POSITIONING NODE, USER EQUIPMENT AND METHODS THEREIN

• US 20120083288A1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Siomina, Iana
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a method in a positioning node for enabling positioning of a user equipment, which user equipment is served in a first cell controlled by a radio network node. The positioning node and radio network node are comprised in a radio communications network. The positioning node obtains an indication indicating availability, at the user equipment, of timing information of at least one cell. The positioning node further determines whether the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment based on the obtained indication, which timing information is enabling positioning of the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method in a positioning node for enabling positioning of a user equipment, which user equipment is served in a first cell controlled by a radio network node, which positioning node and radio network node are comprised in a radio communications network, the method comprising;

obtaining an indication indicating availability, at the user equipment, of timing information of at least one cell; and

determining whether the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment based on the obtained indication, which timing information is enabling positioning of the user equipment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises receiving the indication from the user equipment, the radio network node or a network node.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cell is either a serving cell for user equipment not configured for carrier aggregation or a cell belonging to a set of serving cells for the user equipment in a carrier aggregation system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises identifying the at least one cell as a specific type of cell based on an identity of the at least one cell and the determining whether the timing information is available is performed by comparing the identity of the at least one cell with an identity, which identity indicates availability of the timing information.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

requesting information associated with availability of timing information of the at least one cell to obtain the indication.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, when determined that the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment:

generating positioning assistance data, which positioning assistance data comprises information associated with the at least one cell; and

transmitting a message to the user equipment, which message comprises the positioning assistance data which positioning assistance data and the timing information of the at least one cell available at the user equipment enables positioning of the user equipment.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the generated positioning assistance data comprises an indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is at a pre-defined position in the list of neighbour cells and timing information of the reference cell is not known or the reference cell is not a cell serving the user equipment and not a primary cell for the user equipment if it is configured with carrier aggregation.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the generated positioning assistance data comprises indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells and information regarding muting sequence of at least some of the cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is comprised only in the list of neighbour cells in the positioning assistance data and information regarding muting sequence of another neighbour cell in the positioning assistance data is generated with respect to or relative to the information of the at least one cell.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the generated positioning assistance data is Observed Time Difference of Arrival assistance data.

10. A method in a user equipment for enabling positioning of the user equipment, which user equipment and a positioning node are comprised in a radio communications network, the method comprising;

transmitting, to the positioning node, an indication indicating availability, at the user equipment, of timing information of at least one cell, which timing information is enabling positioning of the user equipment.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitted indication indicates the at least one cell as a specific type of cell, a serving cell, a primary cell, and/or a cell with a known subframe number.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one cell is either a serving cell for user equipment not configured for carrier aggregation or a cell belonging to a set of serving cells for the user equipment in a carrier aggregation system.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitted indication is comprised in a positioning request or a request for positioning assistance data.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising

retrieving the timing information for the at least one cell, and

storing the timing information for a certain time period, and wherein the transmitted indication indicates that the timing information is available at the user equipment.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising

receiving a request of information associated with availability of the timing information of the at least one cell.

16. A method according to claim 10, further comprising, when the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment;

receiving, from the positioning node, a message comprising positioning assistance data, which positioning assistance data comprises information associated with the at least one cell for which the timing information is known or is obtainable by the user equipment, which at least one cell is the cell indicated with the available timing information in the transmitted indication, and

performing a positioning measurement using the positioning assistance data and the available timing information of the at least one cell to enable positioning of the user equipment.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the received positioning assistance data comprises an indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is indicated by being at a pre-defined position in the list of neighbour cells and timing information of the reference cell is not known, or the reference cell is not a cell serving the user equipment and not a primary cell for the user equipment if it is configured with carrier aggregation.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the performing comprises determining a timing of a muting sequence of another cell, being different than the at least one cell, in the positioning assistance data based on the timing information and information regarding the at least one cell in the received positioning assistance data.

19. A positioning node for enabling positioning of a user equipment, which user equipment is served in a first cell controlled by a radio network node, wherein the positioning node comprises;

an obtaining circuit configured to obtain an indication indicating availability, at the user equipment, of timing information of at least one cell; and

a determining circuit configured to determine whether the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment based on the obtained indication, which timing information is enabling positioning of the user equipment.

