CONTROL PLANE LOCATION SOLUTION TO SUPPORT WIRELESS ACCESS

• US 20100041418A1
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen W., Burroughs, Kirk Allan
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Techniques for supporting a control plane solution for location services and positioning are described. In an aspect, an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) may communicate with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to support location services and positioning for a UE. In one design, the E-SMLC may receive a location request from the MME, perform a positioning procedure with the UE in response to the location request, and send a location response to the MME after completing the positioning procedure. For a UE-assisted or UE-based positioning procedure, the E-SMLC may send a downlink positioning message to the UE via the MME and may receive an uplink positioning message from the UE via the MME. For a network-based positioning procedure, the E-SMLC may send a network positioning request message to an eNB via the MME and may receive a network positioning response message from the eNB via the MME.

Claims

1. A method of supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

receiving a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC);

performing a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE) in response to the location request; and

sending a location response from the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the positioning procedure comprises

sending a downlink positioning message to the MME for forwarding to the UE, the downlink positioning message requesting location information from the UE, and

receiving an uplink positioning message sent by the UE and forwarded by the MME, the uplink positioning message including the requested location information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the downlink positioning message is for a first protocol and is encapsulated in a positioning request message for a second protocol below the first protocol, and wherein the uplink positioning message is for the first protocol and is encapsulated in a positioning response message for the second protocol.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

computing a location estimate for the UE based on the location information, and wherein the location response includes the location estimate.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the downlink positioning message further includes assistance data for the UE, or a request for UE capabilities, or both.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the positioning procedure comprises

sending a network positioning request message to the MME for forwarding to an Evolved Node B (eNB), the network positioning request message requesting location information from the eNB, and

receiving a network positioning response message sent by the eNB and forwarded by the MME, the network positioning response message including the requested location information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network positioning request message is for a first protocol and is encapsulated in a positioning request message for a second protocol below the first protocol, and wherein the network positioning response message is for the first protocol and is encapsulated in a positioning response message for the second protocol.

8. An apparatus for supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

means for receiving a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC);

means for performing a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE) in response to the location request; and

means for sending a location response from the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for performing the positioning procedure comprises

means for sending a downlink positioning message to the MME for forwarding to the UE, the downlink positioning message requesting location information from the UE, and

means for receiving an uplink positioning message sent by the UE and forwarded by the MME, the uplink positioning message including the requested location information.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for performing the positioning procedure comprises

means for sending a network positioning request message to the MME for forwarding to an Evolved Node B (eNB), the network positioning request message requesting location information from the eNB, and

means for receiving a network positioning response message sent by the eNB and forwarded by the MME, the network positioning response message including the requested location information.

11. An apparatus for supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC), to perform a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE) in response to the location request, and to send a location response from the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a downlink positioning message to the MME for forwarding to the UE, the downlink positioning message requesting location information from the UE, and to receive an uplink positioning message sent by the UE and forwarded by the MME, the uplink positioning message including the requested location information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a network positioning request message to the MME for forwarding to an Evolved Node B (eNB), the network positioning request message requesting location information from the eNB, and to receive a network positioning response message sent by the eNB and forwarded by the MME, the network positioning response message including the requested location information.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC),

code for causing the at least one computer to perform a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE) in response to the location request, and

code for causing the at least one computer to send a location response from the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

15. A method of supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

sending a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC);

assisting with a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE), the positioning procedure being initiated by the E-SMLC in response to the location request from the MME; and

receiving a location response sent by the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the assisting with the positioning procedure comprises

receiving a downlink positioning message sent by the E-SMLC to request location information from the UE,

forwarding the downlink positioning message from the MME to the UE,

receiving an uplink positioning message sent by the UE to return the requested location information to the E-SMLC, and

forwarding the uplink positioning message from the MME to the E-SMLC.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the assisting with the positioning procedure comprises maintaining no state information for the downlink positioning message at the MME.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the assisting with the positioning procedure comprises

receiving a network positioning request message sent by the E-SMLC to request location information from an Evolved Node B (eNB),

forwarding the network positioning request message from the MME to the eNB,

receiving a network positioning response message sent by the eNB to return the requested location information to the E-SMLC, and

forwarding the network positioning response message from the MME to the E-SMLC.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a provide subscriber location message from a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), wherein the location request is sent by the MME to the E-SMLC in response to receiving the provide subscriber location message from the GMLC;

obtaining a location estimate for the UE from the location response message; and

sending a provide subscriber location acknowledgement message from the MME to the GMLC, the acknowledgement message including the location estimate for the UE.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing notification and privacy verification with the UE prior to sending the location request to the E-SMLC.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing a network triggered service request procedure with the UE to establish a signaling connection for the UE.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining a location estimate for the UE from the positioning procedure, the positioning procedure being performed for an emergency call originated by the UE; and

sending a location report comprising the location estimate for the UE and an address of the MME to a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC).

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the location request is sent by the MME in response to a request for location information from the UE.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the location request is sent by the MME in response to a request from a location services (LCS) client for location information for the UE.

25. An apparatus for supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

means for sending a location request from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC);

means for assisting with a positioning procedure between the E-SMLC and a user equipment (UE), the positioning procedure being initiated by the E-SMLC in response to the location request from the MME; and

means for receiving a location response sent by the E-SMLC to the MME after the positioning procedure.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for assisting with the positioning procedure comprises

means for receiving a downlink positioning message sent by the E-SMLC to request location information from the UE,

means for forwarding the downlink positioning message from the MME to the UE,

means for receiving an uplink positioning message sent by the UE to return the requested location information to the E-SMLC, and

means for forwarding the uplink positioning message from the MME to the E-SMLC.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for assisting with the positioning procedure comprises

means for receiving a network positioning request message sent by the E-SMLC to request location information from an Evolved Node B (eNB),

means for forwarding the network positioning request message from the MME to the eNB,

means for receiving a network positioning response message sent by the eNB to return the requested location information to the E-SMLC, and

means for forwarding the network positioning response message from the MME to the E-SMLC.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for receiving a provide subscriber location message from a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), wherein the location request is sent by the MME to the E-SMLC in response to receiving the provide subscriber location message from the GMLC;

means for obtaining a location estimate for the UE from the location response message; and

means for sending a provide subscriber location acknowledgement message from the MME to the GMLC, the acknowledgement message including the location estimate for the UE.

29. A method of supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

performing a positioning procedure between a user equipment (UE) and an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC), the positioning procedure being initiated by the E-SMLC in response to a location request sent by a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to the E-SMLC.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the performing the positioning procedure comprises

receiving a downlink positioning message sent by the E-SMLC and forwarded by the MME to the UE, the downlink positioning message requesting location information from the UE, and

sending an uplink positioning message by the UE and forwarded by the MME to the E-SMLC, the uplink positioning message including the requested location information.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

performing notification and privacy verification with the MME prior to the positioning procedure.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

sending a message to originate an emergency call, and wherein the positioning procedure is performed for the emergency call.

33. An apparatus for supporting location services and positioning, comprising:

means for performing a positioning procedure between a user equipment (UE) and an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC), the positioning procedure being initiated by the E-SMLC in response to a location request sent by a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to the E-SMLC.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for performing the positioning procedure comprises

means for receiving a downlink positioning message sent by the E-SMLC and forwarded by the MME to the UE, the downlink positioning message requesting location information from the UE, and

means for sending an uplink positioning message by the UE and forwarded by the MME to the E-SMLC, the uplink positioning message including the requested location information.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for performing notification and privacy verification with the MME prior to the positioning procedure.