecting, by the core network device, a set of access nodes in accordance with a first estimated position of a user equipment (UE);
sending, by the core network device to the set of access nodes, a first message to activate positioning signal transmission;
sending, by the core network device to the UE, a request for position measurement information; and
receiving, by the core network device from the UE, the position measurement information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first estimated position of the UE comprises a serving cell identifier of the UE.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the set of access nodes comprises selecting, by the core network device, an access node corresponding to the serving cell identifier as a member of the set of access nodes.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the set of access nodes further comprises selecting, by the core network device, one or more access nodes that are neighbors of the access node corresponding to the serving cell identifier as members of the set of access nodes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position measurement information comprises observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurements.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, by the core network device, a second estimated position of the UE in accordance with the OTDOA measurements; and
sending, by the core network device to a client, the second estimated position of the UE.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position measurement information comprises a third estimated position of the UE, and wherein the method comprises sending, by the core network device to a client, the third estimated position of the UE.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the core network device to a subset of the set of access nodes, a second message to deactivate positioning signal transmission.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the subset of the set of access nodes comprises access nodes not selected for transmitting positioning signals for any other UE.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the core network device from at least one access node of the set of access nodes, at least one response responsive to the first message to activate positioning signal transmission.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one response comprises a positioning signal configuration of the at least one access node.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating, by the access node, assistance data in accordance with the positioning signal configuration of the at least one access node; and
sending, by the core network device to the UE, the assistance data.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core network device comprises a Location Management Function (LMF).

14. A computer-implemented method for operating an access node, the method comprising:
receiving, by the access node from a core network device, a first message to activate positioning signal transmission;
transmitting, by the access node, a positioning signal in accordance with the first message;
receiving, by the access node from the core network device, a second message to deactivate positioning signal transmission; and
stopping, by the access node, the transmission of the positioning signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
sending, by the access node to the core network device, a response responsive to the first message to activate positioning signal transmission.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the response comprises a positioning signal configuration of the access node.

17. A core network device comprising:
a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:
select, by the core network device, a set of access nodes in accordance with a first estimated position of a user equipment (UE),
send, by the core network device to the set of access nodes, a first message to activate positioning signal transmission,
send, by the core network device to the UE, a request for position measurement information, and
receive, by the core network device from the UE, the position measurement information.

18. The core network device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to select an access node corresponding to a serving cell identifier of the UE as a member of the set of access nodes.

19. The core network device of claim 17 , wherein the position measurement information comprises observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurements, and wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to determine a second estimated position of the UE in accordance with the OTDOA measurements, and send, to a client, the second estimated position of the UE.

20. The core network device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to send, to a subset of the set of access nodes, a second message to deactivate positioning signal transmission.

21. The core network device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to receive, from at least one access node of the set of access nodes, at least one response responsive to the first message to activate positioning signal transmission.

22. The core network device of claim 21 , wherein the at least one response comprises a positioning signal configuration of the at least one access node, and wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to generate assistance data in accordance with the positioning signal configuration of the at least one access node, and send, to the UE, the assistance data.

23. An access node comprising:
a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:
receive, from a core network device, a first message to activate positioning signal transmission,
transmit a positioning signal in accordance with the first message,
receive, from the core network device, a second message to deactivate positioning signal transmission, and
stop the transmission of the positioning signal.

24. The access node of claim 23 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to send, to the core network device, a response responsive to the first message to activate positioning signal transmission.

25. The access node of claim 24 , wherein the response comprises a positioning signal configuration of the access node.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Tenny Nathan Edward

Classifications

• G01S5/0226

  Transmitters · CPC title

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G01S5/14

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title

• G01S5/10

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) · CPC title

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title