Method for positioning user equipment accessing multiple mobile networks

• US 8,125,943 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Chia-lan, Hsu, Chia-Chen, Huang, Li-Chi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US12/388,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20100208649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a method for positioning a user equipment. First, a plurality of wireless links between the user equipment and a plurality of mobile networks are established. A plurality of first location information sets describing a location of the user equipment are then obtained from the mobile networks through the wireless links. The first location information sets are then converted to a plurality of second location information sets with a predetermined format. The second location information sets are then combined to estimate a third location information set describing the location of the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a user equipment, comprising:

establishing a plurality of wireless links between the user equipment and a plurality of mobile networks;

obtaining a plurality of first location information sets describing a location of the user equipment from the mobile networks through the wireless links;

converting the first location information sets to a plurality of second location information sets with a predetermined format;

combining the second location information sets to estimate a third location information set describing the location of the user equipment; and

utilizing the third location information set for a location related application,

wherein each of the second location information sets comprises longitude information, latitude information, altitude information, and at least one of radius information and accuracy information; and

the radius information defines spherical probable location region of the user equipment and the accuracy information defines probability of the corresponding second location information set.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile networks generate the first location information sets according to a cell-identity algorithm, an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) algorithm, an uplink-time difference of arrival (UTDOA) algorithm, or a network-assisted GPS positioning (A-GPS) algorithm.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein combination of the second location information sets comprises:

determining an overlapped region of the spherical probable location regions defined by the second location information sets; and

outputting the overlapped region as a third location information set.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein combination of the second location information sets comprises:

weighting the longitude information, the latitude information, and the altitude information of the second location information sets according to the accuracy information of the corresponding second location information sets to obtain the weighted location information sets; and

averaging the weighted location information sets to obtain the third location information set.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

making the mobile networks generate a plurality of first network information sets about the user equipment;

combining the first network information sets to generate a second network information set about the user equipment; and

requesting a Stand-Alone Serving-mobile-location-center (SAS) of one of the mobile networks to provide a fourth location information set describing the location of the user equipment according to the second network information set.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

sharing a Stand-Alone Serving-mobile-location-center (SAS) between the mobile networks;

making the mobile networks send a plurality of first network information sets about the user equipment to the SAS; and

requesting the SAS to provide a fourth location information set describing the location of the user equipment according to the first network information sets.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile networks are public land mobile networks (PLMN).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user equipment is a cell phone, a notebook, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

9. A user equipment, capable of accessing a plurality of mobile networks, comprising:

a plurality of location information generating modules, establishing a plurality of wireless links between the user equipment and the mobile networks, and obtaining a plurality of first location information sets describing a location of the user equipment from the mobile networks through the wireless links; and

an information combination module, coupled to the location information generating modules, converting the first location information sets to a plurality of second location information sets with a predetermined format, and combining the second location information sets to estimate a third location information set describing the location of the user equipment,

wherein each of the second location information sets comprises longitude information, latitude information, altitude information, and at least one of radius information and accuracy information; and

the radius information defines spherical probable location region of the user equipment and the accuracy information defines probability of the corresponding second location information set.

10. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile networks generate the first location information sets according to a cell-identity algorithm, an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) algorithm, an uplink-time difference of arrival (UTDOA) algorithm, or a network-assisted GPS positioning (A-GPS) algorithm.

11. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information combination module determines an overlapped region of the spherical probable location regions defined by the second location information sets, and outputs the overlapped region as a third location information set, thus combining the second location information sets.

12. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information combination module combines the second location information sets by weighing the longitude information, the latitude information, and the altitude information of the second location information sets according to the accuracy information of the second location information sets to obtain the weighted location information sets, and averaging the weighted location information sets to obtain the third location information set.

13. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile networks generate a plurality of first network information sets about the user equipment, a radio network controller of a predetermined mobile network selected from the mobile networks combines the first network information sets to generate a second network information set about the user equipment, and a Stand-Alone Serving-mobile-location-center (SAS) of the predetermined mobile network then provides a fourth location information set describing the location of the user equipment according to the second network information set.

14. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile networks share a Stand-Alone Serving-mobile-location-center (SAS), the mobile networks send a plurality of first network information sets about the user equipment to the SAS, and the SAS then provides a fourth location information set describing the location of the user equipment according to the first network information sets.

15. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile networks are public land mobile networks (PLMN).

16. The user equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the user equipment is a cell phone, a notebook, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).