Method and apparatus for performing position determination with pre-session action

• US 8,768,375 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Farmer, Dominic Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US12/825,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/456.1, 340/539.12, 342/352, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A network sends to a user equipment (UE) an indication (e.g., a request for permission) to perform a position fix for the UE. The network also selectively sends to the UE a pre-session command for an action related to position determination. For example, the command may direct the UE to (1) clear all or a portion of location-related data at the UE prior to performing the position fix, (2) send back a position estimate for the UE, if available, or (3) apply a time offset and/or a position offset in performing the position fix. The UE sends to the network an acknowledgment (e.g., a grant of permission) to perform the position fix. The UE also performs the action indicated by the command (if any) received from the network prior to or in conjunction with performing the position fix. The network and UE perform the position fix for the UE.

Claims

1. A method of performance testing of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, in the UE from a network prior to performing a position fix at the UE, a test-related command that indicates selected location-related data to be cleared from at least a portion of a memory in the UE containing the selected location-related data;

in response to receiving the test-related command, clearing the selected location-related data indicated by the test-related command at the UE from the portion of the memory in the UE containing the selected location-related data, thereby causing said portion of the memory to reset to a known state;

receiving, in the UE from the network, updated location-related data;

storing the updated location-related data in said portion of the memory; and

performing the position fix with the updated location-related data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises clearing at least one type of global positioning satellite (GPS) assistance data at the UE.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said GPS assistance data to be cleared includes at least one of time information, almanac, ephemeris, ionospheric information, UTC time offset, position estimate, and cell-ID database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises clearing all location-related data at the UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises clearing a position estimate available at the UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises clearing a cell-ID database at the UE prior to performing the position fix.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining the location-related data at the UE if a clear command is not received.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the updated location-related data comprises acquiring assistance data from a positioning server associated with the network from which the test-related command is received.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated location-related data is of a same type as the location-related data that has been cleared at the UE by the test-related command.

10. An apparatus for performance testing of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a receiver configured to receive, from a network, a test-related command that indicates selected location-related data to be cleared from at least a portion of the memory and to receive updated location-related data from the network; and

a processor configured to perform a position fix for the UE and to respond to receiving the test-related command at the receiver prior to performing the position fix by clearing the selected location-related data at the UE from said portion of the memory containing the selected location-related data, thereby causing said portion of the memory to reset to a known state, instructing the receiver to receive the updated location-related data, and storing the updated location-related data in said portion of the memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is operative to identify at least one type of location-related data associated with the test-related command received and to clear the at least one type of location-related data at the UE associated with the received test-related command, wherein the received test-related command is selected from among a plurality of clear commands, and wherein each clear command corresponds to a different set of at least one type of location-related data at the UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is operative to clear at least one type of global positioning satellite (GPS) assistance data at the UE.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said GPS assistance data to be cleared includes at least one of time information, almanac, ephemeris, ionospheric information, UTC time offset, position estimate, and cell-ID database.

14. An apparatus for performance testing of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, from a network prior to performing a position fix for the UE, a test-related command that indicates selected location-related data to be cleared from at least a portion of a memory in the UE containing the selected location-related data;

means, responsive to said test-related command, for clearing the selected location-related data at the UE from said portion of the memory in the UE containing the selected location-related data, thereby causing said portion of the memory to reset to a known state;

means for receiving, from the network, updated location-related data;

means for storing the updated location-related data in said portion of the memory; and

means for performing the position fix for the UE with the updated location-related data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises means for identifying at least one type of location-related data associated with the test-related command received, wherein the received test-related command is selected from among a plurality of clear commands, and wherein each clear command corresponds to a different set of at least one type of location-related data at the UE, and means for clearing the at least one type of location-related data at the UE associated with the received test-related command.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for clearing the selected location-related data at the UE comprises means for clearing at least one type of global positioning satellite (GPS) assistance data at the UE prior to performing the position fix.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said GPS assistance data to be cleared includes at least one of time information, almanac, ephemeris, ionospheric information, UTC time offset, position estimate, and cell-ID database.

18. An article comprising a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by a processor, enable performance testing of a user equipment (UE), the instructions comprising:

code to cause the processor to receive a test-related command from a network prior to performing a position fix for the UE, wherein the test-related command indicates selected location-related data to be cleared from at least a portion of a memory in the UE containing the selected location-related data;

code to cause the processor to clear, in response to the test-related command, said selected location-related data at the UE from said portion of the memory containing the selected location-related data, thereby causing said portion of the memory to reset to a known state;

code to cause the processor to receive updated location-related data from the network;

code to cause the processor to store the updated location-related data in said portion of the memory; and

code to cause the processor to perform the position fix for the UE with the updated location-related data.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

code to cause the processor to clear the selected location-related data at the UE by identifying at least one type of location-related data associated with the test-related command received, wherein the received test-related command is selected from among a plurality of clear commands, and wherein each clear command corresponds to a different set of at least one type of location-related data at the UE; and

code to cause the processor to clear the at least one type of location-related data at the UE associated with the received test-related command.

20. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise code to cause the processor to clear the selected location-related data at the UE by clearing at least one type of global positioning satellite (GPS) assistance data at the UE.

21. The article of claim 20 wherein said GPS assistance data to be cleared includes at least one of time information, almanac, ephemeris, ionospheric information, UTC time offset, position estimate, and cell-ID database.

22. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise code to cause the processor to clear the selected location-related data at the UE by clearing all location-related data at the UE.

23. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise code to cause the processor to clear the selected location-related data at the UE by clearing a position estimate available at the UE.

24. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise code to cause the processor to clear the selected location-related data at the UE by clearing a cell-ID database at the UE.

25. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise code to cause the processor to retain the location-related data at the UE if a clear command is not received.