Method in communication device for providing location information in wireless communication environment

• US 10,663,602 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaohui
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Whitney
• Application Number:
  US15/510,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A method in a communication device for providing a location information of the communication device to a Minimization of Driving Tests, MDT, server is disclosed. The communication device operates in a wireless communication environment which comprises multiple networks comprising at least one cellular network and at least one satellite positioning system. The communication device starts an MDT measurement and determines a signal strength received from a satellite in the satellite positioning system by measuring the signal strength at a positioning antenna. When the signal strength received from the satellite is above a threshold, the communication device 110 determines a feasibility of an Assisted Global Position System, AGPS. When the AGPS is feasible, the communication device initiates an AGPS session for obtaining the location information using an acquisition assistance data and sends the location information together with other MDT data to the MDT server.

Claims

1. A method performed by a communication device operating in a wireless communication environment, the method comprising:

in response to a Minimization of Driving Tests (MDT) measurement being started, determining a signal strength received from a satellite in a satellite positioning system by measuring the signal strength at a positioning antenna of the communication device without using a Global Position System (GPS) receiver of the communication device;

when the signal strength received from the satellite is above a threshold, determining a feasibility of an Assisted Global Position System (AGPS) session;

in response to a determination that an AGPS session is feasible, initiating an AGPS session for determining location information of the communication device; and

sending the location information to an MDT server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating an AGPS session comprises:

sending a location request to an access node in a cellular network;

receiving acquisition assistance data from a Mobile Location Center (MLC), via the access node;

calculating pseudo ranges to one or more satellites using the acquisition assistance data;

sending the calculated pseudo ranges to the MLC via the access node; and

receiving calculated location information from the MLC, via the access node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating an AGPS session comprises:

sending a location request to an access node in a cellular network;

receiving acquisition assistance data from a Mobile Location Center (MLC), via the access node;

calculating pseudo ranges to one or more satellites using the acquisition assistance data;

measuring arrival times of signals from the one or more satellites based on the pseudo ranges; and

calculating the location information based on the arrival times.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

when the signal strength received from the satellite is below a threshold, determining whether an access point in a wireless local network is available;

when the access point is available, determining location information using at least one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID) or a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an access point serving the communication device in the wireless local network; and

when the access point is not available, determining the location information by at least one of a cell-based or an enhanced cell-identifier method based on a cellular network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein determining the location information by at least one of a cell-based or an enhanced cell-identifier method based on the cellular network comprises:

determining a position of an access node in the cellular network from cell data;

measuring a travel time of a signal transmitted from the access node to the communication device; and

calculating the location information from the measured travel time.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when an AGPS session is not available, determining location information by at least one of;

a cell-based or an enhanced cell-identifier method based on a cellular network, or

a standalone positioning method based on the satellite positioning system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the satellite positioning system comprises one of Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or Galileo Position System.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the MDT measurement is started by one of a periodic trigger or an event trigger.

9. A communication device operating in a wireless communication environment, the communication device comprising:

a positioning antenna;

a Global Position System (GPS) receiver; and

a processor configured to;

in response to a Minimization of Driving Tests (MDT) measurement being started, determine a signal strength received from a satellite in a satellite positioning system by measuring the signal strength at the positioning antenna without using the GPS receiver;

when the signal strength received from the satellite is above a threshold, determine a feasibility of an Assisted Global Position System (AGPS) session;

when an AGPS session is feasible, initiate an AGPS session and determine location information of the communication device; and

send the location information to an MDT server.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

send a location request to an access node in a cellular network;

receive an acquisition assistance data from a Mobile Location Center (MLC), via the access node;

calculate pseudo ranges to one or more satellites using the acquisition assistance data;

send the calculated pseudo ranges to the MLC via the access node; and

receive calculated location information from the MLC, via the access node.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

send a location request to an access node in a cellular network;

receive an acquisition assistance data from a Mobile Location Center (MLC), via the access node;

calculate pseudo ranges to one or more satellites using the acquisition assistance data;

measure arrival times of signals from the one or more satellites based on the pseudo ranges; and

calculate the location information based on the arrival times.

12. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

when the signal strength received from the satellite is below a threshold, determine whether an access point in the wireless local network is available;

when the access point is available, determine the location information using at least one of Service Set Identifier (SSID), or Media Access Control (MAC) address of the access point;

when the access point is not available, determine the location information by one of a cell-based or an enhanced cell-identifier method based on the cellular network.

13. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

when the AGPS session is not available, determine the location information by at least one of;

a cell-based or an enhanced cell-identifier method based on a cellular network, or

a standalone positioning method based on the satellite positioning system.

14. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the satellite positioning system comprises one of Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or Galileo Position System.

15. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the MDT measurement is started by one of a periodic trigger or an event trigger.