Collective Positioning in Mobile Communication Systems

• US 20100234043A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wigren, Torbjörn, Parkvall, Stefan, Gerstenberger, Dirk, Göransson, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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

Methods and devices for managing a cellular communication system (1) and mobile terminals (40) are presented. A collective positioning measurement order (50) is issued to a multitude of mobile terminals (40) in a first cell (10) of the cellular communication system (1). This issuing is preferably performed intermittently at a multitude of times according to a predetermined rule. Each mobile terminal (40) receives information concerning a collective positioning measurement order. The mobile terminal (40) performs a positioning operation, typically a positioning measurement on a ranging signal (51, 52) or transmission of a ranging signal (53), preferably intermittently at a multitude of times, according to a predetermined rule based on the information concerning the collective positioning measurement order. An updating of a storage with positioning data can preferably be obtained. In terrestrially based positioning systems, signal resources dedicated to positioning measurement can be reserved in the cellular communication system.

Claims

1-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A method for managing a cellular communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a collective positioning measurement order to a plurality of mobile terminals in a first cell of said cellular communication system; and

performing said issuing step at least one time according to a predetermined rule.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein performing said issuing step at least one time comprises intermittently performing said issuing step a plurality of times.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein said collective positioning measurement order comprises an order to determine positioning based on satellite signals.

58. The method of claim 55 wherein collective positioning measurement order comprises an order to determine positioning based on signals communicated by said cellular communication system.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein said collective positioning measurement order comprises an order to determine positioning using a technique selected from the list of:

Observed Time Difference of Arrival-Idle Period Down Link (OTDOA-IPDL);

Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA); and

Cell ID enhanced with a distance measurement.

60. The method of claim 58 further comprising reserving signal resources dedicated to positioning measurement.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein reserving signal resources dedicated to positioning measurement comprises reserving the signal resources during a time interval comprising a time at which measurements are to be performed according to said collective positioning measurement order.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein said reserved signal resources comprise resources of at least one of Frequency resources, time slot resources, and code resources.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein said reserved signal resources comprise resources of at least one of uplink resources and downlink resources.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein said collective positioning measurement order comprises at least one of:

an order to measure characteristics of a downlink ranging signal; and

an order to transmit an uplink ranging signal.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein reserving signal resources reserves resources to be used in positioning operations at a time that is different than a time for a cell that is within interference distance.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein reserving signal resources reserves resources to be used for positioning at the same time in a plurality of cells.

67. The method of claim 55 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises all mobile terminals within said first cell that are capable of determining a position using a specified type of positioning technique.

68. The method of claim 55 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises a specified subset of all mobile terminals within said first cell.

69. The method of claim 55 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises all mobile terminals within said first cell.

70. The method of claim 56 wherein intermittently performing said issuing step a plurality of times comprises intermittently performing said issuing step at substantially regular intervals.

71. The method of claim 55 further comprising receiving reports of determined positions of one or more mobile terminals in said first cell.

72. The method of claim 71 further comprising:

requesting a report of determined position from at least one mobile terminal in said first cell; and

receiving the report responsive to the request.

73. A method for managing a mobile terminal used in a cellular communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information associated with a collective positioning measurement order from a base station of said cellular communication system; and

performing a positioning operation according to a predetermined rule based on said information.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein the step of performing a positioning operation comprises performing the positioning operation intermittently a plurality of times according to said predetermined rule based on said information.

75. The method of claim 73 wherein said positioning operation comprises performing a positioning measurement operation.

76. The method of claim 75 further comprising updating a stored positioning data in memory with positioning data obtained from performing the positioning measurement operation.

77. The method of claim 73 wherein said positioning operation comprises transmitting an uplink ranging signal.

78. The method of claim 73 wherein said information associated with said collective positioning measurement order comprises a time scheme that defines when said positioning operations are to be performed.

79. The method of claim 73 wherein said information associated with said collective positioning measurement order comprises a set of collective positioning measurement orders.

