Position determination using almanac for virtual base stations
First Claim
1. A method of determining position of at least one mobile station operating in a wireless communication network, comprising:
- receiving messages from the at least one mobile station, each message including at least one item of information identifying a portion of a mobile wireless communication network through which the at least one mobile station is receiving wireless communication service;
based on identifying information in a first received message, accessing a record in a base station almanac (BSA) database for a base station through which a mobile station is receiving wireless communication service from among a plurality of records in the BSA database, each of the records in the BSA database providing position related information regarding a respective base station;
using the position related information from the accessed BSA database record to obtain a mobile station position fix, responsive to the first message;
based on identifying information in a second received message, accessing a record in a virtual base station almanac (VBSA) database for a region in which the mobile station is receiving wireless communication service from among a plurality of records in the database, each of the records in the VBSA database providing estimated location information for a region corresponding to combined service areas of defined group of base stations that utilize the same respective identifying information, wherein base stations of the defined group do not have position information indicated in records in the BSA; and
using the estimated location information for the region in which the mobile station is receiving wireless communication service, from the accessed VBSA database record, as an estimate of position of a mobile station, responsive to the second message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Mobile station position determination through a wireless communication network, such as a preliminary fix for use in satellite acquisition assistance, utilizes wireless network almanac data defined in a “virtual” manner, for example, with regard to “virtual base stations.” A virtual base station (VBS) is a logical construct, essentially modeled from a number of actual base stations in a generally known region that use some common identification (e.g. the same SID/NID combination). The VBS has a coverage/service area approximating the aggregate coverage area of the actual base stations. The service provider offering acquisition assistance or a location based service need not know the precise locations of the actual base stations. Instead, the service provider can compile a virtual base station almanac (VBSA) based on the identification information and virtual base station location information, for example, to support the service(s) when the provider'"'"'s customers roam onto another carrier'"'"'s network facilities.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of determining position of at least one mobile station operating in a wireless communication network, comprising:
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receiving messages from the at least one mobile station, each message including at least one item of information identifying a portion of a mobile wireless communication network through which the at least one mobile station is receiving wireless communication service; based on identifying information in a first received message, accessing a record in a base station almanac (BSA) database for a base station through which a mobile station is receiving wireless communication service from among a plurality of records in the BSA database, each of the records in the BSA database providing position related information regarding a respective base station; using the position related information from the accessed BSA database record to obtain a mobile station position fix, responsive to the first message; based on identifying information in a second received message, accessing a record in a virtual base station almanac (VBSA) database for a region in which the mobile station is receiving wireless communication service from among a plurality of records in the database, each of the records in the VBSA database providing estimated location information for a region corresponding to combined service areas of defined group of base stations that utilize the same respective identifying information, wherein base stations of the defined group do not have position information indicated in records in the BSA; and using the estimated location information for the region in which the mobile station is receiving wireless communication service, from the accessed VBSA database record, as an estimate of position of a mobile station, responsive to the second message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13)
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9. A system for estimating of position of at least one mobile station operating in a wireless communication network, comprising:
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(1) a base station almanac (BSA) database comprising a record for each of a plurality of actual base stations of the wireless communication network each record for a respective actual base station including position information for the respective actual base station; (2) a virtual base station almanac (VBSA) database comprising a record for each of a plurality of virtual base stations (VBSs), wherein; (a) each VBS record contains location data regarding position of a point within a coverage region of a respective one of the VBSs; (b) each VBS record is accessible using at least one item of identifying information used in common by base stations of a defined group providing wireless communications service in the coverage region of the respective one of the VBSs; and (c) base stations of the defined group do not have position information indicated in records in the BSA; and (3) a Position Determination Entity (PDE) having access to the BSA and VBSA databases and configured for data communication with the at least one mobile station through a portion of the wireless communication network, wherein the PDE is configured to; (i) receive messages from the at least one mobile station, each message including at least one item of information identifying a portion of the wireless communication network through which the at least one mobile station is receiving wireless communication service; (ii) in response to a first message in which the identifying information identifies a base station having a record in the BSA database, access the record for the identified based station in the BSA database based on the received identifying information, to obtain location data associated with the identified base station; (iii) use the obtained location data associated with the identified base station for a mobile station position determination responsive to the first message; (iv) in response to a second message in which the identifying information does not correspond to a base station having a record in the BSA database, access a VBS record in the VBSA database based on the identifying information in the second message, to obtain location data regarding position of a point within a coverage region corresponding to the VBS identified by the identifying information in the second message; and (iv) use the obtained location data regarding the point within the coverage region corresponding to the identified VBS as an estimate of the position of a mobile station responsive to the second message. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 14)
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Specification