Drive test information exchange method and apparatus

• US 9,936,415 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• 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: Han, Jing, Cui, Jie, Li, Anjian, Li, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US15/481,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A drive test information exchange method and apparatus are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a positioning controller, a positioning request message sent by user equipment UE; sending, by the positioning controller, positioning assistance information to the UE after the positioning controller receives the positioning request message sent by the UE; receiving, by the positioning controller, a measurement result sent by the UE; obtaining, by the positioning controller, positioning information according to the measurement result; and sending, by the positioning controller, drive test information to a drive test unit according to the indication information. The method and the apparatus of the present invention may be used to enable a process of obtaining drive test information by a drive test unit to be simpler, and a delay to be shorter.

Claims

1. A drive test information exchange method, comprising:

receiving, by a positioning controller, a positioning request message sent by user equipment (UE), wherein the positioning request message comprises indication information indicating that positioning of the positioning controller is used for a purpose of a drive test;

sending, by the positioning controller, positioning assistance information to the UE after the positioning controller receives the positioning request message sent by the UE;

receiving, by the positioning controller, a measurement result sent by the UE, wherein the measurement result is obtained by the UE by performing measurement according to the positioning assistance information;

obtaining, by the positioning controller, positioning information according to the measurement result; and

sending, by the positioning controller, drive test information to a drive test unit according to the indication information, wherein the drive test information comprises the positioning information, the measurement result, and a time stamp.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positioning controller is an access network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information is indication information of n bits, and n is a natural number.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positioning controller has an interface for interacting with the drive test unit, and the interface is a serial interface or a parallel interface.

5. A positioning controller, comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a positioning request message sent by user equipment (UE), wherein the positioning request message comprises indication information indicating that positioning of the positioning controller is used for a purpose of a drive test;

a sending unit, configured to send positioning assistance information to the UE after the receiving unit receives the positioning request message sent by the UE, wherein

the receiving unit is further configured to receive a measurement result sent by the UE, wherein the measurement result is obtained by the UE by performing measurement according to the positioning assistance information; and

a processing unit, configured to obtain positioning information according to the measurement result, wherein

the sending unit is configured to send drive test information to a drive test unit according to the indication information, wherein the drive test information comprises the positioning information, the measurement result, and a time stamp.

6. The positioning controller according to claim 5, wherein the positioning controller is an access network element.

7. The positioning controller according to claim 5, wherein the indication information is indication information of n bits, and n is a natural number.

8. The positioning controller according to claim 5, wherein the positioning controller has an interface for interacting with the drive test unit, and the interface is a serial interface or a parallel interface.

9. A drive test information exchange method, comprising:

sending, by an element manager of a drive test unit, a drive test request message to a base station, wherein the drive test request message is used by the base station to trigger a positioning controller to perform a drive test on user equipment; and

receiving, by a trace collection entity of the drive test unit, drive test information sent by the positioning controller, wherein the drive test information comprises positioning information, a measurement result, and a time stamp of the user equipment (UE);

the drive test information is sent by the positioning controller to the trace collection entity according to indication information; and

in a process in which the base station triggers the positioning controller to perform the drive test on the user equipment, the indication information is comprised in a positioning request message sent by the UE to the positioning controller and is used to indicate that positioning of the positioning controller is used for a purpose of the drive test.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein after the trace collection entity receives the drive test information sent by the positioning controller, if the element manager determines that time of the drive test information received by the trace collection entity is ineffective, or a quantity of UE related to the drive test information is insufficient, the element manager sends a drive test information request message to a drive test information storage apparatus so as to obtain new drive test information, and the drive test information storage apparatus is configured to store drive test information.

11. A drive test information exchange apparatus, comprising:

an element manager, configured to send a drive test request message to a base station, wherein the drive test request message is used by the base station to trigger a positioning controller to perform a drive test on user equipment; and

a trace collection entity, configured to receive drive test information sent by the positioning controller, wherein the drive test information comprises positioning information, a measurement result, and a time stamp of the user equipment;

the drive test information is sent by the positioning controller to the trace collection entity according to indication information; and

in a process in which the base station triggers the positioning controller to perform the drive test on the user equipment (UE), the indication information is comprised in a positioning request message sent by the UE to the positioning controller and is used to indicate that positioning of the positioning controller is used for a purpose of the drive test.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein after the trace collection entity receives the drive test information sent by the positioning controller, if the element manager determines that time of the drive test information received by the trace collection entity is ineffective, or a quantity of UE related to the drive test information is insufficient, the element manager sends a drive test information request message to a drive test information storage apparatus so as to obtain new drive test information, and the drive test information storage apparatus is configured to store drive test information.