Radio base station and method of controlling the same

• US 9,693,335 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miics&Partners Japan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuta, Noriyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US15/015,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 4554562, 455 6711, 455457, 4554566, 370241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A radio base station (100) transmits a Capability Request message to a radio terminal (200), which is connected to the radio base station, to transmit terminal capability information that indicates positioning capability of the radio terminal, and receives a Capability Indication message transmitted from the radio terminal (200). The radio base station (100) determines, corresponding to the received Capability Indication message, whether positional information that indicates the geographical position of the radio terminal (200) can be acquired from the radio terminal (200).

Claims

1. A radio base station comprising:

a transmitter that transmits, to a radio terminal being connected to the radio base station, a capability information transmission request for requesting a transmission of terminal capability information indicating a positioning capability of the radio terminal, wherein the terminal capability information indicates whether the radio terminal has a positioning system capable of acquiring location information without an assist from a network;

a receiver that receives the terminal capability information transmitted from the radio terminal; and

a determination unit that determines whether or not location information indicating a geographical location of the radio terminal is acquirable during an idle state of the radio terminal, based on the terminal capability information received by the receiver, wherein

based on a result of the determination, the transmitter further transmits Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) configuration information to the radio terminal and then transmits a request different from the MDT configuration information to the radio terminal, the MDT configuration information relating to MDT measurement for radio qualities and location information, the request requesting transmission of MDT measurement results of the radio qualities and the location information, wherein the MDT measurement includes periodic measurement for the radio qualities, the radio qualities including first radio quality of a serving cell and second radio quality of other cells, and each of the first and second radio qualities including Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and/or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), and

the receiver further receives the MDT measurement results from the radio terminal, wherein the MDT measurement results are obtained by the radio terminal during the idle state of the radio terminal.

2. A radio terminal comprising:

a transmitter that transmits terminal capability information indicating a positioning capability of the radio terminal, wherein the terminal capability information is used for determining, by a network, whether or not location information indicating a geographical location of the radio terminal is acquirable during an idle state of the radio terminal, and the terminal capability information indicates whether the radio terminal has a positioning system capable of acquiring location information without an assist from the network;

a receiver that receives, from the network, Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) configuration information relating to MDT measurement for radio qualities and the location information, wherein transmission of the MDT configuration information is based on the determination by the network using the terminal capability information, and the MDT measurement includes periodic measurement for the radio qualities, the radio qualities including first radio quality of a serving cell and second radio quality of other cells, and each of the first and second radio qualities including Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and/or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ);

a controller that measures the radio qualities and the location information during idle state of the radio terminal, based on the MDT configuration information;

the receiver receives, from the network, a request requesting transmission of MDT measurement results of the radio qualities and the location information; and

the transmitter that transmits the MDT measurement results to the network in response to reception of the request, wherein the MDT measurement results are obtained during the idle state of the radio terminal.

3. An apparatus for controlling a radio terminal, comprising:

processor configured to execute processes of;

transmitting terminal capability information indicating a positioning capability of the radio terminal, wherein the terminal capability information is used for determining, by a network, whether or not location information indicating a geographical location of the radio terminal is acquirable during an idle state of the radio terminal, and the terminal capability information indicates whether the radio terminal has a positioning system capable of acquiring location information without an assist from the network;

receiving, from the network, Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) configuration information relating to MDT measurement for radio qualities and the location information, wherein transmission of the MDT configuration information is based on the determination by the network using the terminal capability information, and the MDT measurement includes a periodic measurement for the radio qualities, the radio qualities including first radio quality of a serving cell and second radio quality of other cells, and each of the first and second radio qualities including Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and/or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ);

measuring the radio qualities and the location information during idle state of the radio terminal, based on the MDT configuration information;

receiving, from the network, a request requesting transmission of MDT measurement results of the radio qualities and the location information; and

transmitting the MDT measurement results to the network in response to reception of the request, wherein the MDT measurement results are obtained during the idle state of the radio terminal.