US 10,313,838 B2 · Method and apparatus for assisted positioning in a wireless communication system

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate reduced complexity network-assisted device positioning in a wireless communication system. As described herein, a mobile device and/or other suitable device can utilize positioning assistance messages received from a location server, a serving network cell, and/or other entities, to assist in position fixing based on reference signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRSs)) detected from nearby network cells. Positioning assistance messages as described herein can include, for example, information relating to PRS bandwidths, transmit antenna configurations, and/or other parameters of respective cells from which reference signals are detected by a device during positioning. As further described herein, messaging load can be reduced by providing bandwidth and/or antenna configuration information relative to a given reference cell, such that parameters of non-reference cells that are equivalent to corresponding parameters of the reference cell can be omitted from transmitted positioning assistance data.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment (UE), at least one positioning assistance message generated by a location server, the at least one positioning assistance message comprising reference base station parameters relating to a reference base station and one or more non-reference base station parameters relating to at least one non-reference base station;
determining, by the UE based on the at least one positioning assistance message, that a value of at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station is substantially identical to a value of at least one corresponding reference base station parameter, wherein the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station is omitted from the received one or more non-reference base station parameters relating to the at least one non-reference base station and a first parameter of the at least one omitted parameters is a slot timing parameter;
and
computing, by the UE, a time difference of arrival between respective reference signals transmitted by the reference base station and the at least one non-reference base station using the value of the at least one corresponding reference base station parameter for the value of the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station.

1 more element

A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a reference base station and at least one non-reference base station;
and
a processor configured to receive at least one positioning assistance message that was generated by a location server and that includes reference base station parameters relating to the reference base station and one or more non-reference base station parameters relating to the at least one non-reference base station, to determine, based on the at least one positioning assistance message, that a value of at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station is substantially identical to a value of at least one corresponding reference base station parameter, wherein the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station is omitted from the received one or more non-reference base station parameters relating to the at least one non-reference base station and a first parameter of the at least one omitted parameters is a slot timing parameter, and to compute a time difference of arrival between respective reference signals transmitted by the reference base station and the at least one non-reference base station using the value of the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference base station.

An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving at least one positioning assistance message generated by a location server that includes reference cell parameters relating to a reference cell and one or more non-reference cell parameters relating to at least one non-reference cell;
means for determining, based on the at least one positioning assistance message, that a value of at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell is equivalent to a value of at least one corresponding reference cell parameter, wherein the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell is omitted from the received one or more non-reference cell parameters relating to the at least one non-reference cell and a first parameter of the at least one omitted parameters is a slot timing parameter;
and
means for computing a time difference of arrival between respective reference signals transmitted by the reference cell and the at least one non-reference cell using the value of the at least one corresponding reference cell parameter for the value of the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell.

1 more element

A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
code for causing a computer to receive at least one positioning assistance message generated by a location server and that includes reference cell parameters relating to a reference cell and one or more non-reference cell parameters relating to at least one non-reference cell;
code for causing the computer to determine, based on the at least one positioning assistance message, that a value of at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell is equivalent to a value of at least one corresponding reference cell parameter, wherein the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell is omitted from the received one or more non-reference cell parameters relating to the at least one non-reference cell;
and
code for causing the computer to compute a time difference of arrival between respective reference signals transmitted by the reference cell and the at least one non-reference cell using the value of the at least one corresponding reference cell parameter for the value of the at least one omitted parameter of the at least one non-reference cell.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for assisted positioning in a wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for assisted positioning in a wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19