Location technology support determinations in wireless communications networks and devices

• US 20040142702A1
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Declerck, William, Hefner, Eric, Pecen, Mark E., Bussan, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,082,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• 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: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• 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 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method for determining location technology supported by a wireless communications network including sending (505) a location request, for example a MO-LR request, from a mobile wireless subscriber device to the network, receiving a network response (515) in reply to the location request, determining the subscriber device location technology supported by the network from the network response (535, 550), and in some embodiments the location technology of the subscriber device is controlled based on the technology supported by the network.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

transmitting a message from the network for reception by at least one mobile wireless communications device in the wireless communications network before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communication device;

specifying, in the message transmitted, mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network includes specifying at least one location technology not supported by the wireless communications network.

3. The method of claim 1, specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network includes specifying at least one location technology supported by the wireless communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network includes specifying a preferred location technology supported by the wireless communications network.

5. The method of claim 1,

transmitting the message includes transmitting a network overhead broadcast message,

specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network in the network overhead broadcast message.

6. The method of claim 1,

transmitting the message includes transmitting at least one of a system information broadcast message, a cell broadcast message, or a paging message;

specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network in the at least one of the system information broadcast message, the cell broadcast message, or the paging message transmitted.

7. The method of claim 1, transmitting the message on a dedicated radio resource channel.

8. The method of claim 1,

receiving a message from a mobile wireless communications device,

transmitting the message specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network in response to receipt of the message from the mobile wireless communications device.

9. The method of claim 8,

receiving the message from a mobile wireless communications device includes receiving a classmark change message;

transmitting the message specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network in response to the classmark change message from the mobile wireless communications device.

10. The method of claim 9,

transmitting the message includes transmitting a classmark response message from the network in response to the classmark change message from the mobile wireless communications device,

specifying mobile wireless communications device location technology support information about the wireless communications network in the classmark response message transmitted from the network.

11. A method in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a mobile wireless communications device in the wireless communications network;

transmitting a communication from the wireless communications network in response to the communication from the mobile wireless communications device before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communications device,

the communication transmitted from the wireless communications network specifying at least one of a mobile wireless communications device location technology supported by the wireless communications network or a mobile wireless communications device location technology not supported by the wireless communications network.

12. The method of claim 11,

receiving the communication from the mobile wireless communications device includes receiving a classmark change message from the mobile wireless communications device;

transmitting the communication from the wireless communications network in response to the classmark change message from the mobile wireless communications device before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communications device.

13. The method of claim 11,

receiving the communication from the mobile wireless communications device includes receiving a registration message from the mobile wireless communications device;

transmitting the communication from the wireless communications network in response to the registration message from the mobile wireless communications device before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communications device.

14. The method of claim 11,

receiving the communication from the mobile wireless communications device includes receiving at least one of a periodic location update message, a location area update message, or an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) attach message;

transmitting the communication from the wireless communications network in response to receiving at least one of the periodic location update message, a location area update message, or an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) attach message from the mobile wireless communications device before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 11,

receiving the communication from the mobile wireless communications device includes receiving a channel request from the mobile wireless communications device;

transmitting the communication from the wireless communications network includes transmitting an immediate channel assignment in response to the channel request before transmitting a location request to the mobile wireless communications device,

the immediate channel assignment transmitted from the wireless communications network specifying at least one of a mobile wireless communications device location technology supported by the wireless communications network or a mobile wireless communications device location technology not supported by the wireless communications network.

16. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a communication before receiving a location request communication,

the communication specifying at least one of a mobile wireless communications device location technology supported by a wireless communications network or a mobile wireless communications device location technology not supported by a wireless communications network;

operating the mobile wireless communications device based on the communication received.

17. The method of claim 16, operating the mobile wireless communications device based on the communication received includes controlling location technology of the mobile wireless communications device.

18. The method of claim 16, operating the mobile wireless communications device based on the communication received includes suspending preparation of location information by the mobile wireless communications device, in anticipation of a location request, when the location technology of the mobile wireless communications device is not supported by the wireless communications network.

19. The method of claim 16, operating the mobile wireless communications device based on the communication received includes operating location technology of the mobile wireless communications device when the location technology of the mobile wireless communications device is supported by the wireless communications network.

20. The method of claim 16,

receiving the communication includes receiving a network overhead broadcast message specifying at least one of a mobile wireless communications device location technology supported by a wireless communications network or a mobile wireless communications device location technology not supported by a wireless communications network;

21. The method of claim 16,

sending a communication to a wireless communications network;

receiving the communication before receiving a location request communication in response to the communication sent to the wireless communications network.

22. The method of claim 16,

sending a classmark change message to a wireless communications network;

receiving the communication before receiving a location request communication in response to sending the classmark change message to the wireless communications network.

23. The method of claim 16,

sending a registration request to a wireless communications network;

receiving the communication before receiving a location request communication in response to sending the registration request to the wireless communications network.

24. The method of claim 16,

sending at least one of a periodic location update message, a location area update message, or an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) attach message to a wireless communications network;

receiving the communication before receiving a location request communication in response to sending the at least one of the periodic location update message, the location area update message, or the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) attach message.

25. The method of claim 16,

sending a channel request to a wireless communications network;

receiving the communication, before receiving a location request communication, in response to sending the channel request.

26. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, the method comprising:

sending a request for location from the mobile wireless communications device to a network;

receiving a network location request in response to the request for location;

determining at least one of a mobile wireless communications device location technology supported by a wireless communications network or a mobile wireless communications device location technology not supported by a wireless communications network.

27. The method of claim 26, controlling location technology of the mobile wireless communications device based on the location request received.

28. The method of claim 26, not operating location technology of the mobile wireless communications device when the location technology of the mobile wireless communications device is not supported by the wireless communications network based on the location request received.

29. The method of claim 26, operating location technology of the mobile wireless communications device when the location technology of the mobile wireless communications device is supported by the wireless communications network based on the location request received.

30. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, the method comprising:

sending a request for location to a network;

receiving a location of the mobile wireless communications device in response to the request for location;

suspending preparation of location information by the mobile wireless communications device, in anticipation of a network location request, in response to receiving the location of the mobile wireless communications device.

31. The method of claim 30, suspending preparation of location information includes suspending location measurements made by the mobile wireless communications device.

32. The method of claim 30, sending a request for location to a network by sending a MO-LR request.