Radio network node and methods therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525973-B2
Application number	US-201114353609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2011
Priority date	Oct 24, 2011
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A method in a radio network node is disclosed for handling positioning data in a radio communications network, which radio network node serves a user equipment in a cell. The radio network node obtains positioning data from the user equipment, which positioning data is associated with a positioning measurement for positioning the user equipment. The radio network node associates the obtained positioning data with an on-going trace session of the user equipment. The radio network node then sends a trace record to a network management node, which trace record includes information associated with the positioning data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a radio base station for handling positioning data in a radio communications network, which radio base station serves a user equipment in a cell of the radio communications network, the method comprising:
receiving, at the radio base station from the user equipment, a first radio transmission of the radio communications network comprising a trace measurement of an on-going trace session,
wherein the trace measurement is a measurement of a network performance of the user equipment initiated from the on-going trace session;

receiving, at the radio base station from the user equipment, separately from the trace measurement, a second radio transmission of the radio communications network comprising a positioning measurement that is intercepted, by the radio base station, from an on-going positioning session between the user equipment and a positioning node;
extracting, by the radio base station, positioning data from the positioning measurement received from the intercepted on-going positioning session between the user equipment and the positioning node,
wherein the positioning data is generated responsive to the positioning measurement for determining a position of the user equipment;

combining, by the radio base station, at least a portion of the extracted positioning data with the trace measurement received from the on-going trace session into one trace record;
sending the one trace record from the radio base station to a network management node over the radio communications network, which trace record comprises the positioning data; and
forwarding, by the radio base station, the intercepted positioning measurement to the positioning node over the radio communications network.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a trigger at the radio base station, from a network node, for activating a trace configuration for the trace session, and
initiating, by the radio base station responsive to receiving the trigger, the positioning session between the user equipment and the positioning node.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein a duration of the positioning session is equal to a duration of the trace session.

4. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the trace configuration specifics a Minimization of a Drive Test measurement as the trace measurement.

5. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the trace configuration indicates a type of positioning measurement, accuracy of the positioning measurement, and/or periodicity of the positioning measurement to initiate.

6. A method of claim 2 , wherein the initiating the positioning session is signaled via a Radio Resource Control, RRC, protocol.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio base station maintains a positioning protocol state of the on-going communication between the user equipment and the positioning node.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving by the radio base station a configuration signaling message from the positioning node, which configuration signaling message comprises configuration data for performing positioning measurements at the user equipment,
storing the configuration data at the radio base station; and
forwarding the retrieved configuration signaling message from the radio base station to the user equipment.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the obtaining, the sending of the positioning data, the forwarding, and/or the initiating is performed in a positioning protocol proxy functionality comprised in the radio base station.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning measurement comprises a Long Term Evolution Positioning Protocol measurement.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio base station further transmits assistance data for determining position to the user equipment.

12. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising
transferring context of the positioning measurement to a radio base station of a target cell during a handover procedure.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the trace measurement of the on-going trace session from the user equipment received at the radio base station does not comprise the positioning data.

14. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
aligning, by the radio base station, the extracted positioning data in time with the trace measurement prior to combining the extracted positioning data and the trace measurement into the one trace record.

15. A radio base station for handling positioning data in a radio communications network, which the radio base station serves a user equipment in a cell of the radio communications network, comprising:
a receiving circuit configured to receive, from the user equipment, a first radio transmission of the radio communications network comprising a trace measurement of an on-going trace session,
wherein the trace measurement is a measurement of a network performance of the user equipment initiated from the on-going trace session;

an obtaining circuit configured to receive at the radio base station from the user equipment, separately from the trace measurement, a second radio transmission of the radio communications network comprising a positioning measurement from the user equipment that is intercepted by the radio base station from an on-going positioning session between the user equipment and a positioning node and to extract positioning data from the positioning measurement received from the intercepted on-going positioning session between the user equipment and the positioning node,
wherein the positioning data is generated responsive to the positioning measurement for determining a position of the user equipment;

an associating circuit configured to combine at least a portion of the extracted positioning data with the trace measurement received from the on-going trace session into one trace record;
a sending circuit configured to send the one trace record from the radio base station to a network management node over the radio communications network, which trace record comprises the positioning data; and
a forwarding circuit configured to forward the intercepted positioning measurement to the positioning node over the radio communications network.

16. A radio base station according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a receiving circuit configured to receive a trigger, from a network node, for activating a trace configuration for the trace session, and
an initiating circuit configured to initiate, responsive to receiving the trigger at the receiving circuit, the positioning session between the user equipment and the positioning node.

17. A radio base station according to claim 16 , wherein a duration of the positioning session is equal to a duration of the trace session.

18. A radio base station according to claim 16 , wherein the trace configuration specifies a Minimization of a Drive Test measurement as the trace measurement.

19. A radio base station according to claim 16 , wherein the trace configuration indicates a type of positioning measurement, accuracy of the positioning measurement, and/or periodicity of the positioning measurement to initiate.

20. A radio base station according to claim 16 , wherein the initiating circuit is configured to initiate the positioning session by signaling via a Radio Resource Control, RRC, protocol.

21. A radio base station according to claim 15 , wherein the radio base station is configured to maintain a positioning protocol

Assignees

• Rácz András
• Amirijoo Mehdi
• Gunnarsson Fredrik
• Moe Johan
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Rácz András
• Amirijoo Mehdi
• Gunnarsson Fredrik
• Moe Johan

Classifications

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W8/00

  Network data management · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W64/00

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