Method and Radio Signature Position Determining Entity (RS-PDE) for maintaining location database reliability

• US 20040203885A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Quaid, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and a Radio Signature Positioning Determining Entity (RS-PDE) are provided for maintaining the reliability of a location database of the RS-PDE. A Data Transfer Scheduler (DTS) of the RS-PDE receives new location data comprising signal strength measurements records, and the new location data is correlated by a Data Correlation Device (DCD) with existing location data of the location database. The correlated location data is uploaded by a Data Uploader (DU) into the location database. A Data Performance Monitor (DPM) detects if the RS-PDE provides better positioning results using that correlated data, and if so, the RS-PDE then uses the correlated data for mobile station positioning. The location data update cycle may be triggered by a configurable timer defining an update periodicity, or by a detection of insufficient positioning accuracy of the RS-PDE using the existing location data.

Claims

1. A method for updating a location database of a Radio Signature Positioning Determining Entity (RS-PDE), the method comprising the steps of:

a) transferring new location data to the RS-PDE;

b) correlating the new location data with existing location data of the location database and creating correlated location data; and

c) uploading the correlated location data into the location database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d) detecting an event triggering the method for updating the location database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the event is an expiry of a timer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises location data records comprising a series of radio channel signal strength measurements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

d) determining a Figure of Merit (FoM) for a cell associated with at least a portion of the new location data, the FoM relating to an exactitude of a positioning provided by the RS-PDE for positioning requests within the cell; and

e) if the FoM for the cell is below a pre-defined threshold, tagging the cell for a location data automatic update;

wherein steps b) comprises correlating new location data associated to the cell with existing location data associated to the cell.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d) verifying if the RS-PDE provides improved positioning accuracy using the correlated location data compared to using the existing location data; and

e) if the RS-PDE has improved positioning accuracy using the correlated location data, activating the location database as the active location database of the RS-PDE.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein between steps a) and b) the method comprises the step of:

discarding the new location data that is older than a pre-defined period of time.

8. A Radio Signature Positioning Determining Entity (RS-PDE) comprising:

a location database comprising existing location data used for mobile station positioning;

a Data Transfer Scheduler (DTS) receiving new location data;

a Data Correlation Device (DCD) correlating the new location data with the existing location data of the location database and creating correlated location data; and

a Data Uploader (DU) uploading the correlated data into the location database.

9. The RS-PDE of claim 8, wherein the DTS detects an event triggering an update of the location database, the update comprising a receipt of the new location data by the DTS, a correlation of the new location data with the existing location data by the DCD, and an upload of the correlated data by the DU.

10. The RS-PDE of claim 9, wherein the DTS comprises a timer, and the event is an expiry of the timer.

11. The RS-PDE of claim 8, wherein the location data comprises location data records comprising a series of radio channel signal strength measurements.

12. The RS-PDE of claim 8, wherein the RS-PDE further comprises:

a Data Performance Monitor (DPM) that determines a Figure of Merit (FoM) for a cell associated with at least a portion of the new location data, the FoM being illustrative of an exactitude of a positioning provided by the RS-PDE for positioning requests within said cell, wherein the DPM tags said cell for a location data automatic update if the FoM is below a pre-defined threshold;

wherein the DCD correlates new location data associated to the cell with existing location data associated to the cell.

13. The RS-PDE of claim 8, wherein:

the DPM verifies if the RS-PDE provides improved positioning accuracy using the correlated location data compared to using the existing location data, and if the RS-PDE provides improved positioning accuracy using the correlated location data, the DTS activates the location database as the active location database of the RS-PDE.

14. The RS-PDE of claim 8, wherein the DTS discards new location data that is older than a pre-defined period of time before the DCD correlates the new location data with the existing location data.

15. The RS-PDE of claim 11, wherein the RS-PDE is connected to a Signal Strength (S.S.) Server, and wherein the DTS receives the new location data from the S.S. server.