Generic Positioning Protocol

• US 20090253440A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

In an aspect, a generic positioning protocol (GPP) may be used to support satellite-based positioning methods and terrestrial-based positioning methods for different access types. A tenninal may exchange a first GPP message with first information for a positioning method and an access type supported by GPP. The terminal may exchange a second GPP message with second infonmation for the positioning method and the access type. Each GPP message may include at least one position element, and each position element may be for a specific positioning method. The tenninal may obtain a position estimate for itself based on the second information. In another aspect, positioning may be performed based on measurements for cells of different wireless access types. In yet another aspect, received transmission times may be transformed to converted times based on common timing, which may be applicable for multiple wireless access types.

Claims

1. A method of performing positioning, comprising:

exchanging a first generic positioning protocol (GPP) message comprising first information for a first positioning method and a first access type supported by a GPP, wherein the GPP supports multiple positioning methods and at least three access types;

exchanging a second GPP message comprising second information for the first positioning method and the first access type; and

obtaining a position estimate for a terminal based on the second information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging the first GPP message comprises sending the first GPP message comprising a request for location information to the terminal, and wherein the exchanging the second GPP message comprises receiving the second GPP message comprising the location information from the terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging the first GPP message comprises receiving the first GPP message comprising a request for location information from a location center, and wherein the exchanging the second GPP message comprises sending the second GPP message comprising the location information to the location center.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a third GPP message comprising a request for assistance data to a location center; and

receiving a fourth GPP message comprising the assistance data from the location center.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third GPP message comprising a request for assistance data from the terminal; and

sending a fourth GPP message comprising the assistance data to the terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining at least one position element from the first GPP message, each position element being for a specific positioning method and carrying information for the specific positioning method.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining first and second position elements from the first GPP message, the first position element comprising the first information for the first positioning method, and the second position element comprising information for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning method.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging at least one message for a second positioning protocol to determine whether the terminal supports the GPP.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second positioning protocol comprises Radio Resource LCS Protocol (R.RLP), Radio Resource Control (RRC), or IS-801.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple positioning methods supported by the GPP comprise at least one of an observed time difference (OTD) positioning method, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning method, and an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) positioning method.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a positioning method identifier (ID) from the GPP message; and

determining whether the first positioning method is an existing or a new positioning method based on the positioning method ID.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least three access types supported by the GPP comprise at least one of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA 1X, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.16.

13. An apparatus for performing positioning, comprising:

means for exchanging a first generic positioning protocol (GPP) message comprising first information for a first positioning method and a first access type supported by a GPP, wherein the GPP supports multiple positioning methods and at least three access types;

means for exchanging a second GPP message comprising second information for the first positioning method and the first access type; and

means for obtaining a position estimate for a terminal based on the second information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for exchanging the first GPP message comprises means for receiving the first GPP message comprising a request for location infonnation from a location center, and wherein the means for exchanging the second GPP message comprises means for sending the second GPP message comprising the location information to the location center.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for sending a third GPP message comprising a request for assistance data to a location center; and

means for receiving a fourth GPP message comprising the assistance data from the location center.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for obtaining first and second position elements from the first GPP message, the first position element comprising the first information for the first positioning method, and the second position element comprising information for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning method.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for exchanging at least one message for a second positioning protocol to determine whether the terminal supports the GPP.

18. An apparatus for performing positioning, comprising:

at least one processor configured to exchange a first generic positioning protocol (GPP) message comprising first information for a first positioning method and a first access type supported by a GPP, wherein the GPP supports multiple positioning methods and at least three access types, to exchange a second GPP message comprising second information for the first positioning method and the first access type, and to obtain a position estimate for a terminal based on the second information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first GPP message comprising a request for location infonnation from a location center, and to send the second GPP message comprising the location information to the location center.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a third GPP message comprising a request for assistance data to a location center;

and to receive a fourth GPP message comprising the assistance data from the location center.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain first and second position elements from the first GPP message, the first position element comprising the first information for the first positioning method, and the second position element comprising information for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning method.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to exchange at least one message for a second positioning protocol to determine whether the terminal supports the GPP.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to exchange a first generic positioning protocol (GPP) message comprising first information for a first positioning method and a first access type supported by a GPP, wherein the GPP supports multiple positioning methods and at least three access types,

code for causing the at least one computer to exchange a second GPP message comprising second information for the first positioning method and the first access type, and

code for causing the at least one computer to obtain a position estimate for a terminal based on the second information.

