Method for positioning femto base station through SUPL platform and system thereof

• US 8,213,960 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Askey Computer Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Askey Computer Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Wei-Sen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shedrick, Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/966,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 342/435.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for positioning a femtocell base station through a SUPL platform includes the steps of: initiating a SUPL program in the femtocell base station to establish communication between the femtocell base station and the SUPL platform so as to obtain assistant positioning information and approximate location information of the femtocell base station through the SUPL platform; the femtocell base station capturing related satellite signals according to the assistant positioning information, and if the captured related satellite signals are sufficient for positioning calculation, performing the positioning calculation to obtain precise location information of the femtocell base station and replacing the approximate location information with the precise location information. The location information obtained by positioning will be provided by the femtocell base station to a core network for registration or broadcast by the femtocell base station within its coverage.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a femtocell base station through a SUPL platform and a network system supporting the SUPL platform so as to obtain location information of the femtocell base station, thereby enabling the femtocell base station to provide the location information to a core network for registration or to broadcast the location information within its coverage, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) initiating a SUPL program of the femtocell base station to establish communication between the femtocell base station and the SUPL platform so as to obtain assistant positioning information and approximate location information through the SUPL platform and capturing related satellite signals according to the assistant positioning information; and

(2) determining whether the captured related satellite signals are sufficient for positioning calculation, wherein, if they are sufficient, performing the positioning calculation according to the captured related satellite signals to obtain precise location information so as to enable the femtocell base station to provide the precise location information to the core network for registration or to broadcast the precise location information within its coverage;

otherwise, if it is determined that the captured related satellite signals are not sufficient for positioning calculation, enabling the femtocell base station to provide the approximate location information to the core network for registration or to broadcast the approximate location information within its coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of presetting the SUPL program in the femtocell base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network system supporting the SUPL platform comprises:

GNSS satellites, a world wide reference network (WWRN) and mobile communication network base stations, and the SUPL platform has a SUPL positioning center, a SUPL location center and a location user interface for communication between the SUPL platform and the femtocell base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (1) further comprises the steps of:

(1-1) sending by the femtocell base station a positioning connection request message with a terminal identification through the network system supporting the SUPL platform and the location user interface to the SUPL platform;

(1-2) after receiving the positioning connection request message, activating by the SUPL platform the SUPL positioning center to verify positioning permission of the femtocell base station so as to establish communication between the SUPL platform and the femtocell base station if it is determined that the femtocell base station has the positioning permission, thereby allowing the SUPL location center to send the assistant positioning information and approximate location information to the femtocell base station; and

(1-3) capturing by the femtocell base station the related satellite signals according to the assistant positioning signals so as to obtain related positioning information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (2) further comprises the step of determining whether the related satellite signals are sufficient for the positioning calculation according to the related positioning information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the femtocell base station determines whether the related satellite signals are sufficient for the positioning calculation according to the related positioning information, such that if it is determined that the related satellite signals are sufficient for the positioning calculation, the femtocell base station performs the positioning calculation according to the related satellite signals so as to obtain precise location information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the SUPL platform determines whether the related satellite signals are sufficient for the positioning calculation according to the related positioning information, such that if it is determined that the related satellite signals are sufficient for the positioning calculation, the SUPL platform performs the positioning calculation according to the related satellite signals so as to obtain precise location information and send the precise location information to the femtocell base station.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the terminal identification is information utilized for identification of the femtocell base station on the SUPL platform.

9. A system for positioning a femtocell base station through a SUPL platform, comprising:

a plurality of mobile communication network base stations;

a SUPL platform having a SUPL location center for obtaining location information of the mobile communication network base stations and a SUPL positioning center for establishing communication;

a location user interface connected to the SUPL platform; and

a femtocell base station having a SUPL program for communication with the SUPL platform, wherein when the SUPL program is initiated, communication is established between the SUPL program and the femtocell base station through the location user interface such that the femtocell base station provides to the SUPL location center the location information of the mobile communication network base stations adjacent to the femtocell base station so as to obtain approximate location information and assistant positioning information of the femtocell base station from the SUPL location center, and, further, the femtocell base station utilizes the assistant positioning information to capture related satellite signals and determines whether the captured related satellite signals are sufficient for positioning calculation, wherein, if they are sufficient, the femtocell base station performs the positioning calculation according to the captured related satellite signals so as to obtain precise location information of the femtocell base station and use the precise location information as positioning information;

otherwise, if the captured related satellite signals are not sufficient for the positioning calculation, the femtocell base station uses the approximate location information as positioning information.

10. A system for positioning a femtocell base station through a SUPL platform, comprising:

a plurality of mobile communication network base stations;

a SUPL platform having a SUPL location center for obtaining location information of the mobile communication network base stations and a SUPL positioning center for establishing communication;

a location user interface connected to the SUPL platform; and

a femtocell base station having a SUPL program for communication with the SUPL platform, wherein, when the SUPL program is initiated, communication can be established between the SUPL program and the femtocell base station through the location user interface such that the femtocell base station provides to the SUPL location center the location information of the mobile communication network base stations adjacent to the femtocell base station so as to obtain approximate location information and assistant positioning information of the femtocell base station from the SUPL location center, and, further, the femtocell base station utilizes the assistant positioning information to capture related satellite signals and determines whether the captured related satellite signals are sufficient for positioning calculation, wherein, if they are sufficient, the femtocell base station sends the related satellite signals to the SUPL platform such that the SUPL platform performs the positioning calculation according to the related satellite signals so as to obtain precise location information of the femtocell base station and send the precise location information as positioning information to the femtocell base station;

otherwise, if the captured related satellite signals are not sufficient for positioning calculation, the femtocell base station uses the approximate location information as positioning information.