System and method for providing assisted GPS location service to dual mode mobile station

A method for determining position of a mobile station equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the mobile station being operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising steps of:

• (a) detecting whether the mobile station enters into the WLAN area;
• (b) determining position of the mobile station based on satellite signals from the GPS receiver and RF signals from the WWAN before or at the time of entrance into the WLAN area upon detecting when the mobile station enters into the WLAN area;
• and
• (c) storing the position of the mobile station determined in the step (b) in the mobile station for a position of the mobile station in the WLAN area,
• wherein the step (b) includes steps of:
• (b1) deciding whether or not the mobile station has position information of satellites;
• (b2) calculating position of the mobile station based on the position information of satellites when the mobile station has position information of satellites;
• (b3) storing position of the mobile station in the mobile station;
• (b4) the mobile station measuring PN signal phase offset of radio signals from a base station of the WWAN when the mobile station does not have position information of satellites;
• (b5) the mobile station sending information about the PN signal phase offset and Base Transceiver Systems (BTSs) corresponding to the PN signal phase offset and requesting the position information of satellites corresponding to satellites that are available to the mobile station based on the information about the PN signal phase offset and the BTSs to a Position Determination Entity (PDE);
• (b6) the PDE sending satellite acquisition assistance data identifying satellites serviceable to the mobile station based on the information about PN signal phase offset and the BTS;
• (b7) the mobile station receiving satellite signals from the serviceable satellites identified by the PDE;
• and
• (b8) determining position of the mobile station from satellite signals received from at least three of the serviceable satellites.

A dual mode mobile station operable in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

• one or more transceivers, for wireless communications via the WWAN, for wireless communications via the WLAN, and for receiving signals from one or more GPS satellites;
• a processor coupled to the one or more transceivers for controlling operations of the dual mode mobile station;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• and
• programming stored in the memory, wherein execution of the programming causes the processor to control operations of the dual mode mobile station so as to implement functions for determining position of the mobile station, comprising:
• determining a position of the mobile station from position data received from the WWAN and/or from measurements of GPS satellite signals received by the GPS receiver;
• upon the mobile station entering into an area of the WLAN, storing the determined position of the mobile station in the memory as the position of the mobile station while operating via the WLAN area;
• and
• responsive to a request for location of the mobile station, while the mobile station is operating through the WLAN, providing the stored position of the mobile station as the position of the mobile station in the WLAN area.