Maintaining location based service session continuity during inter-RAT mobility

• US 8,700,055 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Chun, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan, Burroughs, Kirk A., Klingenbrunn, Thomas, Lin, Ie-Hong, Mirbagheri, Arash, Rousseau, Jean-Michel R., Shahidi, Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US13/220,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455436-440, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

When a user equipment engaged in mobile communications transfers from a network with one radio access technology (RAT) to another network with a different radio access technology, maintaining continuity of location based services can improve system performance. A user equipment may perform a series of checks when undergoing inter-RAT transfer to determine if a location based services protocol used with the source network is operable on the target network. The UE also determines if location based services sessions are at a point where they can be continued following inter-RAT transfer. Where possible, protocols and sessions are maintained to preserve location based services continuity.

Claims

1. A method for managing location based services during wireless communication, the method comprising:

performing inter-radio access technology (RAT) system change of a user equipment from a source base station of a first radio access technology (RAT) to a target base station of a second RAT;

determining whether a position location session has started;

when the position location session has started, determining if a positioning protocol used with the first RAT is compatible with the second RAT;

when the positioning protocol is compatible with the second RAT, continuing the position location session with the positioning protocol of the first RAT;

when the positioning protocol is not compatible with the second RAT, either restarting the position location session or awaiting network initiation of a new position location session; and

when the position location session has not started, initiating a position location session with a positioning protocol of the second RAT;

determining when an internet protocol address of the user equipment is maintained during the inter-RAT system change;

determining whether the position location session has started when the internet protocol address is maintained; and

starting a new position location session when the internet protocol address is not maintained.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol exchange has completed;

determining whether a Secured User Plane Location protocol timeout has occurred when the TLS protocol exchange has completed;

continuing the TLS protocol exchange when the TLS protocol exchange has not completed and no TLS protocol error is indicated; and

restarting the TLS protocol exchange when a TLS protocol error is indicated.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the determining whether a position location session has started comprises determining whether a Secured User Plane Location position initialization message has been sent.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the position location session uses a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).

5. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

means for performing inter-radio access technology (RAT) system change of a user equipment from a source base station of a first radio access technology (RAT) to a target base station of a second RAT;

means for determining whether a position location session has started;

means for determining if a positioning protocol used with the first RAT is compatible with the second RAT when the position location session has started;

means for continuing the position location session with the positioning protocol of the first RAT when the positioning protocol is compatible with the second RAT;

means for either restarting the position location session or awaiting network initiation of a new position location session when the positioning protocol is not compatible with the second RAT;

means for initiating a position location session with a positioning protocol of the second RAT when the position location session has not started;

means for determining whether an internet protocol address of the user equipment is maintained during the inter-RAT system change;

means for determining whether the position location session has started when the internet protocol address is maintained; and

means for starting a new position location session when the internet protocol address is not maintained.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

means for determining whether a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol exchange has completed;

means for determining whether a Secured User Plane Location protocol timeout has occurred when the TLS protocol exchange has completed;

means for continuing the TLS protocol exchange when the TLS protocol exchange has not completed and no TLS protocol error is indicated; and

means for restarting the TLS protocol exchange when a TLS protocol error is indicated.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the means for determining whether a position location session has started comprises means for determining whether a Secured User Plane Location position initialization message has been sent.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the position location session uses a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).

9. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to perform inter-radio access technology (RAT) system change of a user equipment from a source base station of a first radio access technology (RAT) to a target base station of a second RAT;

program code to determine whether a position location session has started;

program code to determine if a positioning protocol used with the first RAT is compatible with the second RAT when the position location session has started;

program code to continue the position location session with the positioning protocol of the first RAT when the positioning protocol is compatible with the second RAT;

program code to either restart the position location session or await network initiation of a new position location session when the positioning protocol is not compatible with the second RAT;

program code to initiate a position location session with a positioning protocol of the second RAT when the position location session has not started;

program code to determine whether an internet protocol address of the user equipment is maintained during the inter-RAT system change;

program code to determine whether the position location session has started when the internet protocol address is maintained; and

program code to start a new position location session when the internet protocol address is not maintained.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program code to determine whether a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol exchange has completed;

program code to determine whether a Secured User Plane Location protocol timeout has occurred when the TLS protocol exchange has completed;

program code to continue the TLS protocol exchange when the TLS protocol exchange has not completed and no TLS protocol error is indicated; and

program code to restart the TLS protocol exchange when a TLS protocol error is indicated.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 in which the program code to determine whether a position location session has started comprises program code to determine whether a Secured User Plane Location position initialization message has been sent.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 in which the position location session uses a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).

13. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor,

wherein said at least one processor is configured;

to perform inter-radio access technology (RAT) system change of a user equipment from a source base station of a first radio access technology (RAT) to a target base station of a second RAT;

to determine whether a position location session has started;

to determine if a positioning protocol used with the first RAT is compatible with the second RAT when the position location session has started;

to continue the position location session with the positioning protocol of the first RAT when the positioning protocol is compatible with the second RAT;

to either restart the position location session or await network initiation of a new position location session when the positioning protocol is not compatible with the second RAT;

to initiate a position location session with a positioning protocol of the second RAT when the position location session has not started;

to determine whether an internet protocol address of the user equipment is maintained during the inter-RAT system change;

to determine whether the position location session has started when the internet protocol address is maintained; and

to start a new position location session when the internet protocol address is not maintained.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the at least one processor is further configured:

to determine whether a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol exchange has completed;

to determine whether a Secured User Plane Location protocol timeout has occurred when the TLS protocol exchange has completed;

to continue the TLS protocol exchange when the TLS protocol exchange has not completed and no TLS protocol error is indicated; and

to restart the TLS protocol exchange when a TLS protocol error is indicated.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether a Secured User Plane Location position initialization message has been sent.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the position location session uses a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP).