POSITIONING WITH SEVERAL OPERATORS

• US 20110009132A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Persson, Mans, SKARBY, Ulf
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention provides apparatuses and methods for determining the location of a wireless user equipment (UE). Advantageously, the location may be determined by combining location estimates from a plurality of wireless network operators to increase accuracy.

Claims

1. A method for determining the physical location of a user equipment (UE) capable of wireless communication with two or more network operators, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first message indicating that a location of the UE should be determined;

(b) receiving from a first network operator a first location estimate of the UE;

(c) receiving from a second network operator a second location estimate of the UE;

(d) calculating an improved location estimate of the UE using the estimated locations received from the first and second network operators.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

at least one of the location estimates comprises an arc or arc segment centered on a base station situated at a known physical location;

and

the step of calculating an improved location estimate of the UE comprises calculating the intersection of the arc or arc segment with the other estimated location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a steps of:

(e) before step (b), transmitting to the first network operator a message requesting a location estimate of the UE; and

(f) before step (c), transmitting to the second network operator a message requesting a location estimate of the UE.

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

(e) after step (b), determining whether the UE is currently configured to communicate with the second network operator; and

(f) after step (e), in the case that the UE is not currently configured to communicate with the second network operator, transmitting to the UE via the first network operator a network transfer signal indicating that the configuration of the UE should be adjusted to enable communication with the second network operator.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

(g) before step (f), receiving from the UE a message indicating which of the two or more network operators are currently available to the UE,

wherein the second network operator is selected from among the network operators that are currently available to the UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network operator is selected by the UE from among the two or more network operators, and the method further comprises:

(e) transmitting to each of the two or more network operators a message requesting that the network operator provide a location estimate in the case that the UE selects that network operator as the second network operator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) transmitting to a remote operator a message comprising at least one of the improved location estimate of the UE and one or more of the location estimates received from the network operators.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted from a remote operator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted from the UE.

10. A method for determining the physical location of a user equipment (UE) capable of wireless communication with two or more network operators, comprising the steps of:

(a) in response to a predetermined event indicating that a location of the UE should be determined, transmitting from the UE to a node operated by a first network operator a first message to enable the first network operator to estimate the location of the UE; and

(b) in response to the predetermined event, transmitting from the UE to a node operated by a second network operator a second message to enable the second network operator to estimate the location of the UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the messages comprises a message that enables a network operator to calculate a distance between the UE and a base station that is situated at a known physical location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined event comprises a user of the UE pressing a sequence of one or more interface elements on the UE.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein

step (a) is performed in response to the predetermined event and receiving from the first network operator a signal;

and

step (b) is performed in response to the predetermined event and receiving from the second network operator a signal.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

(c) before step (b), receiving at the UE from the first network operator a message indicating the second network operator.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

(e) before step (c), transmitting to an overlayer a message indicating which of the two or more network operators are currently available to the UE.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of:

(c) receiving at an overlayer estimates of the location of the UE from the first and second network operators.

17. An overlayer, comprising:

a transmit and receive circuit operable to;

receive a first message indicating that a physical location of a user equipment (UE) capable of wireless communication with two or more network operators should be determined,

receive from a first network operator a first location estimate of the UE, and

receive from a second network operator a second location estimate of the UE; and

a data processing system that is configured to calculate an improved location estimate of the UE using the estimated locations received from the first and second network operators.

18. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein

at least one of the location estimates comprises an arc or arc segment centered on a base station situated at a known physical location;

and

calculating an improved location estimate of the UE comprises calculating the intersection of the arc or arc segment with the other estimated location.

19. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the transmit and receive circuit is further operable to:

transmit to the first network operator a message requesting a location estimate of the UE; and

transmit to the second network operator a message requesting a location estimate of the UE.

20. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the data processing system is further configured such that, in response to the overlayer receiving the first location estimate, the data processing system:

determines whether the UE is currently configured to communicate with the second network operator; and

in the case that the UE is not currently configured to communicate with the second network operator, cause the transmit and receive circuit to transmit to the UE via the first network operator a network transfer signal indicating that the configuration of the UE should be adjusted to enable communication with the second network operator.

21. The overlayer of claim 19, wherein the transmit and receive circuit is further operable to:

receive from the UE a message indicating which of the two or more network operators are currently available to the UE, and

the data processing system is configured to select the second network operator from among the network operators that are currently available to the UE.

22. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the second network operator is selected by the UE from among the two or more network operators, and the transit and receive circuit is further operable to transmit to each of the two or more network operators a message requesting that the network operator provide a location estimate in the case that the UE selects that network operator as the second network operator.

23. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the transmit and receive circuit is further operable to:

transmit to a remote operator a message comprising at least one of the improved location estimate of the UE and one or more of the location estimates received from the network operators.

24. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the first message is transmitted from a remote operator.

25. The overlayer of claim 17, wherein the first message is transmitted from the UE.

26. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a transmit and receive circuit; and

a data processing system configured such that;

in response to a predetermined event indicating that a location of the UE should be determined, the data processing system causes the transmit and receive circuit to transmit from the UE to a node operated by a first network operator a first message to enable the first network operator to estimate the location of the UE, and

in response to the predetermined event, the data processing system causes the transmit and receive circuit to transmit from the UE to a node operated by a second network operator a second message to enable the second network operator to estimate the location of the UE.

27. The user equipment of claim 26, wherein at least one of the messages comprises a message that enables a network operator to calculate a distance between the UE and a base station that is situated at a known physical location.

28. The user equipment of claim 26, wherein the predetermined event comprises a user of the UE pressing a sequence of one or more interface elements on the UE.

29. The user equipment of claim 26, wherein

the data processing system is configured such that causing the transmit and receive circuit to transmit the first message occurs in response to the predetermined event and receiving with the transmit and receive circuit from the first network operator a signal;

and

the data processing system is configured such that causing the transmit and receive circuit to transmit the second message occurs in response to the predetermined event and receiving with the transmit and receive circuit from the second network operator a signal.

30. The user equipment of claim 26, wherein the transmit and receive circuit is further operable to:

receive at the UE from the first network operator a message indicating the second network operator.

31. The use equipment of claim 30, wherein the data processing system is configured to cause the transmit and receive circuit to transmitt to an overlayer a message indicating which of the two or more network operators are currently available to the UE before causing the transmit and receive circuit to transmit the second message.