TELECOMMUNICATIONS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING POSITIONING MEASUREMENTS

• US 20100323683A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lindoff, Bengt, Kazmi, Muhammad, Muller, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless terminal (30) capable of operating in a discontinuous mode comprising and method for operating such wireless terminal (30) facilitate measurements pertaining to position of the wireless terminal (30). The method includes receiving a message from the radio access network (28). The measurement request message is configured to indicate that measurements are to be performed by the wireless terminal on downlink signals transmitted by the base station or by the base station on downlink signals transmitted by the base station. The method further comprises, as a result of or after receiving the message, changing operation of the wireless terminal (30) from a discontinuous mode to a modified mode to facilitate performance of the measurements. Relative to the discontinuous mode at least one of following are shortened or eliminated in the modified mode: (i) the non-reception periods, and (ii) the non-transmission periods. “Changing from a discontinuous mode . . . to a modified mode” includes one or more of: (1) changing mode of the wireless terminal (e.g., changing from a discontinuous mode [such as discontinuous reception (DRX) or discontinuous transmission (DTX)] to a continuous transmission mode); (2) changing from the discontinuous mode (a first discontinuous mode) to a modified discontinuous mode (a second discontinuous mode).

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless terminal in communication with a radio access network over a radio interface, the wireless terminal being of a type capable of operating in a discontinuous mode comprising at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the radio access network that measurements are to be performed by the wireless terminal on downlink signals transmitted by the base station or by the radio access network on uplink signals transmitted by the wireless terminal; and

, as a result of receiving the message, and when the wireless terminal is in a discontinuous mode;

changing the wireless terminal from the discontinuous mode to a modified mode to facilitate performance of the measurements, and wherein relative to the discontinuous mode at least one of following are shortened or eliminated in the modified mode;

(i) the non-reception periods, and (ii) the non-transmission periods.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous mode comprises at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode and a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified mode is a continuous mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified mode comprises a modified discontinuous mode having a modified discontinuous mode parameter, the modified discontinuous mode parameter being indicative of a shorter cycle than a corresponding discontinuous mode parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon completion of the performance of the measurements, reverting back to the first discontinuous mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements are for determining position of the wireless terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements comprise measuring the time difference of arrival of reference signals from different cells.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a measurement request message, and wherein the measurement request message is configured to direct the wireless terminal to perform measurements on signals received by the wireless terminal from one or more cells of the radio access network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing from the discontinuous mode in accordance with a mode change timing factor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, upon completion of the performance of the measurements, reverting back to the discontinuous mode from the modified mode after expiration of a post-measurement mode revert timing factor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein changing from the discontinuous mode to the modified mode comprises disabling one or both of discontinuous reception (DRX) and discontinuous transmission (DTX).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the measurements by the radio access network while the wireless terminal remains in the modified mode for a specific time period.

13. A method of operating a wireless terminal in communication with a radio access network over a radio interface, the wireless terminal having been in a discontinuous mode comprising at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the radio access network that measurements are to be performed by the wireless terminal or the radio access network; and

, as a result of receiving the message;

ignoring or modifying the discontinuous mode while the measurements are performed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the message is a measurement request message, and wherein the measurement request message is configured to direct the wireless terminal to perform measurements on signals received by the wireless terminal from one or more cells of the radio access network.

15. A wireless terminal configured for communication with a radio access network over a radio interface, the wireless terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a message that measurements are to be performed by the wireless terminal on downlink signals transmitted by the base station or the radio access network on uplink signals transmitted by the wireless terminal;

a computer-implemented radio resource control (RRC) unit configured, as a result of receiving the message, to change the wireless terminal from a discontinuous mode to a modified transceiving mode while the measurements are performed, wherein the discontinuous mode is configured to comprise at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods, wherein relative to the discontinuous mode the modified mode is configured to shortened or eliminated at least one of following;

(i) the non-reception periods, and (ii) the non-transmission periods.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the discontinuous mode comprises at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode and a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode.

17. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the modified mode is a continuous mode.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the modified mode comprises a modified discontinuous mode having a modified parameter, the modified parameter being indicative of a shorter cycle than a corresponding parameter for the discontinuous mode.

19. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) unit is configured, upon completion of the performance of the measurements, to revert back to the first discontinuous mode.

20. The wireless terminal of claim 15, further comprising a measurement unit configured to perform the measurements for determining position of the wireless terminal.

21. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) unit is configured to change from the discontinuous mode in accordance with a mode change timing factor.

22. The wireless terminal of claim 21, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) unit is further configured, upon completion of the performance of the measurements, to revert back to the discontinuous mode from the modified mode after expiration of a post-measurement mode revert timing factor.

23. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) unit is configured to change from the discontinuous mode to the modified mode by disabling one or both of discontinuous reception (DRX) and discontinuous transmission (DTX).

24. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the message is a measurement request message, and wherein the transceiver is configured to receive position determination signals from one or more cells of the radio access network, the measurement request message being configured to direct the wireless terminal to perform measurements relative to the position determination signals.

25. A wireless terminal configured to operate in communication with a radio access network over a radio interface, the wireless terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a message from the radio access network indicating that the wireless terminal or the radio access network is to perform measurements;

a computer-implemented radio resource control (RRC) unit configured, as a result of receiving the message, to ignore or modify a discontinuous mode while the measurements are performed, the discontinuous mode comprising at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the message is a measurement request message, and wherein the measurement request message is configured to direct the wireless terminal to perform measurements on signals received by the wireless terminal from one or more cells of the radio access network.

27. A node of a radio access network (RAN) configured for operation over a radio interface with a wireless terminal, the node comprising:

a computer-implemented node radio resource control (RRC) unit configured to prepare a measurement request message for transmission to the wireless terminal, the measurement request message being configured both to direct the wireless terminal to perform measurements relative to position determination signals transmitted from plural cells of the radio access network and to provide a parameter which specifies or influences timing of a mode change, the mode change being between a discontinuous mode and a modified mode, the discontinuous mode being configured to comprise at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods, and wherein relative to the discontinuous mode the modified mode is configured to shortened or eliminated at least one of following;

(i) the non-reception periods, and (ii) the non-transmission periods; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the measurement request message to the wireless terminal over the radio interface.

28. The node of claim 27, wherein the discontinuous mode is for at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode and a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode.

29. The node of claim 27, wherein the measurements are for determining position of the wireless terminal.

30. The node of claim 27, wherein the parameter comprises a mode change timing factor which influences when a mode change occurs from the discontinuous mode to the modified mode.

31. The node of claim 30, wherein the parameter comprises a post-measurement mode revert timing factor which influences timing of a reversion from the modified mode to the discontinuous mode.

32. A method of operating a wireless terminal in communication with a radio access network over a radio interface, the wireless terminal being of a type capable of operating in a discontinuous mode comprising at least one of non-reception periods between reception periods and non-transmission periods between transmission periods, the method comprising:

recognizing that an emergency situation exists; and

, as a result of the recognition, and when the wireless terminal is in a discontinuous mode;

changing the wireless terminal from the discontinuous mode to a modified mode to facilitate performance of the measurements, and wherein relative to the discontinuous mode at least one of following are shortened or eliminated in the modified mode;

(i) the non-reception periods, and (ii) the non-transmission periods.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the discontinuous mode comprises at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode and a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the modified mode is a continuous mode.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the modified mode comprises a modified discontinuous mode having a modified discontinuous mode parameter, the modified discontinuous mode parameter being indicative of a shorter cycle than a corresponding discontinuous mode parameter.