Nodes and Methods for Enhancing Positioning

• US 20120040687A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Siomina, Iana, Kazmi, Muhammad
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a positioning node 54, a CN node 53, a RN node 52, and a UE 51 of a wireless network, and to a related method of supporting UE positioning. The method comprises transmitting UE radio access capability information (S30) and/or radio network node capability information (S10) to the positioning node 54. The transmission of UE radio access capability information is either unsolicited or triggered by a request (S20). The UE radio access capability information may be transmitted from the CN node (S31), from the RN node (S32) or from the UE (S33), and the RN node capability information is received from the RN node itself (S10). The positioning node 54 supports positioning of the UE 51 based on the received UE radio access capability information and/or the radio network node capability information.

Claims

1. A method in a positioning node of a wireless communication system, of supporting wireless device positioning, the method comprising:

receiving at least one of the following;

radio access capability information associated with a wireless device; and

capability information associated with a radio network node from said radio network node;

supporting positioning of the wireless device based on the received at least one of the radio access capability information associated with the wireless device and the capability information associated with the radio network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio access capability information is received from a core network node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio access capability information is received from the radio network node.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio access capability information is received from the wireless device.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the radio access capability information is received in a positioning request.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request for the radio access capability information before receiving the radio access capability information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received radio access capability information comprises a list of frequency bands supported by the wireless device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received capability information associated with the radio network node comprises information related to at least one of the following:

a carrier aggregation capability;

a resource capability; and

a power saving capability.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein supporting positioning of the wireless device comprises supporting at least one of:

assistance data build up,

requests for information necessary for positioning,

positioning measurements,

configuration of measurement gaps for positioning measurements,

a definition of positioning requirements,

enhanced positioning performance in a heterogeneous network,

configuration of antennas transmitting reference signals for positioning, and

configuration of reference signal muting.

10. A method in a wireless device of a wireless communication system, of supporting positioning of the wireless device, the positioning being managed by a positioning node, the method comprising:

transmitting radio access capability information associated with the wireless device to the positioning node.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving a request for the radio access capability information before transmitting the radio access capability information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the request for the radio access capability information is received from the positioning node or from a radio network node controlling the wireless device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitted radio access capability information comprises a list of frequency bands supported by the wireless device.

14. A method in a radio network node of a wireless communication system, of supporting positioning of a wireless device controlled by the radio network node, the positioning being managed by a positioning node connected to the radio network node, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one of the following to the positioning node;

radio access capability information associated with the wireless device, and

capability information associated with the radio network node.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising receiving a request for the radio access capability information from the positioning node before transmitting the radio access capability information.

16. A method in a core network node of a wireless communication system, of supporting positioning of a wireless device associated with the core network node, the positioning being managed by a positioning node connected to the core network node, the method comprising:

transmitting radio access capability information associated with the wireless device to the positioning node.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising receiving a request for the radio access capability information from the positioning node before transmitting the radio access capability information.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the radio access capability information is transmitted in a positioning request.

19. A positioning node for a wireless communication system, the positioning node comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive at least one of the following;

radio access capability information associated with a wireless device; and

capability information associated with a radio network node from said radio network node;

a positioning support unit adapted to support positioning of the wireless device based on the received at least one of the radio access capability information associated with the wireless device and the capability information associated with the radio network node.

20. A wireless device for a wireless communication system, the wireless device being configured to support positioning managed by a positioning node, and comprising:

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit radio access capability information associated with the wireless device to the positioning node.

21. The wireless device according to claim 20, wherein the wireless device is a user equipment.

22. A radio network node for a wireless communication system, the radio network node being configured to support positioning of a wireless device controlled by the radio network node, the positioning being managed by a positioning node connectable to the radio network node, the radio network node comprising:

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit at least one of the following to the positioning node;

radio access capability information associated with the wireless device, and

capability information associated with the radio network node.

23. A core network node for a wireless communication system, the core network node being configured to support positioning of a wireless device associated with the core network node, the positioning being managed by a positioning node connectable to the core network node, the core network node comprising:

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit radio access capability information associated with the wireless device to the positioning node.