Assistance data for use in determining a position of a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9560627-B2
Application number	US-201514811538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A method for assisting a mobile device to perform positioning measurements on positioning signals periodically transmitted by at least some of a plurality of cells in a wireless communication network includes receiving cell information. The cell information is measured or otherwise obtained by the mobile device and includes measurements/data pertaining to one or more of the plurality of cells in the wireless communication network. The method includes generating assistance data to include an assigned frequency channel number for use by the mobile device for performing the positioning measurements based on the received cell information. The assistance data is then sent to the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assisting a mobile device to perform positioning measurements on positioning signals periodically transmitted by at least some of a plurality of cells in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
receiving cell information, obtained by the mobile device, of one or more of the plurality of cells in the wireless communication network, wherein the cell information indicates an observed frequency channel number of a first cell in the wireless communication network, observed by the mobile device;
maintaining data corresponding to a known frequency channel number and a known physical frequency of the first cell of the wireless communication network;
converting the observed frequency channel number to an observed physical frequency of the first cell;
setting an assigned frequency channel number to the observed frequency channel number if the observed physical frequency is the same as the known physical frequency of the first cell;
generating assistance data to include the assigned frequency channel number for use by the mobile device for performing the positioning measurements based on the received cell information; and
sending the assistance data to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell information includes Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) information of at least one of the plurality of cells.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the E-CID information includes one or more data selected from a group consisting of: a Mobile Country Code (MCC) of at least one cell in the wireless communication network, a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of the at least one cell, a Cell ID (CID) of the at least one cell, an Rx-Tx time difference corresponding to an estimated time difference between reception and transmission times between the at least one cell and an antenna of the mobile device, a Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the at least one cell, an Evolved Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN) of the at least one cell, a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the at least one cell, and a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) of the at least one cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigned frequency channel number includes an Evolved Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigned frequency channel number includes an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a value of the observed frequency channel number is distinct from a value of the known frequency channel number.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining data corresponding to the known frequency channel number and the known physical frequency comprises maintaining a base station almanac (BSA) at a location server of the wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the cell information includes receiving the cell information via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a request to the mobile device for the cell information.

10. An apparatus for assisting a mobile device to perform positioning measurements on positioning signals periodically transmitted by at least some of a plurality of cells in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:
memory adapted to store program code; and
a processing unit coupled to the memory to access and execute instructions included in the program code to direct the apparatus to:
receive cell information, obtained by the mobile device, of one or more of the plurality of cells in the wireless communication network, wherein the cell information indicates an observed frequency channel number of a first cell in the wireless communication network, observed by the mobile device;
maintain data corresponding to a known frequency channel number and a known physical frequency of the first cell of the wireless communication network;
convert the observed frequency channel number to an observed physical frequency of the first cell;
set an assigned frequency channel number to the observed frequency channel number if the observed physical frequency is the same as the known physical frequency of the first cell;
generate assistance data to include the assigned frequency channel number for use by the mobile device for performing the positioning measurements based on the received cell information; and
send the assistance data to the mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the cell information includes Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) information of at least one of the plurality of cells.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the E-CID information includes one or more data selected from a group consisting of: a Mobile Country Code (MCC) of at least one cell in the wireless communication network, a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of the at least one cell, a Cell ID (CID) of the at least one cell, an Rx-Tx time difference corresponding to an estimated time difference between reception and transmission times between the at least one cell and an antenna of the mobile device, a Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the at least one cell, an Evolved Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN) of the at least one cell, a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of the at least one cell, and a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) of the at least one cell.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the assigned frequency channel number includes an Evolved Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN).

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the assigned frequency channel number includes an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN).

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a value of the observed frequency channel number is distinct from a value of the known frequency channel number.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instructions to maintain the data corresponding to the known frequency channel number and the known physical frequency comprises instructions to maintain a base station almanac (BSA).

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the program code further comprises instructions to direct the apparatus to receive the cell information via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the program code further comprises instructions to direct the apparatus to send a request to the mobile device for the cell information.

19. An apparatus for assisting a mobile device to perform positioning measurements on positioning signals periodically transmitted by at least some of a plurality of cells in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:
means for receiving cell information, obtained by the mobile device, of one or more of the plurality of cells in the wireless communication network, wherein the cell information indicates an observed frequency channel number of a first cell in the wireless communication network, observed by the mobile device;
means for maintaining data corresponding to a known frequency channel number and a known physical frequency of the first cell of the wireless communication network;
means for converting the observed frequency channel number to an observed physical frequency of the first cell;
means for setting an assigned frequency channel number to the observed frequency channel number if the observed physical frequency is the same as the known physical frequency of the first cell;
means for generating assistance data to include the assigned frequency channel number for use by the mobile d

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lin Ie-Hong
• Marshall Grant Alexander
• Opshaug Guttorm Ringstad

Classifications

• H04W4/025 Primary

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• G01S5/0236

  Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac · CPC title

• G01S1/20 Primary

  using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems · CPC title

• H04W64/006 Primary

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

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title