Method and apparatus for maintaining location continuity for a UE following handover

• US 9,357,439 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohebbi, Kouroush
• Application Number:
  US14/814,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/385 of the core network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Techniques for maintaining location continuity for a user equipment (UE) following handover are described. The UE communicates with a first radio access network (RAN) and is served by a source serving node and a source location server prior to handover. The UE communicates with a second RAN and is served by a target serving node and a target location server after the handover. In an aspect, location continuity may be maintained for the UE by transferring an identity of the target serving node to a location server during handover of the UE. In one design, the target serving node sends its identity to the target location server, which updates a Location and Routing Function (LRF) serving the UE. In another design, for handover from packet-switched domain to circuit-switched domain, the source serving node sends the target serving node identity to the source location server, which updates the LRF.

Claims

1. A method of receiving location services, the method comprising:

communicating, by a user equipment (UE), with a first radio access network (RAN) prior to a handover;

receiving, by the UE via the first RAN prior to the handover, information for the location services from a source location server;

communicating, by the UE with a second RAN after the handover; and

receiving, by the UE via the second RAN after the handover, information for the location services from a target location server, the target location server being different from the source location server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing, by the UE after the handover, handover related measurements indicative of a target serving node identity to the second RAN.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the UE, the information for the location services from the source location server via a user plane location solution prior to the handover; and

receiving, at the UE, the information for the location services from the target location server via a control plane location solution after the handover.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the UE, the information for the location services from the source location server via a control plane location solution prior to the handover; and

receiving, at the UE, the information for the location services from the target location server via a user plane location solution after the handover.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, by the UE, with the first RAN prior to the handover and with the second RAN after the handover for an emergency call.

6. An apparatus for receiving location services, the apparatus comprising:

memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory; and

a transceiver configured to;

communicate with a first radio access network (RAN) prior to a handover;

receive, via the first RAN prior to the handover, information for the location services from a source location server;

communicate, with a second RAN after the handover; and

receive, via the second RAN after the handover, information for the location services from a target location server, the target location server being different from the source location server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the transceiver is further configured to provide, after the handover, handover related measurements indicative of a target serving node identity to the second RAN.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the information for the location services from the source location server via a user plane location solution prior to the handover; and

receive the information for the location services from the target location server via a control plane location solution after the handover.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the information for the location services from the source location server via a control plane location solution prior to the handover; and

receive the information for the location services from the target location server via a user plane location solution after the handover.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate with the first RAN prior to the handover and with the second RAN after the handover for an emergency call.

11. An apparatus for receiving location services, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a first radio access network (RAN) prior to a handover;

means for receiving, via the first RAN prior to the handover, information for the location services from a source location server;

means for communicating with a second RAN after the handover; and

means for receiving, via the second RAN after the handover, information for the location services from a target location server, the target location server being different from the source location server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for providing, after the handover, handover related measurements indicative of a target serving node identity to the second RAN.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving the information for the location services from the source location server via a user plane location solution prior to the handover; and

means for receiving the information for the location services from the target location server via a control plane location solution after the handover.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving the information for the location services from the source location server via a control plane location solution prior to the handover; and

means for receiving the information for the location services from the target location server via a user plane location solution after the handover.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable medium, having stored thereon processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

communicate with a first radio access network (RAN) prior to a handover;

receive, via the first RAN prior to the handover, information for location services from a source location server;

communicate, with a second RAN after the handover; and

receive, via the second RAN after the handover, information for the location services from a target location server, the target location server being different from the source location server.

16. A method of supporting location services for a user equipment (UE) after handover, the method comprising:

supporting communications for the UE prior to a handover;

receiving, by a location and routing function (LRF), an identity of a target serving node;

determining, by the LRF based at least in part on the identity of the target serving node, a target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover; and

updating information at the LRF to replace a source location server for supporting the location services for the UE prior to the handover with the target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover, the target location server being different from the source location server.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising initiating a location session for the UE after the handover based on the identity of the target serving node.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the identity of the target serving node, at the LRF, from the target location server.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the identity of the target serving node, at the LRF, from the source location server.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving an identity of the UE, at the LRF, from the source location server; and

sending the identity of the UE, by the LRF, to the target location server.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining the target location server based on configuration information stored at the LRF.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the LRF consists of only one LRF.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the LRF comprises a plurality of LRFs.

24. A location and routing function (LRF) for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), the LRF comprising:

memory;

a communications unit configured to;

support communications for the UE prior to a handover;

receive an identity of a target serving node; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

determine, based at least in part on the identity of the target serving node, a target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover; and

update information at the LRF to replace a source location server for supporting the location services for the UE prior to the handover with the target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover, the target location server being different from the source location server.

25. The LRF of claim 24, the at least one processor further configured to initiate a location session for the UE after the handover based on the identity of the target serving node.

26. The LRF of claim 24, the communications unit further configured to receive the identity of the target serving node from the target location server.

27. The LRF of claim 24, the communications unit further configured to receive the identity of the target serving node from the source location server.

28. The LRF of claim 27, the communications unit further configured to:

receive an identity of the UE from the source location server; and

send the identity of the UE to the target location server.

29. The LRF of claim 24, the at least one processor further configured to determine the target location server based on configuration information stored at the LRF.

30. The LRF of claim 24 consisting of only one LRF.

31. The LRF of claim 24 comprising a plurality of LRFs.

32. The LRF of claim 24, the at least one processor further configured to support emergency call communications for the UE prior to the handover.

33. A location and routing function (LRF) for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), the LRF comprising:

means for supporting communications for the UE prior to a handover;

means for receiving, by the location and routing function (LRF), an identity of a target serving node;

means for determining, by the LRF based at least in part on the identity of the target serving node, a target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover; and

means for updating information at the LRF to replace a source location server for supporting the location services for the UE prior to the handover with the target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover, the target location server being different from the source location server.

34. A non-transitory processor-readable medium, having stored thereon processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

support communications for the UE prior to a handover;

receive, by a location and routing function (LRF), an identity of a target serving node;

determine, by the LRF based at least in part on the identity of the target serving node, a target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover; and

update information at the LRF to replace a source location server for supporting the location services for the UE prior to the handover with the target location server for supporting the location services for the UE after the handover, the target location server being different from the source location server.