24. A method of performing positioning, comprising:

obtaining a first set of at least one received transmission time for at least one cell of a first wireless access type at a terminal;

obtaining a second set of at least one received transmission time for at least one cell of a second wireless access type at the terminal;

obtaining at least one time difference between the first and second sets of at least one received transmission time; and

obtaining a position estimate for the terminal based on the at least one time difference.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

converting the first set of at least one received transmission time to a first set of at least one converted time based on common timing applicable for multiple wireless access types.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

aligning real timing of the at least one cell of the first wireless access type to the common timing by associating a real time for a cell of the first wireless access type to a converted time defined by the common timing.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the converting the first set of at least one received transmission time comprises, for each received transmission time for a cell of the first wireless access type,

determining an integer portion of the received transmission time based on absolute timing at the terminal,

obtaining a fractional portion of the received transmission time based on a timing measurement for the cell, and

determining a converted time for the cell based on the integer portion and the fractional portion of the received transmission time.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

converting the second set of at least one received transmission time to a second set of at least one converted time based on the common timing, and

wherein the at least one time difference is determined based on the first and second sets of at least one converted time.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the obtaining the position estimate for the terminal comprises computing the position estimate for the terminal based on the at least one time difference.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the obtaining the position estimate for the terminal comprises

sending the at least one time difference to a location server, and

receiving the position estimate for the terminal from the location server.

31. An apparatus for performing positioning, comprising:

means for obtaining a first set of at least one received transmission time for at least one cell of a first wireless access type at a terminal;

means for obtaining a second set of at least one received transmission time for at least one cell of a second wireless access type at the terminal;

means for obtaining at least one time difference between the first and second sets of at least one received transmission time; and

means for obtaining a position estimate for the terminal based on the at least one time difference.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

means for converting the first set of at least one received transmission time to a first set of at least one converted time based on common timing applicable for multiple wireless access types.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for converting the first set of at least one received transmission time comprises, for each received transmission time for a cell of the first wireless access type,

means for determining an integer portion of the received transmission time based on absolute timing at the terminal,

means for obtaining a fractional portion of the received transmission time based on a timing measurement for the cell, and

means for determining a converted time for the cell based on the integer portion and the fractional portion of the received transmission time.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for converting the second set of at least one received transmission time to a second set of at least one converted time based on the common timing, and wherein the at least one time difference is determined based on the first and second sets of at least one converted tine.

35. A method of performing positioning, comprising:

receiving a first set of at least one converted time for at least one cell of a first wireless access type from a terminal, the first set of at least one converted time being derived by the terminal based on a first set of at least one received transmission time for the at least one cell of the first wireless access type and common timing applicable for multiple wireless access types.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the at least one cell comprises multiple cells, and wherein the deriving the position estimate for the terminal comprises

determining observed time differences (OTDs) between the multiple cells based on converted times for the cells, and

deriving the position estimate for the terminal based on the OTDs and known locations of the cells.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving a second set of at least one converted time for at least one cell of a second wireless access type from the terminal, the second set of at least one converted time being derived by the terminal based on a second set of at least one received transmission time for the at least one cell of the second wireless access type and the common timing; and

deriving a position estimate for the terminal based on the first and second sets of at least one converted time.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the deriving the position estimate for the terminal comprises

determining an observed time difference (OTD) between a first cell of the first wireless access type and a second cell of the second wireless access type based on converted times for the first and second cells, and

deriving the position estimate for the terminal based on the OTD and known locations of the first and second cells.

39. An apparatus for performing positioning, comprising:

means for receiving a first set of at least one converted time for at least one cell of a first wireless access type from a termiinal, the first set of at least one converted time being derived by the terminal based on a first set of at least one received transmission time for the at least one cell of the first wireless access type and common timing applicable for multiple wireless access types.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the at least one cell comprises multiple cells, and wherein the means for deriving the position estimate for the terminal comprises

means for determining observed time differences (OTDs) betveen the multiple cells based on converted times for the cells, and

means for deriving the position estimate for the terminal based on the OTDs and known locations of the cells.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising:

means for receiving a second set of at least one converted time for at least one cell of a second wireless access type from the tenninal, the second set of at least one converted time being derived by the terminal based on a second set of at least one received transmission time for the at least one cell of the second wireless access type and the common timing; and

means for deriving a position estimate for the terminal based on the first and second sets of at least one converted time.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the means for deriving the position estimate for the terminal comprises

means for determining an observed time difference (OTD) between a first cell of the first wireless access type and a second cell of the second wireless access type based on converted times for the first and second cells, and

means for deriving the position estimate for the terminal based on the OTD and known locations of the first and second cells.