Method and apparatus for supporting positioning measurements

• US 8,909,271 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stern-Berkowitz, Janet A., Rudolf, Marian, Dennean, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US12/856,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/436, 455/446, 455/447, 455/502, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 370/329, 370/335, 370/338, 370/350
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supporting positioning measurements. The methods include designating a reference cell, choosing a positioning signal, and, for inter-frequency measurements, determining which inter-frequency cell to measure and how to make such an inter-frequency positioning measurement.

Claims

1. A method for supporting positioning measurements, comprising:

designating a base station cell as a reference cell;

designating at least one other base station cell as a non-reference cell;

transmitting reference cell information and non-reference cell information to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) that makes the positioning measurements with respect to the reference cell and the non-reference cell, wherein the positioning measurements are used to determine a position of the WTRU; and

transmitting information for the non-reference cell that indicates that a transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) by the non-reference cell is synchronized with a transmission of a PRS by the reference cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference cell is not a serving cell.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information for the reference cell to the WTRU on a condition that the reference cell supports PRS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information for the reference cell includes subframe allocation information.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting an absence of a receipt of the information for the reference cell and determining non-support of PRS in accordance with the detecting.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one carrier frequency with respect to at least one interfrequency cell being used for the positioning measurements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one carrier frequency is provided as assistance data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein assistance data is signaled via one of radio resource control or long term evolution positioning protocol signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an absence of information for a neighboring cell and determining that PRS information of the neighboring cell is identical to PRS information of the reference cell.

10. A method for supporting positioning measurements at a wireless device, comprising:

receiving reference cell information associated with a reference cell from a network, wherein the reference cell corresponds to a base station cell;

receiving non-reference cell information associated with a non-reference cell, wherein the non-reference cell corresponds to one other base station cell;

receiving information for the non-reference cell that indicates that a transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) by the non-reference cell is synchronized with a transmission of a PRS by the reference cell; and

making positioning measurements using the reference cell information and the non-reference cell information, wherein the positioning measurements are used to determine a position of the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving information for the reference cell on a condition that the reference cell supports PRS.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information for the reference cell includes subframe allocation information.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining lack of positioning reference signal (PRS) support by the reference cell from lack of signaling of PRS information for the reference cell.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving at least one carrier frequency with respect to at least one inter-frequency cell being used for positioning measurements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one carrier frequency is provided as assistance data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the assistance data is signaled via one of radio resource control or long term evolution positioning protocol signaling.

17. A wireless device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive reference cell information associated with a reference cell from a network, wherein the reference cell corresponds to a base station cell;

the receiver configured to receive non-reference cell information associated with a non-reference cell, wherein the non-reference cell corresponds to one other base station cell;

a processor in communication with the receiver;

a transmitter in communication with the processor;

the processor configured to make positioning measurements using the reference cell information and the non-reference cell information;

the processor further configured to use the positioning measurements to determine a position of the wireless device; and

the receiver further configured to receive information for the non-reference cell that indicates that a transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) by the non-reference cell is synchronized with a transmission of a PRS by the reference cell.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the reference cell is not a serving cell.

19. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the receiver is configured to receive information for the reference cell on a condition that the reference cell supports PRS, wherein the information includes PRS subframe allocation information.