Nodes and methods for positioning

• US 8,855,677 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wigren, Torbjrn, Siomina, Iana
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/266,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20120178473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method in an LCS server of a wireless communication system, for positioning of an LCS target. The method comprises obtaining (510) information relating to a first predefined geographical area, wherein it has been determined that a probability that the LCS target is located within the first predefined geographical area is below a threshold. The method also comprises receiving (520) a request for a positioning of the LCS target, and using (530) the obtained information relating to the first predefined geographical area for the positioning of the LCS target.

Claims

1. A method in a location services, LCS, server of a wireless communication system, for positioning of an LCS target, the method comprising:

obtaining information relating to a first predefined geographical area, wherein it has been determined that a probability that the LCS target is located within the first predefined geographical area is below a threshold,

receiving a request for a positioning of the LCS target,

subtracting the first predefined geographical area from a possible location area for the LCS target in order to define a remaining area, and

performing a positioning procedure in the remaining area for the positioning of the LCS target.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the obtained information relating to the first predefined geographical area in a database, and retrieving the stored information based on the received request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining the information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises receiving the information from a network node.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises at least one of the following:

a first predefined geographical area description;

a second geographical area description associated with the first predefined geographical area; and

a condition for when the first predefined geographical area is applicable.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first predefined geographical area description is a cluster of measurements with location information for LCS targets.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first predefined geographical area description is a polygon determined based on a cluster of measurements with location information for LCS targets.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the condition for when the first predefined geographical area is applicable is that a time condition is fulfilled, or that the LCS target corresponds to a specified LCS target.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predefined geographical area is at least one of the following:

a physically restricted area;

a radio access restricted area;

an area where an amount of measurements with location information is below a further threshold; and

an area describing an overlap of two or more location areas.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positioning is based on an adaptive enhanced cell identity method.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises transmitting the information relating to the first predefined geographical area to an LCS client interacting with the LCS server for the positioning of the LCS target.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitted information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises an indicator indicating whether a geographical area description in the transmitted information is the first predefined geographical area description.

12. A method in a location services, LCS, server of a wireless communication system, for positioning of an LCS target, the method comprising:

obtaining information relating to a first predefined geographical area, wherein it has been determined that a probability that the LCS target is located within the first predefined geographical area is below a threshold,

receiving a request for a positioning of the LCS target, and

using the obtained information relating to the first predefined geographical area for the positioning of the LCS target including adjusting a second geographical area description associated with the first predefined geographical area based on the information relating to the first predefined geographical area.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second geographical area is retrieved from the database, and wherein using further comprises storing the adjusted second geographical area description in the database.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein using further comprises transmitting the adjusted second geographical area description to an LCS client interacting with the LCS server for the positioning of the LCS target.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein adjusting comprises excluding the first predefined geographical area description comprised in the information relating to the first predefined geographical area from the second geographical area description.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting comprises connecting a boundary of the first predefined geographical area description comprised in the information relating to the first predefined geographical area with a boundary of the second geographical area description to form an extended boundary comprising both of said boundaries, the extended boundary describing at least one area excluding the first predefined geographical area.

17. A location services, LCS, server configured to be used in a wireless communication system for positioning of an LCS target, the LCS server comprising a processing unit configured to:

obtain information relating to a first predefined geographical area, wherein it has been determined that a probability that the LCS target is located within the first predefined geographical area is below a threshold,

receive a request for a positioning of the LCS target,

subtract the first predefined geographical area from a possible location area for the LCS target in order to define a remaining area, and

perform a positioning procedure in the remaining area for the positioning of the LCS target.

18. The LCS server according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to store the obtained information relating to the first predefined geographical area in a database and to retrieve the stored information based on the received request.

19. The LCS server according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the information relating to the first predefined geographical area by receiving the information from a network node.

20. The LCS server according to claim 17, wherein the information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises at least one of the following:

a first predefined geographical area description;

a second geographical area description associated with the first predefined geographical area; and

a condition for when the first predefined geographical area is applicable.

21. The LCS server according to claim 20, wherein the condition for when the first predefined geographical area is applicable is that a time condition is fulfilled, or that the LCS target corresponds to a specified LCS target.

22. The LCS server according to claim 17, wherein the first predefined geographical area is at least one of the following:

a physically restricted area;

a radio access restricted area;

an area where an amount of measurements with location information is below a further threshold; and

an area describing an overlap of two or more location areas.

28. The LCS server according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is configured to use the information relating to the first predefined geographical area by transmitting the information relating to the first predefined geographical area to an LCS client interacting with the LCS server for the positioning of the LCS target.

29. The LCS server according to claim 28, wherein the transmitted information relating to the first predefined geographical area comprises an indicator indicating whether a geographical area description in the transmitted information is the first predefined geographical area description.

30. The LCS client according to claim 29, wherein the LCS client is co-located with the LCS target.

23. A location services, LCS, server configured to be used in a wireless communication system for positioning of an LCS target, the LCS server comprising a processing unit configured to:

obtain information relating to a first predefined geographical area, wherein it has been determined that a probability that the LCS target is located within the first predefined geographical area is below a threshold,

receive a request for a positioning of the LCS target, and

use the obtained information relating to the first predefined geographical area for the positioning of the LCS target by adjusting the second geographical area description associated with the first predefined geographical area based on the information relating to the first predefined geographical area.

24. The LCS server according to claim 23, wherein the processing unit is configured to use the information relating to the first predefined geographical area by retrieving the second geographical area from the database, and storing the adjusted second geographical area description in the database.

25. The LCS server according to claim 23, wherein the processing unit is configured to transmit the adjusted second geographical area description to an LCS client interacting with the LCS server for the positioning of the LCS target.

26. The LCS server according to claim 23, wherein the processing unit is configured to adjust the second geographical area description by excluding the first predefined geographical area description comprised in the information relating to the first predefined geographical area from the second geographical area description.

27. The LCS server according to claim 23, wherein the processing unit is configured to adjust the second geographical area description by connecting a boundary of the first predefined geographical area description comprised in the information relating to the first predefined geographical area with a boundary of the second geographical area description to form an extended boundary comprising both of said boundaries, the extended boundary describing at least one area excluding the first predefined geographical area.