Device and method for AGPS high accuracy positioning in unknown cell areas

• US 8,195,202 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hansson, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US12/623,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 342/357.43
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to Assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS) high accuracy positioning in unknown cell areas. By using an approach of three alternative steps a reference position, needed for AGPS positioning, is determined. The first step involves using the location of any neighboring cell. The second involves using the location of a cell within the same Location Area as the cell serving the portable communication device to position. The third step comprises determining a fixed point within the same geographical area as the Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) is serving, and using this fixed point as a reference location. Using the three-step approach the AGPS positioning can be optimized, providing a possibility to position, for instance a mobile phone, by AGPS even though the location of the cell serving the phone is unknown to the positioning node operating the serving cell.

Claims

1. A method in a positioning node for providing a reference location estimate for Assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS) positioning of a portable communication device when a serving cell of the portable communication device is unknown to the positioning node, said method comprising:

receiving from the portable communication device via a network node a data list of cells that are neighbors to the serving cell;

determining whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node;

determining whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same Location Area Code (LAC) as the serving cell of the portable communication device, based on whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node;

identifying a fixed point of location within a geographical area that is being served by the positioning node, based on whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node, and based on whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device; and

setting the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device, based at least on whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the reference location estimate comprises setting the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the location of the base station of any one of the neighbor cells, in the case the location of the base station of said any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the reference location estimate further is based on whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of setting the reference location estimate comprises setting the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the location of the base station of the cell that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device, in the case there exists such a cell and in the case the location of the base station of all neighbor cells is unknown to the positioning node.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of setting the reference location estimate further comprises setting the reference location estimate for the AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the identified fixed point of location, in the case the location of the base station of all neighbor cells is unknown to the positioning node and the data list of cells does not comprise any cells with the same LAC as the serving cell.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of setting the reference location estimate further comprises identifying the cell from which a signal is strongest, among the neighbor cells known to positioning node, obtaining the location of the base station of the cell having the highest signal strength, and setting the reference location estimate to the location of the base station of said cell having the highest signal strength.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell comprises obtaining the LAC of the serving cell of the portable communication device and obtaining the location of the base station of the cell in the data list of cells having the same LAC as the serving cell.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell comprises obtaining the LAC of the serving cell of the portable communication device and obtaining the location of the base station of the cell in the data list of cells having the same LAC as the serving cell.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a fixed point of location within the geographical area that is served by the positioning node comprises determining the geographical area that is served by the positioning node.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the positioning node is a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC).

11. A positioning node for providing a reference location estimate for Assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS) positioning of a portable communication device, when a serving cell of the portable communication device is unknown to the positioning node, said positioning node comprising:

a transceiving unit configured to receive a request for a data list of cells that are neighbors to the serving cell, from a network node;

a processing unit configured to determine whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node, to determine whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same Location Area Code (LAC) as the serving cell of the portable communication device, based on whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node; and

an identifying unit configured to identify a fixed point of location within a geographical area that is being served by the positioning node, based on whether the location of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node, and based on whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device control unit;

wherein the processing unit further is configured to set the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device, based at least on whether the location of the base station of any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node.

12. The positioning node according to claim 11, wherein the transceiving unit, the processing unit and the identifying unit are interconnected with each other, and where the positioning node further comprises a control unit connected to, and further configured to control, said units.

13. The positioning node according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit further is configured to set the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the location of the base station of any one of the neighbor cells, in the case the location of the base station of said any one of the neighbor cells is known to the positioning node.

14. The positioning node according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit further is configured to set the reference location estimate based on whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device.

15. The positioning node according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit further is configured to set the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the location of the base station of the cell that has the same LAC as the serving cell of the portable communication device, in the case there exists such a cell and in the case the location of the base station of all neighbor cells is unknown to the positioning node.

16. The positioning node according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit further is configured to set the reference location estimate for AGPS positioning of the portable communication device to the identified fixed point of location, in the case the location of the base station of all neighbor cells is unknown to the positioning node and the data list of cells does not comprise any cells with the same LAC as the serving cell.

17. The positioning node according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit further is configured to identify the cell from which a signal is strongest, among the neighbor cells known to positioning node, obtaining the location of the base station of the cell having the highest signal strength, and setting the reference location estimate to the location of the base station of said cell having the highest signal strength.

18. The positioning node according to claim 14, wherein processing unit configured to determine whether there is a cell in the data list of cells that has the same LAC as the serving cell, further is configured to obtain the LAC of the serving cell of the portable communication device and to obtain the location of the base station of the cell in the data list of cells having the same LAC as the serving cell.

19. The positioning node according to claim 11, wherein the identifying unit further is configured determining the geographical area that is served by the positioning node.

20. The positioning node according to claim 11, where the positioning node is a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC).