UE-assisted network positioning method and related equipment

• US 9,888,348 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiao, Dengkun, Cui, Jie, He, Yuan, Zhu, Jiangbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US14/463,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• 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: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention discloses a network positioning method and related equipments, the method includes: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), positioning signals of at least three positioning nodes, where the at least three positioning nodes include at least one auxiliary UE, where the auxiliary UE is located within an end-to-end communication range of the UE, and valid position information of the auxiliary UE exists currently; measuring the positioning signals of the at least three positioning nodes, and acquiring a measurement result which comprises time difference of receiving the positioning signals of the at least three positioning nodes by the UE; calculating, a current position of the UE according to the measurement result and the valid position information of the at least three positioning nodes. The technical solution provided by the present invention can effectively enhance the network positioning precision.

Claims

1. A network positioning method, comprising:

determining, by a user equipment (UE), whether an end-to-end communication range of the UE is smaller than a preset range, wherein the end-to-end communication range of the UE is a device-to-device (D2D) communication range of the UE, and the preset range is a threshold value set by a network side according to positioning precision; and

determining, by the UE, a current position of the UE, wherein determining the current position of the UE comprises;

in case the end-to-end communication range of the UE is not smaller than the preset range;

receiving, by the UE, positioning signals of at least three positioning nodes, wherein the at least three positioning nodes comprise an auxiliary UE, wherein the auxiliary UE is located within the end-to-end communication range of the UE, and the auxiliary UE is determined by the UE to have valid position information;

measuring, by the UE, the positioning signals to obtain a measurement result, wherein the measurement result comprises time difference information based on the time at which the UE received each of the positioning signals; and

calculating, by the UE, a current position of the UE according to the measurement result, the valid position information of the auxiliary UE and valid position information of other positioning nodes of the at least three positioning nodes; and

in case the end-to-end communication range of the UE is smaller than the preset range;

taking the valid position information of the auxiliary UE as the current position of the UE;

or taking a centroid relative to position coordinates of all the UEs in an auxiliary UE set, and taking the obtained centroid coordinate as the current position of the UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before receiving the positioning signals, the method further comprises:

determining whether valid position information corresponding to other UEs within the end-to-end communication range of the UE exists; and

in response to determining that valid position information exists for at least some of the other UEs within the end-to-end communication range of the UE, selecting the other UEs for which valid position information exists as the auxiliary UE set;

wherein the auxiliary UE is selected from the auxiliary UE set.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the current position of the UE in case the end-to-end communication range is not smaller than the preset range further comprises, before receiving the positioning signals:

sending positioning signal configuration information to the auxiliary UE, so as to enable the auxiliary UE to send a positioning signal to the UE according to a transmit time and a transmit format specified according to the positioning signal configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the valid position information comprises position information which satisfies an interval between a positioning time and a current time being within a specified time range, wherein the positioning time is a time when the position information is acquired, and the specified time range is a parameter configured by the network side.

5. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a processor, configured to determine whether an end-to-end communication range of the UE is smaller than a preset range, wherein the end-to-end communication range of the UE is a device-to-device (D2D) communication range of the UE, and the preset range is a threshold value set by a network side according to positioning precision;

a receiver, configured to receive positioning signals of at least three positioning nodes, wherein the at least three positioning nodes comprise an auxiliary UE, wherein the auxiliary UE is located within the end-to-end communication range of the UE, and the auxiliary UE is determined by the UE to have valid position information;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine a current position of the UE, wherein determining the current position of the UE comprises;

in case the end-to-end communication range of the UE is not smaller than the preset range;

measuring the positioning signals to obtain a measurement result, wherein the measurement result comprises time difference information based on the time at which the UE received each of the positioning signals; and

calculating the current position of the UE according to the measurement result, the valid position information of the auxiliary UE and valid position information of other positioning nodes of the at least three positioning nodes; and

in case the end-to-end communication range of the UE is smaller than the preset range;

taking the valid position information of the auxiliary UE as the current position of the UE;

or taking a centroid relative to position coordinates of all the UEs in an auxiliary UE set, and taking the obtained centroid coordinate as the current position of the UE.

6. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether valid position information corresponding to other UEs within the end-to-end communication range of the UE exists; and

select, in response to determining that valid position information exists for at least some of the other UEs within the end-to-end communication range of the UE, the other UEs for which valid position information exists as the auxiliary UE set;

wherein the auxiliary UE is selected from the auxiliary UE set.

7. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the UE further comprises:

a transmitter, configured to send positioning signal configuration information to the auxiliary UE, so as to enable the auxiliary UE to send a positioning signal to the UE according to a transmit time and a transmit format specified according to the positioning signal configuration information.

8. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the valid position information comprises position information which satisfies an interval between a positioning time and a current time being within a specified time range, wherein the positioning time is a time when the position information is acquired, and the specified time range is a parameter configured by the network side.