20. A positioning node according to claim 19, wherein the obtaining circuit is configured to receive the indication from the user equipment, the radio network node or a network node.

21. A positioning node according to claim 19, wherein the at least one cell is either a serving cell for user equipment not configured for carrier aggregation or a cell belonging to a set of serving cells for the user equipment in a carrier aggregation system.

22. A positioning node according to claim 19, wherein the obtaining circuit is configured to identify the at least one cell as a specific type of cell based on an identity of the at least one cell and the determining circuit is configured to compare the identity of the at least one cell with an identity, which identity indicates availability of the timing information.

23. A positioning node according to claim 19, further comprising

a requesting circuit configured to request information associated with availability of timing information of the at least one cell to obtain the indication.

24. A positioning node according to claim 19, further comprising:

a generating circuit configured to generate, when determined that the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment, positioning assistance data, which positioning assistance data comprises information associated with the at least one cell; and

a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a message to the user equipment, which message comprises the positioning assistance data, which positioning assistance data and the timing information of the at least one cell at the user equipment enables positioning of the user equipment.

25. A positioning node according to claim 24, wherein the generating circuit is configured to generate positioning assistance data that comprises an indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is at a pre-defined position in the list of neighbour cells and timing information of the reference cell is not known, or the reference cell is not a cell serving the user equipment and not a primary cell for the user equipment if it is configured with carrier aggregation.

26. A positioning node according to claim 24, wherein the generating circuit is configured to generate positioning assistance data that comprises an indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells and information regarding muting sequence of at least some of the cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is comprised only in the list of neighbour cells in the positioning assistance data, and the generating circuit is further configured to add information regarding muting sequence of another neighbour cell in the positioning assistance data with respect to or relative to the information of the at least one cell.

27. A positioning node according to claim 24, wherein the generated positioning assistance data is Observed Time Difference of Arrival assistance data.

28. A user equipment for enabling positioning of the user equipment, which user equipment is configured to be served in a first cell controlled by a radio network node, the user equipment comprises;

a transmitter configured to transmit, to a positioning node in the radio communications network, an indication indicating availability, at the user equipment, of timing information of at least one cell, which timing information is enabling positioning of the user equipment.

29. A user equipment according to claim 28, wherein the transmitted indication comprises information of the at least one cell, which information indicates the at least one cell as a specific type of cell, a serving cell, a primary cell, and/or a cell with a known subframe number.

30. A user equipment according to claim 28, wherein the at least one cell is either a serving cell for user equipment not configured for carrier aggregation or a cell belonging to a set of serving cells for the user equipment in a carrier aggregation system.

31. A user equipment according to claim 28, wherein the transmitter is configured to comprise the indication in a positioning request or a request for positioning assistance data.

32. A user equipment according to claim 28, further comprising a retrieving circuit configured to retrieve the timing information for the at least one cell, and a memory configured to be used to store the timing information on for a certain time period, and wherein the transmitted indication indicates that the timing information is available at the user equipment.

33. A user equipment according to claim 28, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a request of information associated with availability of the timing information of the at least one cell.

34. A user equipment according to claim 28, further comprising, a receiver configured to receive, when the timing information of the at least one cell is available at the user equipment, from the positioning node, a message comprising positioning assistance data, which positioning assistance data comprises information associated with the at least one cell for which the timing information is known or is obtainable by the user equipment, which at least one cell is the cell indicated with the available timing information in the transmitted indication, and a performing circuit configured to perform a positioning measurement using the positioning assistance data and the available timing information of the at least one cell to enable positioning of the user equipment.

35. A user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the received positioning assistance data comprises an indication of a reference cell and a list of neighbour cells, where the at least one cell with the available timing information is indicated by being at a pre-defined position in the list of neighbour cells and timing information of the reference cell is not known or the reference cell is not a cell serving the user equipment and not a primary cell for the user equipment.

36. A user equipment according to claim 34, wherein the performing circuit is configured to determine a timing of a muting sequence of another cell, being different than the at least one cell, based on the timing information and information regarding the at least one cell in the received positioning assistance data.