SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A REFERENCE LOCATION OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100156713A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harper, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A system and method for determining a reference location of a wireless device wherein a location request may be received for the wireless device where the location request fails to identify an approximate location for the wireless device. A reference location may be determined for the wireless device, the reference location selected from the group consisting of: an area defined as a function of at least one of a mobile country code, mobile network code, and/or a location area code; an area defined by a mapping of a provided Internet protocol address to a location; an area determined as a function of a position information element in the location request; a default area; and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method for determining a reference location of a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a location request for the wireless device, the location request failing to identify an approximate location for the wireless device;

(b) receiving a position information element (“

IE”

) from the wireless device;

(c) mapping an Internet protocol (“

IP”

) address of a node serving the wireless device to an estimated area; and

(d) if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is within a second area defined as a function of at least one of a mobile country code (“

MCC”

), mobile network code (“

MNC”

), and an Area-Identification (“

Area-ID”

), or if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is available and no second area is defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID, determining a reference location for the wireless device as a function of a quality of the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address or a quality of the second area defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing assistance data to the wireless device as a function of the determined reference location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the assistance data is provided as a function of one or more boundaries of the determined reference location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing the determined reference location to the wireless device; and

(f) determining a geographic location of the wireless device.

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

(e) determining a second reference location for the wireless device as a function of the position IE if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is not within the second area defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID or if the area defined by the mapped IP address is not available and no second area is defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of providing assistance data to the wireless device as a function of the determined second reference location.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing the determined second reference location to the wireless device; and

(f) determining a geographic location of the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined reference location is a polygon.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the Area-ID is selected from the group consisting of:

location area code (“

LAC”

) and Radio Network Controller-Identification (“

RNC-ID”

).

10. A method for determining a reference location of a wireless device comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a location request for the wireless device, the location request failing to identify an approximate location for the wireless device;

(b) receiving a position information element (“

IE”

) from the wireless device;

(c) mapping an Internet protocol (“

IP”

) address of a node serving the wireless device to an estimated area; and

(d) if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is within a second area defined as a function of at least one of a mobile country code (“

MCC”

), mobile network code (“

MNC”

), and an Area-Identification (“

Area-ID”

) or if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is available and no second area is defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID, determining a reference location for the wireless device as a function of the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of providing assistance data to the wireless device as a function of the determined reference location.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the assistance data is provided as a function of one or more boundaries of the determined reference location.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing the determined reference location to the wireless device; and

(f) determining a geographic location of the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

(e) determining a second reference location for the wireless device as a default area or as the second area defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is not within the second area defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID or if the estimated area defined by the mapped IP address is not available and no second area is defined as a function of at least one of an MCC, MNC, and Area-ID.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of providing assistance data to the wireless device as a function of the determined second reference location.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

(e) providing the determined second reference location to the wireless device; and

(f) determining a geographic location of the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the determined reference location is a polygon.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the Area-ID is selected from the group consisting of:

location area code (“

LAC”

) and Radio Network Controller-Identification (“

RNC-ID”

).

19. A system for determining a reference location of a wireless device comprising:

(a) a receiver for receiving a location request for a wireless device, the location request failing to identify an approximate location for the wireless device and having a position information element (“

IE”

);

(b) circuitry for mapping an Internet protocol (“

IP”

) address of a node serving the wireless device to an estimated area; and

(c) circuitry for determining a reference location for the wireless device, the reference location selected from the group consisting of;

an area defined as a function of at least one of a mobile country code (“

MCC”

), mobile network code (“

MNC”

), and an Area-Identification (“

Area-ID”

);

an area defined by the mapped IP address;

an area determined as a function of the received position IE;

a default area; and

combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting assistance data to the wireless device as a function of the determined reference location.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the Area-ID is selected from the group consisting of:

location area code (“

LAC”

) and Radio Network Controller-Identification (“

RNC-ID”

).