Determining a position of the terminal device in a wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10983189-B2
Application number	US-201616312678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining a position of a terminal device (110) in a wireless communication system (100). According to the method, a first message (130-133) is broadcasted by the terminal device (110). The first message (130-133) comprises a positioning request and a terminal identifier identifying the terminal device (110). The first message (130-133) is received at a group of neighboring devices (120-123). Each neighboring device of the group of neighboring devices (120-123) is located within a wireless radio communication range of the terminal device (110). From one or more neighboring devices (120, 121) of the group of neighboring devices (120-123) a corresponding second message (140, 141) is transmitted to location server (103) of the wireless communication system (100). The second message (140, 141) comprises the terminal identifier and an indication that the terminal device (110) requested a positioning. For each neighboring device (120, 121) of the one or more neighboring devices a corresponding position information is determined. The position of the terminal device (110) is determined at the location server (103) based on the position of the one or more neighboring devices (120, 121).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a position of a terminal device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
broadcasting a first message by the terminal device, the first message comprising a positioning request and a terminal identifier identifying the terminal device,
receiving the first message at a group of neighboring devices, the group of neighboring devices comprising at least one neighboring device, each neighboring device of the group of neighboring devices being located within a wireless radio communication range of the terminal device,
transmitting from one or more neighboring devices of the group of neighboring devices a corresponding second message to a location server of the wireless communication system, the second message comprising the terminal identifier and an indication that the terminal device requested a positioning,
determining for each neighboring device of the one or more neighboring devices a corresponding position information, and
determining, at the location server, the position of the terminal device based on the position information of the one or more neighboring devices.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining for each neighboring device of the one or more neighboring devices a corresponding position information comprises:
determining, at the corresponding neighboring device, a current position of the neighboring device,

wherein the second message comprises the current position of the neighboring device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining, at each neighboring device of the one or more neighboring devices, a radio receiving characteristic of a reception of the first message,

wherein the second message comprises the determined radio receiving characteristic.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting the determined position of the terminal device from the location server to the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein broadcasting and receiving of the first message comprises a wireless device-to-device communication between the terminal device and the corresponding neighboring device.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more neighboring devices comprise at least one of:
all neighboring devices of the group of neighboring devices which received the first message from the terminal device,
a subset of neighboring devices defined by the location server, and
a subset of neighboring devices defined by a mechanism provided in the neighboring devices, wherein the mechanism is configured such that each neighboring device determines to become a member of the subset based on previously transmitted second messages.

7. A terminal device for a wireless communication system, the terminal device comprising:
a transceiver, and
a processing unit configured to
broadcast a message, the message comprising a positioning request and a terminal identifier identifying the terminal device,

wherein the terminal device is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

8. The terminal device according to claim 7 , wherein the terminal device comprises an Internet of Things device.

9. A communication device for a wireless communication system, the communication device comprising:
a transceiver, and
a processing unit configured to
receive a first message broadcasted from a terminal device located within a wireless radio communication range of the communication device, the first message comprising a positioning request and a terminal identifier identifying the terminal device, and
transmit a second message to a location server of the wireless communication system, the second message comprising the terminal identifier and an indication that the terminal device requested a positioning.

10. The communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the communication device comprises at least one of a group comprising a further terminal device, an access point of the wireless communication network, a relay device of the wireless communication network, and a base station of the wireless communication network.

11. A location server for a wireless communication system, the location server comprising:
a processing unit configured to
receive from each neighboring device of a subset of neighboring devices of a group of neighboring devices of a terminal device of the wireless communication system a corresponding second message after the group of neighboring devices has received a first message broadcasted from the terminal device, the first message comprising a positioning request and a terminal identifier identifying the terminal device, the second message comprising the terminal identifier and an indication that the terminal device requested a positioning, wherein each neighboring device of the group of neighboring devices is located within a wireless radio communication range of the terminal device,
determine for each neighboring device of the subset of neighboring devices a corresponding position information, and
determine the position of the terminal device based on the position information of the subset of neighboring devices.

12. The location server according to claim 11 , wherein the location server comprises at least one of a group comprising a base station of the wireless communication network, an access point of the wireless communication network, and a dedicated location server of the wireless communication network.

Assignees

• Sony Mobile Communications Inc
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Alnås Svante
• Wadman Johan
• Ljung Peter
• Berggren Anders
• Nord Lars

Classifications

• G01S5/0263

  by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems · CPC title

• G01S5/0036 Primary

  of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• G01S5/14 Primary

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

• G01S5/0072

  Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems · CPC title