Method and network element for providing location services using predetermined portions of a broadcast signal

• US 20040248587A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Niemenmaa, Jarko
• Application Number:
  US10/489,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20040248587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18554 using the position provided by an existing geolocalisation system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and network element for providing an assisted location service in a cellular network, wherein predetermined time portions of a broadcast signal are reserved for broadcasting LCS messages. Thus, when a location service message is to be broadcast, it is transmitted using the next free reserved time portion. Thereby, the maximum delay for a new location service message can be reduced.

Claims

1. A method of providing an assisted location service in a cellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) reserving predetermined time portions of a broadcast signal broadcast by said cellular network, for said assisted location service;

b) selecting at least one of said reserved time portions when a location message is to be transmitted; and

c) broadcasting said location message within said selected time portion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reserving step is performed by making a fixed reservation for said assisted location service in a message sending schedule of a short message service cell broadcast.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined time portions correspond to predetermined message numbers of said message sending schedule.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined time portions recur at a predetermined sending period.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said fixed reservation is made by setting at least one predetermined radio network parameter.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one predetermined radio network parameter defines the number of sequential messages per time portion reserved for said assisted location service.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one predetermined radio network parameter comprises a first parameter defining a sending interval and a second parameter defining the number of sequential messages per sending interval.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined time portions comprise first time portions allocated to a first assisted location service and second time portions allocated to a second assisted location service.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein one of said first and second assisted location services is a GPS based location service.

10. A network element for providing an assisted location service in a cellular network, said network element (10) being arranged to select at least one of predetermined reserved time portions when a location messages is to be transmitted, and to broadcast said location message within said selected time portion.

11. A network element according to claim 10, further comprising setting means for setting said predetermined time portions based on a radio network parameter determined by a network operator.