Method and apparatus for supporting location services via a Home Node B (HNB)

• US 9,119,028 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen William, Singh, Damanjit, Chen, Jen Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US13/085,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20110256875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• 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 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Techniques for supporting location services for a home Node B (HNB) and its user equipments (UEs) are disclosed. In an aspect, location services may be supported for a UE by having an HNB inter-work between user plane and control plane location solutions. In one design, the HNB receives a request for a location service for the UE and communicates (i) with a location server via the user plane location solution and (ii) with the UE via the control plane location solution to support the location service for the UE. The HNB inter-works between the user plane and control plane location solutions. In another aspect, a location server may be used to support assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) for HNBs and UEs. In one design, an HNB exchanges PCAP messages with the location server via an HNB GW and exchanges RRC messages with a UE to support a location service for the UE.

Claims

1. A method of supporting location services, comprising:

receiving a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a network entity;

communicating a first message with a location server via a user plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the communicating with the location server comprises receiving the first message for the user plane location solution from the location server;

communicating a second message with the UE via a control plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the communicating with the UE comprises sending the second message for the control plane location solution to the UE; and

inter-working between the user plane location solution and the control plane location solution by the network entity, wherein the inter-working comprises transferring at least part of information in the first message to the second message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a location estimate for the UE from the location server or the UE; and

returning the location estimate for the UE in a response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with the UE comprises receiving a third message for the control plane location solution from the UE, wherein the communicating with the location server comprises sending a fourth message for the user plane location solution to the location server, and wherein the inter-working comprises transferring at least part of information in the third message to the fourth message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is for a Radio Resource Location Services (LCS) Protocol (RRLP) positioning protocol and the second message is for a Radio Resource Control (RRC) positioning protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user plane location solution comprises Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the control plane location solution comprises a 3GPP control plane location solution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity acts as the UE for communication with the location server and provides positioning capabilities of the UE to the location server, and wherein the location server provides assistance based on the positioning capabilities of the UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location service includes positioning to determine location of the UE, or delivery of assistance data to the UE, or both.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location service includes assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (A-GNSS) to determine location of the UE.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises a home Node B (HNB) or a Radio Network Controller (RNC).

10. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a network entity;

means for communicating a first message with a location server via a user plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the means for communicating with the location server comprises means for receiving the first message for the user plane location solution from the location server;

means for communicating a second message with the UE via a control plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the means for communicating with the UE comprises means for sending the second message for the control plane location solution to the UE; and

means for inter-working between the user plane location solution and the control plane location solution by the network entity, wherein the means for inter-working comprises means for transferring at least part of information in the first message to the second message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the network entity acts as the UE for communication with the location server and provides positioning capabilities of the UE to the location server, and wherein the location server provides assistance based on the positioning capabilities of the UE.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a network entity, to communicate a first message with a location server via a user plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, to communicate a second message with the UE via a control plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, and to inter-work between the user plane location solution and the control plane location solution by the network entity by transferring at least part of information in the first message to the second message or at least part of information in the second message to the first message,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first message for the user plane location solution from the location server, to send the second message for the control plane location solution to the UE, and to transfer at least part of information in the first message to the second message.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network entity acts as the UE for communication with the location server and provides positioning capabilities of the UE to the location server, and wherein the location server provides assistance based on the positioning capabilities of the UE.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for causing at least one computer to receive a request for a location service for a user equipment (UE) by a network entity,

code for causing the at least one computer to communicate a first message with a location server via a user plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the code for causing the at least one computer to communicate with the location server comprises code for causing the at least one computer to receive the first message for the user plane location solution from the location server,

code for causing the at least one computer to communicate a second message with the UE via a control plane location solution by the network entity to support the location service for the UE, wherein the code for causing the at least one computer to communicate with the UE comprises code for causing the at least one computer to send the second message for the control plane location solution to the UE, and

code for causing the at least one computer to inter-work between the user plane location solution and the control plane location solution by the network entity, wherein the code for causing the at least one computer to inter-work comprises code for causing the at least one computer to transfer at least part of information in the first message to the second message.