80. The method of claim 73 further comprising reporting positioning data obtained from performing a positioning measurement to a positioning node of said cellular communication system.

81. The method of claim 80 wherein reporting the positioning data comprises reporting the positioning data responsive to receiving a command from said positioning node.

82. A cellular communication system node comprising:

a positioning manager configured to issue a collective positioning measurement order to a plurality of mobile terminals in a first cell of a cellular communication system;

said positioning manager configured to issue said collective positioning measurement order at least once based on a predetermined rule.

83. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said positioning manager is further configured to issue a collective positioning measurement order intermittently a plurality of times based on said predetermined rule.

84. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said collective positioning measurement order includes information associated with positioning based on satellite signals.

85. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said collective positioning measurement order defines positioning measurements based on signals received from said cellular communication system.

86. The cellular communication system node of claim 85 wherein said collective positioning measurement order comprises an order to determine positioning using a technique selected from the list of:

Observed Time Difference of Arrival-Idle Period Down Link (OTDOA-IPDL);

Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA); and

Cell ID enhanced with a distance measurement.

87. The cellular communication system node of claim 85 further comprising an allocator connected to the positioning manager, and configured to reserve resources dedicated to positioning measurement.

88. The cellular communication system node of claim 87 wherein said allocator is configured to reserve resources during a time interval comprising the time at which measurements are to be performed according to said collective positioning measurement order.

89. The cellular communication system node of claim 87 wherein said reserved signal resources comprise resources of at least one of Frequency resources, time slot resources, and code resources.

90. The cellular communication system node of claim 87 wherein said reserved signal resources comprise resources associated with at least one of uplink resources and downlink resources.

91. The cellular communication system node of claim 90 wherein said collective positioning measurement order comprises at least one of:

an order to measure one or more characteristics of a downlink ranging signal; and

an order to transmit an uplink ranging signal.

92. The cellular communication system node of claim 87 wherein said allocator is configured to reserve signal resources to be used in positioning operations at a time that is different than a time for a cell that is within interference distance.

93. The cellular communication system node of claim 87 wherein said allocator is configured to reserve resources used in positioning operations that occur at the same time in a plurality of cells.

94. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises all mobile terminals within said first cell capable of performing positioning operations according to a determined type of positioning.

95. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises a specified subset of all mobile terminals within said first cell.

96. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said plurality of mobile terminals comprises all mobile terminals within said first cell.

97. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 wherein said plurality of times occurs regularly.

98. The cellular communication system node of claim 82 further comprising a report receiver configured to receive reports of determined positions of mobile terminals of said first cell.

99. The cellular communication system node of claim 98 further comprising a positioning node configured to issue a command to request a report of determined position from at least one mobile terminal in said first cell.

100. A mobile terminal for use in a cellular communication system, the mobile terminal comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information associated with a collective positioning measurement order received from a base station of said cellular communication system; and

a positioning manager connected to said receiver and configured to perform a positioning operation in accordance with a predetermined rule based on said information.

101. The mobile terminal of claim 100 wherein said positioning manager is configured to perform said positioning operation intermittently at a plurality of times according to said predetermined rule based on said information.

102. The mobile terminal of claim 100 wherein said positioning manager comprises a positioning detector, and whereby said positioning operation comprises performing a positioning measurement.

103. The mobile terminal of claim 102 further comprising data storage connected to said positioning manager, and configured to store positioning data received from said positioning detector.

104. The mobile terminal of claim 100 wherein said positioning manager comprises a transmitter for transmitting a ranging signal.

105. The mobile terminal of claim 100 wherein said information associated with said collective positioning measurement order comprises a time scheme that defines when said positioning operations are to be performed.

106. The mobile terminal of claim 100 wherein said information associated with said collective positioning measurement order comprises a set of collective positioning measurement orders.

107. The mobile terminal of claim 100 further comprising a reporting module configured to report positioning data obtained by said positioning manager to a positioning node of said cellular communication system.

108. The mobile terminal of claim 107 wherein said reporting module is configured to report the positioning data responsive to a request received from said positioning node.