Position determination for emergency call from multi-mode mobile station

• US 8,472,917 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahman, Iftekhar, Li, Mingxing
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US12/973,575
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

In the examples, at the start of an emergency call, a mobile station determines one or more types of wireless access technologies available from the mobile communication network, from among wireless access technologies supported by the mobile station. Based on a hierarchy regarding ability to determine location of the mobile station using each of the supported wireless access technologies, the mobile station selects an available wireless access technology of the mobile communication network offering the best ability to determine location of the mobile station and initiates a determination of the location of the mobile station for purposes of the emergency call via the mobile communication network using the selected wireless access technology.

Claims

1. A method comprising steps of:

upon detecting a start of an emergency call from a mobile station capable of supporting a plurality of wireless access technologies through a mobile communication network, determining one or more types of wireless access technologies available to the mobile station from the mobile communication network at the time of the emergency call, from among the plurality of wireless access technologies, wherein the wireless access technologies supported by the mobile station include two or more wireless access technologies selected from 1x Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO);

comparing the determined one or more types of available wireless access technologies to a hierarchy regarding ability to determine location of the mobile station using each of the supported wireless access technologies to select a wireless access technology of the mobile communication network offering the ability to determine location of the mobile station during the emergency call,

wherein the comparing step further includes;

determining if the 1xRTT wireless access technology is available from among 1xRTT, LTE, and EvDO,

upon determining 1xRTT is not available, determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available from among LTE and EvDO, and

upon determining LTE is available, instructing the mobile station to operate in a LTE mode and select LTE measurements for position determination;

initiating a determination of the location of the mobile station for purposes of the emergency call via the mobile communication network, using the selected wireless access technology for making air interface measurements for position determination;

determining before the position determination is completed using LTE, that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO;

upon determining that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO, determining if 1xRTT is available; and

upon determining 1 xRTT is available, instructing the mobile station to change the EvDO wireless access technology to a 1xRTT mode and select 1xRTT measurements for position determination while using EvDO air interface to transport 1xRTT measurements to a location server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing step further includes:

upon determining 1xRTT is available, prior to determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available, instructing the mobile station to operate in a 1xRTT mode and select 1xRTT measurements for position determination.

3. An article of manufacture comprising:

programming for configuring a mobile station to implement the steps of the method of claim 1; and

a non-transitory, machine readable storage medium bearing the programming.

4. A method comprising steps of:

after detecting a start of an emergency call from a mobile station capable of supporting a plurality of wireless access technologies through a mobile communication network, determining one or more types of wireless access technologies available to the mobile station from the mobile communication network at the time of the emergency call, from among the plurality of wireless access technologies, wherein the wireless access technologies supported by the mobile station include two or more wireless access technologies selected from 1x Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO);

comparing the determined one or more types of available wireless access technologies to a hierarchy regarding ability to determine location of the mobile station using each of the supported wireless access technologies to select a wireless access technology of the mobile communication network offering the ability to determine location of the mobile station during the emergency call,

wherein the comparing step further includes;

determining if the 1 xRTT wireless access technology is available from among 1xRTT, LTE, and EvDO,

upon determining 1xRTT is not available, determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available from among LTE and EvDO, and

upon determining LTE is available, instructing the mobile station to operate in a LTE mode and select LTE measurements for position determination;

initiating a determination of the location of the mobile station for purposes of the emergency call via the mobile communication network, using the selected wireless access technology for making air interface measurements for position determination;

determining before the position determination is completed using LTE, that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO;

upon determining that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO, determining if 1xRTT is available; and

upon determining the 1xRTT is not available, instructing the mobile station to send EvDO base station identifiers to a location server for position determination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparing step further includes:

upon determining 1xRTT is available, prior to determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available, instructing the mobile station to operate in a 1xRTT mode and select 1xRTT measurements for position determination.

6. An article of manufacture comprising:

programming for configuring a mobile station to implement the steps of the method of claim 4; and

a non-transitory, machine readable storage medium bearing the programming.

7. A mobile station, comprising:

at least one wireless transceiver for calls through a mobile communication network and for determining location of the mobile station, the at least one wireless transceiver supporting a plurality of wireless access technologies including two or more wireless access technologies selected from 1x Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO);

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to control the at least one wireless transceiver during emergency calls from the mobile station to perform functions, comprising functions to;

upon detecting a start of an emergency call from the mobile station, determine one or more types of wireless access technologies available to the mobile station from the mobile communication network;

based on a hierarchy regarding ability to determine location of the mobile station using each of the supported wireless access technologies,

determine if the 1xRTT wireless access technology is available from among 1xRTT, LTE, and EvDO;

upon determining 1xRTT is not available, determine if the LTE wireless access technology is available from among LTE and EvDO; and

upon determining LTE is available, instruct the mobile station to operate in a LTE mode and select LTE measurements for position determination;

initiate a determination of the location of the mobile station for purposes of the emergency call through the mobile communication network, using the selected wireless access technology for making air interface measurements for position determination;

determine before the position determination is completed using LTE, that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO;

upon determining that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO, determine if 1xRTT is available; and

upon determining 1 xRTT is available, instruct the mobile station to change the EvDO wireless access technology to a 1xRTT mode and select 1xRTT measurements for position determination while using EvDO air interface to transport 1xRTT measurements to a location server.

8. The mobile station of claim 7, wherein the functions further include functions to:

upon determining 1xRTT is available, prior to determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available, instruct the mobile station to operate in a 1xRTT mode and select 1xRTT measurements for position determination.

9. A method comprising steps of:

upon detecting a start of an emergency call from a mobile station capable of supporting a plurality of wireless access technologies through a mobile communication network, determining one or more types of wireless access technologies available to the mobile station from the mobile communication network at the time of the emergency call, from among the plurality of wireless access technologies,

wherein the wireless access technologies supported by the mobile station include two or more wireless access technologies selected from 1x Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO);

comparing the determined one or more types of available wireless access technologies to a hierarchy regarding ability to determine location of the mobile station using each of the supported wireless access technologies to select a wireless access technology of the mobile communication network offering the ability to determine location of the mobile station during the emergency call,

wherein the comparing step further includes;

determining if the 1 xRTT wireless access technology is available from among 1 xRTT, LTE, and EvDO,

upon determining 1xRTT is not available, determining if the LTE wireless access technology is available from among LTE and EvDO, and

upon determining LTE is available, instructing the mobile station to operate in a LTE mode and select LTE measurements for position determination;

initiating a determination of the location of the mobile station for purposes of the emergency call via the mobile communication network, using the selected wireless access technology for making air interface measurements for position determination;

determining that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO;

determining if the mobile station is in a hybrid mode with 1xRTT; and

after determining that the mobile station is in the hybrid mode, instructing the mobile station to operate in a 1xRTT mode and make 1xRTT air interface measurements for position determination to support a user plane positioning protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, upon determining that the mobile station is handed down to EvDO, whether the mobile station is in a hybrid mode with 1xRTT is determined.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

programming for configuring a mobile station to implement the steps of the method of claim 9; and

a non-transitory, machine readable storage medium bearing the programming.