Methods and apparatus to activate location measurements

• US 8,391,887 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Cai, Zhijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rod, Yousef
• Application Number:
  US12/856,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20120039365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/404.2, 455/41.2, 4551151-1152, 455/161.1, 455/226.1, 455/435, 370/252, 370/310, 370/328, 370331-333, 370/342, 370/491
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to activate location measurements are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein for a wireless device to activate location measurements comprises receiving configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements, and operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless device to activate location measurements, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements;

operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information; and

including a stand-alone location measurement and a cell measurement in a radio link failure report when the processor is activated based on the one or more radio link failure criteria.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a number of radio link failures and a time period.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the processor is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) processor.

6. A method for a wireless device to activate location measurements, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements; and

operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information, wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated, and operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information comprises;

activating the processor when a number of radio link failures counted during a time period is greater than or equal to the specified radio link failure frequency; and

using the processor to perform a stand-alone location measurement when a subsequent radio link failure is detected.

7. A method for a wireless device to activate location measurements, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements; and

operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information, wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor, the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a first specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated, and the one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor include a second specified radio link failure frequency at or below which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be deactivated, the second specified radio link failure frequency being different from the first specified radio link failure frequency.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information comprises:

activating the processor when a first number of radio link failures counted during a first time period is greater than or equal to the first specified radio link failure frequency; and

deactivating the processor when a second number of radio link failures counted during a second time period is less than or equal to the second specified radio link failure frequency.

9. A method as defined in claim 8 wherein operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information further comprises deactivating the processor when at least one of a specified activation period has expired, a handover to a different radio access technology (RAT) has occurred, or the processor has moved to a different public land mobile network (PLMN).

10. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the first specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a first number of radio link failures and a first time period, and wherein the second specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a second number of radio link failures and a second time period.

11. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements;

operate the processor in accordance with the configuration information; and

include a stand-alone location measurement and a cell measurement in a radio link failure report when the processor is activated based on the one or more radio link failure criteria.

12. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 11 wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated.

13. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 11 wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor.

14. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements; and

operate the processor in accordance with the configuration information, wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor, the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a first specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated, and the one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the processor include a second specified radio link failure frequency at or below which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be deactivated, the second specified radio link failure frequency being different from the first specified radio link failure frequency.

15. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 14 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

activate the processor when a first number of radio link failures counted during a first time period is greater than or equal to the first specified radio link failure frequency;

use the processor to perform a stand-alone location measurement when a subsequent radio link failure is detected after the processor is activated; and

deactivate the processor when a second number of radio link failures counted during a second time period is less than or equal to the second specified radio link failure frequency.

16. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 14 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

activate the processor when a first number of radio link failures counted during a first time period is greater than or equal to the first specified radio link failure frequency; and

deactivate the processor when a second number of radio link failures counted during a second time period is less than or equal to the second specified radio link failure frequency.

17. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 16 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to deactivate the processor when at least one of a specified activation period has expired, a handover to a different radio access technology (RAT) has occurred, or the processor has moved to a different public land mobile network (PLMN).

18. A tangible storage medium as defined in claim 14 wherein the first specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a first number of radio link failures and a first time period, and the second specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a second number of radio link failures and a second time period.

19. An apparatus to activate location measurements, the apparatus comprising:

a first processor to;

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) processor;

operate the GNSS processor in accordance with the configuration information; and

include a stand-alone location measurement and a cell measurement in a radio link failure report when the GNSS processor is activated based on the one or more radio link failure criteria; and

a memory to store location measurements determined by the GNSS processor.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the GNSS processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the GNSS processor is to be activated.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the GNSS processor.

22. An apparatus to activate location measurements, the apparatus comprising:

a first processor to;

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) processor; and

operate the GNSS processor in accordance with the configuration information; and

a memory to store location measurements determined by the GNSS processor, wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the GNSS processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the GNSS processor is to be activated, and the first processor is to;

activate the GNSS processor when a number of radio link failures counted during a time period is greater than or equal to the specified radio link failure frequency; and

invoke the GNSS processor to perform a stand-alone location measurement when a subsequent radio link failure is detected.

23. An apparatus to activate location measurements, the apparatus comprising:

a first processor to;

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) processor; and

operate the GNSS processor in accordance with the configuration information; and

a memory to store location measurements determined by the GNSS processor, wherein the configuration information further includes one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the GNSS processor, the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the GNSS processor include a first specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the GNSS processor is to be activated, and the one or more radio link failure criteria for deactivating the GNSS processor include a second specified radio link failure frequency at or below which the GNSS processor is to be deactivated.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein the first processor is to:

activate the GNSS processor when a first number of radio link failures counted during a first time period is greater than or equal to the first specified radio link failure frequency; and

deactivate the GNSS processor when a second number of radio link failures counted during a second time period is less than or equal to the second specified radio link failure frequency.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein the first processor is to deactivate the GNSS processor when at least one of a specified activation period has expired, a handover to a different radio access technology (RAT) has occurred, or the GNSS processor has moved to a different public land mobile network (PLMN).

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein the first specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a first number of radio link failures and a first time period, and wherein the second specified radio link failure frequency is specified as a second number of radio link failures and a second time period.

27. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements; and

operate the processor in accordance with the configuration information, wherein the one or more radio link failure criteria for activating the processor include a specified radio link failure frequency at or above which the processor for performing stand-alone location measurements is to be activated, and to operate the processor in accordance with the configuration information, the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to;

activate the processor when a number of radio link failures counted during a time period is greater than or equal to the specified radio link failure frequency; and

use the processor to perform a stand-alone location measurement when a subsequent radio link failure is detected.