METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING LOCATION SERVICES VIA A HOME NODE B (HNB)

• US 20150319567A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen William, Singh, Damanjit, Chen, Jen Mei
• Granted Patent: US 9,681,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Techniques for supporting location services for a home Node B (HNB) and its user equipments (UEs) are disclosed. In an aspect, location services may be supported for a UE by having an HNB inter-work between user plane and control plane location solutions. In one design, the HNB receives a request for a location service for the UE and communicates (i) with a location server via the user plane location solution and (ii) with the UE via the control plane location solution to support the location service for the UE. The HNB inter-works between the user plane and control plane location solutions. In another aspect, a location server may be used to support assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) for HNBs and UEs. In one design, an HNB exchanges PCAP messages with the location server via an HNB GW and exchanges RRC messages with a UE to support a location service for the UE.

Claims

1. A method of supporting location services, comprising:

receiving a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a home Node B (HNB);

exchanging Positioning Calculation Application Part (PCAP) messages with a location server via an HNB Gateway (HNB GW) to support the location service for the UE, wherein the PCAP messages are transferred in messages of a first protocol between the HNB and the HNB GW and are transferred in messages of a second protocol between the HNB GW and the location server; and

exchanging Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages with the UE to support the location service for the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a location estimate for the UE from the location server or the UE; and

returning the location estimate for the UE in a response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging PCAP messages comprises receiving a PCAP message from the location server, and wherein the exchanging RRC messages comprises sending an RRC message to the UE, the RRC message including a positioning request, or assistance data, or both obtained from the PCAP message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanging RRC messages comprises receiving an RRC message from the UE, and wherein the exchanging PCAP messages comprises sending a PCAP message to the location server, the PCAP message including measurements made by the UE, or a location estimate for the UE, or both obtained from the RRC message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol comprises a PCAP User Adaptation (PUA) protocol or a Radio Access Network Application Part (RANAP) User Adaptation (RUA) protocol, and wherein the second protocol comprises a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the PCAP messages are connection-oriented messages and PUA messages are associated with a SCCP connection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a PUA message includes an identifier of the location server, a PCAP transaction identifier, a local connection reference, a PCAP message, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location service includes positioning to determine location of the UE, or delivery of assistance data to the UE, or both.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending information for the HNB to the location server, the information comprising a cell global identifier (CGI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for the HNB, location of the HNB, at least one cell ID of at least one neighbor cell, positioning capabilities of the HNB, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location server comprises a Standalone Serving Mobile Location Center (SAS) communicating with the HNB via the HNB GW.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a home Node B (HNB);

means for exchanging Positioning Calculation Application Part (PCAP) messages with a location server via an HNB Gateway (HNB GW) to support the location service for the UE, wherein the PCAP messages are transferred in messages of a first protocol between the HNB and the HNB GW and are transferred in messages of a second protocol between the HNB GW and the location server; and

means for exchanging Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages with the UE to support the location service for the UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for exchanging PCAP messages comprises means for receiving a PCAP message from the location server, and wherein the means for exchanging RRC messages comprises means for sending an RRC message to the UE, the RRC message including a positioning request, or assistance data, or both obtained from the PCAP message.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for exchanging RRC messages comprises means for receiving an RRC message from the UE, and wherein the means for exchanging PCAP messages comprises means for sending a PCAP message to the location server, the PCAP message including measurements made by the UE, or a location estimate for the UE, or both obtained from the RRC message.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for sending information for the HNB to the location server, the information comprising a cell global identifier (CGI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for the HNB, location of the HNB, at least one cell ID of at least one neighbor cell, positioning capabilities of the HNB, or a combination thereof.

15. A method of supporting location services, comprising:

performing a location procedure with a location server by a first home Node B (HNB) to support a location service for a user equipment (UE) communicating with the first HNB;

obtaining an indication to handover the UE from the first HNB to a second HNB; and

transferring location status information from the first HNB to the second HNB, wherein the location procedure is continued by the second HNB and the location server based on the location status information provided by the first HNB.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first HNB and the second HNB both interface with a same HNB Gateway (HNB GW) and communicate with the location server via the HNB Gateway.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

deciding whether to abort the location procedure or continue the location procedure after handover of the UE to the second HNB, wherein the location status information is transferred to the second HNB in response to a decision to continue the location procedure.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that handover of the UE from the first HNB to the second HNB failed; and

continuing the location procedure with the location server by the first HNB upon determining handover failure for the UE.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the location service includes positioning to determine location of the UE, or delivery of assistance data to the UE, or both.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the location status information comprises at least one positioning method used in the location procedure, information obtained for each of the at least one positioning method, information related to location reporting, or a combination thereof.

21. A method of supporting location services, comprising:

exchanging Positioning Calculation Application Part (PCAP) messages with a location server by a home Node B (HNB) for positioning of the HNB; and

determining location of the HNB based on the PCAP messages.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending information for the HNB to the location server, the information comprising a cell global identifier (CGI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the HNB, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for the HNB, location of the HNB, at least one cell ID of at least one neighbor cell, positioning capabilities of the HNB, or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the exchanging PCAP messages comprises exchanging the PCAP messages with the location server via an HNB Gateway (HNB GW), wherein the PCAP messages are transferred in messages of a first protocol between the HNB and the HNB GW and are transferred in messages of a second protocol between the HNB GW and the location server.