Method for correcting reference position information, server system, and reference position information correcting system

• US 7,755,544 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone K. K.
• Inventors: Kawakami, Seiichi, Sakamoto, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing; Gregory C
• Application Number:
  US11/640,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.14, 342/357.145
• US Class Current: 342/357.42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A method for correcting reference position information is provided. A reference position information correction judging section 62 of an assistance server 50 saves location information in a location information storage and saving section 65, and judges whether to perform a correction of reference position information. The location information corresponds to a location of a cellular phone 20 in a range cell 90. Next, a reference position information correcting section 63 calculates a corrected reference position 92 based on the location information for the range cell 90 stored in the location information storage and saving section 65. The corrected reference position 92 is sent to a database section 64 from the reference position information correcting section 63, and is set as the reference position information of the range cell 90.

Claims

1. A method for correcting reference position information of a cell, said method being performed by a server system, said cell being in an area in which a base station can perform a wireless communication with a mobile communication terminal, comprising steps of:

storing, in said server system, current location information of the mobile communication terminal;

identifying said cell in dependence upon said current location information, wherein the mobile communication terminal currently exists in said cell;

identifying an error in said current location information;

judging whether said reference position information of the cell is to be corrected based on the current location information; and

when a judgment at the step of judging whether the reference position information of the cell is to be corrected is affirmative, correcting the reference position information of the cell based on at least one location information that is stored at the step of storing said current location information;

wherein a judgment at the step of judging whether the reference position information of the cell is to be corrected is affirmative when;

the error in the current location information is not more than a predetermined value,

a distance from a location of the reference position information of the cell to a location corresponding to the current location information is not less than a predetermined distance, and

the current location information is acquired at least a predetermined number of times;

wherein the predetermined value is less than the predetermined distance.

3. The method for correcting reference position information according to claim 1, wherein

the current location information is a position measuring result of an assisted GPS position measuring in which assistance information, which includes information for capturing a GPS satellite signal, is used.

2. A method for correcting or setting reference position information of a cell, said method being performed by a server system, said cell being in an area in which a base station can perform a wireless communication with a mobile communication terminal, comprising steps of:

storing, in said server system, current location information of the mobile communication terminal;

identifying said cell in dependence upon said current location information, wherein the mobile communication terminal currently exists in said cell;

identifying an error in said current location information;

when reference position information of said cell is available, judging whether the reference position information of the cell is to be corrected based on the current location information;

when a judgment at the step of judging whether the reference position information of the cell is to be corrected is affirmative, correcting the reference position information of the cell based on at least one location information that is stored at the step of storing said current location information;

wherein a judgment at the step of judging whether the reference position information of the cell is to be corrected is affirmative when;

an error in the current location information is not more than a predetermined value,

a distance from a location of the reference position information of the cell to a location corresponding to the current location information is not less than a predetermined distance, and

the current location information is acquired at least a predetermined number of times;

wherein the predetermined value is less than the predetermined distance;

when the reference position information of the cell is not available, setting the reference position information of the cell to be the current location information.

4. A server system comprising:

a database which includes reference position information of a cell, said cell being in an area in which a base station can perform a wireless communication with a mobile communication terminal;

a location information storage section that is configured to store current location information of a mobile communication terminal, wherein said a cell can be identified in dependence upon the current location information, said cell being in an area where the mobile communication terminal exists;

a reference position information correction judging section that is configured to acquire the current location information, is configured to make a judgment of whether to correct the reference position information of the cell when the reference position information of the cell is available, and is configured to make a judgment of whether to set the reference position information of the cell when there is no reference position information of the cell in the database; and

a reference position information correcting section that is configured to correct the reference position information of the cell, when conditions (I)-(VI) are satisfied;

(I) the reference position information correction judging section has made an affirmative judgment to correct the reference position information,

(II) the reference position information of the cell is available,

(III) a detected error in the current location information is not more than a predetermined value,

(IV) a distance from a location of the reference position information of the cell to a location corresponding to the current location information is not less than a predetermined distance,

(V) the current location information is acquired at least a predetermined number of times, and

(VI) the predetermined value is less than the predetermined distance;

wherein the reference position information correction judging section is configured to make an affirmative judgment to set the reference position information, when there is no reference position information of the cell in the database;

wherein the reference position information correcting section is configured to make a judgment to set the reference position information of the cell to be the current location information, when there is no reference position information of the range cell in the database.

5. The server system according to claim 4, wherein

the server system is an assistance server that is configured to provide assistance information, including the information for capturing a GPS satellite signal, to a mobile communication terminal that makes a request for acquiring the assistance information.

6. A reference position information correcting system comprising:

mobile communication terminal;

a network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected by using a wireless network; and

the server system according to claim 4, which is connected to the network.