POSITIONING OF USER EQUIPMENT IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100311437A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhushan, Naga, Palanki, Ravi
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Abstract

Techniques for supporting positioning of user equipments (UEs) with network-based measurements are described. In one design, a network entity (e.g., a location server) may obtain at least one measurement for a UE, e.g., a power headroom measurement, a spatial direction measurement, an uplink timing measurement, an uplink pilot measurement, an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or a combination thereof. The network entity may determine a location estimate for the UE based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations, e.g., using pattern matching or interpolation. In one design, the network entity may receive measurements and locations of a plurality of UEs and may update the database based on the measurements and locations of these UEs. The database may also be updated based on measurements obtained by test UEs during test drives.

Claims

1. A method of supporting positioning, comprising:

obtaining at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE); and

determining a location estimate for the UE based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location estimate comprises

comparing the at least one measurement for the UE against measurements for a plurality of locations in the database,

identifying a location associated with measurements most closely matching the at least one measurement for the UE, and

providing the identified location as the location estimate for the UE.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing comprises

comparing the at least one measurement for the UE against the measurements for the plurality of locations in the database based on a minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location estimate comprises performing interpolation on measurements for a plurality of locations in the database based on the at least one measurement for the UE to obtain the location estimate for the UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement for the UE comprises measurements of a plurality of types, and wherein the determining the location estimate comprises

scaling the measurements of the plurality of types with a plurality of weights to obtain weighted measurements, and

determining the location estimate for the UE based on the weighted measurements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement for the UE comprises measurements of different confidence levels, and wherein the determining the location estimate comprises

scaling the measurements of different confidence levels with different weights to obtain weighted measurements, and

determining the location estimate for the UE based on the weighted measurements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement is made by the UE and reported to a network entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement is made by at least one base station based on an uplink signal from the UE.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a power headroom measurement, or a spatial direction measurement, or a downlink timing measurement, or a downlink pilot measurement, or an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or an uplink timing measurement, or an uplink pilot measurement, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving measurements and locations of a plurality of UEs; and

updating the database based on the measurements and the locations of the plurality of UEs.

11. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

means for obtaining at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE); and

means for determining a location estimate for the UE based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the location estimate comprises

means for comparing the at least one measurement for the UE against measurements for a plurality of locations in the database,

means for identifying a location associated with measurements most closely matching the at least one measurement for the UE, and

means for providing the identified location as the location estimate for the UE

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the location estimate comprises means for performing interpolation on measurements for a plurality of locations in the database based on the at least one measurement for the UE to obtain the location estimate for the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving measurements and locations of a plurality of UEs; and

means for updating the database based on the measurements and the locations of the plurality of UEs.

15. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

at least one processor configured to obtain at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE), and to determine a location estimate for the UE based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare the at least one measurement for the UE against measurements for a plurality of locations in the database, to identify a location associated with measurements most closely matching the at least one measurement for the UE, and to provide the identified location as the location estimate for the UE

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform interpolation on measurements for a plurality of locations in the database based on the at least one measurement for the UE to obtain the location estimate for the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive measurements and locations of a plurality of UEs, and to update the database based on the measurements and the locations of the plurality of UEs.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to obtain at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE), and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a location estimate for the UE based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

20. A method of supporting positioning, comprising:

obtaining at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE);

sending the at least one measurement for the UE to a network entity; and

receiving a location estimate for the UE from the network entity, the location estimate being determined based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a power headroom measurement, or a spatial direction measurement, or a downlink timing measurement, or a downlink pilot measurement, or an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using the location estimate for the UE for a location-based service.

23. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

means for obtaining at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE);

means for sending the at least one measurement for the UE to a network entity; and

means for receiving a location estimate for the UE from the network entity, the location estimate being determined based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a power headroom measurement, or a spatial direction measurement, or a downlink timing measurement, or a downlink pilot measurement, or an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or a combination thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for using the location estimate for the UE for a location-based service.

26. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

at least one processor configured to obtain at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE), to send the at least one measurement for the UE to a network entity, and to receive a location estimate for the UE from the network entity, the location estimate being determined based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is configured to use the location estimate for the UE for a location-based service.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to obtain at least one measurement for a user equipment (UE),

code for causing the at least one computer to send the at least one measurement for the UE to a network entity, and

code for causing the at least one computer to receive a location estimate for the UE from the network entity, the location estimate being determined based on the at least one measurement for the UE and a database of measurements for different locations.

29. A method of supporting positioning, comprising:

determining location of a user equipment (UE);

obtaining at least one measurement for the UE; and

sending the at least one measurement and the location of the UE to a network entity for use to build a database of measurements for different locations.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a power headroom measurement, or a spatial direction measurement, or a downlink timing measurement, or a downlink pilot measurement, or an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or a combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining the location of the UE comprises determining the location of the UE using satellite-based positioning.

32. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

means for determining location of a user equipment (UE);

means for obtaining at least one measurement for the UE; and

means for sending the at least one measurement and the location of the UE to a network entity for use to build a database of measurements for different locations.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a power headroom measurement, or a spatial direction measurement, or a downlink timing measurement, or a downlink pilot measurement, or an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement, or a combination thereof.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for determining the location of the UE comprises means for determining the location of the UE using satellite-based positioning.

35. An apparatus for supporting positioning, comprising:

at least one processor configured to determine location of a user equipment (UE), to obtain at least one measurement for the UE, and to send the at least one measurement and the location of the UE to a network entity for use to build a database of measurements for different locations.

36. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to determine location of a user equipment (UE),

code for causing the at least one computer to obtain at least one measurement for the UE, and

code for causing the at least one computer to send the at least one measurement and the location of the UE to a network entity for use to build a database of measurements for different locations.