US 9,807,555 B2 · Enhancement of positioning quality of service

Abstract

Teachings herein improve selection of the positioning method(s) used to obtain positioning information responsive to a positioning request, by approaching positioning QoS holistically. Approached holistically, a joint QoS metric as taught herein takes into account the joint effect of individual QoS parameters of a positioning method, or the joint effect of multiple methods in a sequence. Processing in one or more embodiments thus includes determining a joint QoS metric for each of a plurality of candidate positioning methods or sequences, and selecting a positioning method or sequence based on those joint QoS metrics. By selecting a positioning method or sequence in this way, holistically based on joint QoS metrics rather than a piecemeal approach based on a one-by-one check of individual QoS parameters, selection proceeds flexibly according to actual QoS requirements of position-based services and/or systematically according to the joint effect of multiple positioning methods.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method implemented by an electronic processing apparatus for responding to a request for a mobile terminal's geographic position, the method comprising:

determining a joint quality of service, QoS, metric for each of a plurality of candidate sequences of positioning methods, a joint QoS metric jointly depending on two or more positioning methods in a candidate sequence, wherein determining a joint QoS metric for a candidate sequence that jointly depends on two or more joint QoS metrics comprises preventing a first one of the two or more joint QoS metrics that has better quality from making up for a second one of the two or more joint QoS metrics that has lesser quality;
and
selecting from said plurality a sequence of positioning methods, for determining the mobile terminal's position responsive to the request, based on said joint QoS metrics.

An electronic processing apparatus configured to respond to a request for a mobile terminal's geographic position, the apparatus comprising one or more processing circuits configured to:

determine one or more joint quality of service, QoS, metrics for each of a plurality of candidate positioning methods, or candidate sequences of positioning methods, a joint QoS metric jointly depending on either two or more individual QoS parameters associated with a candidate positioning method, or the positioning methods in a candidate sequence, wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to either:
determine a joint QoS metric for a candidate positioning method that jointly depends on two or more individual QoS parameters by preventing a first one of the two or more individual QoS parameters that has better quality from making up for a second one of the two or more individual QoS parameters that has lesser quality;
or
determine a joint QoS metric for a candidate sequence that jointly depends on two or more joint QoS metrics by preventing a first one of the two or more joint QoS metrics that has better quality from making up for a second one of the two or more joint QoS metrics that has lesser quality, each of the two or more joint QoS metrics comprising the accumulation of a different individual positioning QoS parameter across the positioning methods in the sequence;
comparing the determined joint QoS metrics to a joint QoS metric determined for the request, the joint QoS metric determined for the request jointly depending on two or more individual QoS parameters associated with the request;
and
select from said plurality a positioning method, or a sequence of positioning methods, for determining the mobile terminal's position responsive to the request, based on said comparing.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Enhancement of positioning quality of service

Life of this patent

Enhancement of positioning quality of service

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21