Area Event Triggered Positioning for Roaming Mobile Terminals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile communication systems lack a SET-initiated area event triggered positioning method in SUPL-based systems, which prevents efficient location services for roaming users when entering, leaving, or staying in specific areas.

Innovation Solution

A SET-initiated area event triggered positioning method is introduced, where the home network requests area IDs from the visited network and provides them to the roaming SET, allowing the SET to determine if positioning conditions are met, and initiate a positioning procedure only when within a specific area, using either proxy or non-proxy modes with the SUPL network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If continuous positioning is performed for roaming SETs, then location service availability is improved, but network resource consumption and calculation overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation service availabilityVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements event-triggered positioning that activates periodically only when specific conditions are met (entering, leaving, or staying in defined areas). The SET determines whether to initiate positioning based on area event conditions rather than continuous positioning, reducing unnecessary network resource consumption while maintaining service availability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the positioning trigger parameter from continuous time-based triggering to event-based triggering. By monitoring area event conditions (entering/leaving/staying in areas) and only initiating positioning when conditions are satisfied, the system optimizes resource usage while maintaining location service reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If positioning procedures are initiated frequently, then location accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead and network load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The home network pre-configures area event trigger conditions and area identifiers to the roaming SET before the SET enters the visited network. This preliminary action allows the SET to autonomously determine when positioning is needed without frequent network requests, reducing signaling overhead while maintaining positioning accuracy when events occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The roaming SET autonomously determines whether to initiate positioning procedures by evaluating area event conditions locally. Instead of the network continuously requesting position updates, the SET self-manages positioning initiation based on pre-configured trigger conditions, reducing network signaling overhead while ensuring accurate positioning when events are detected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If area event trigger conditions are pre-configured to the roaming SET, then positioning efficiency is improved, but initial signaling requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning efficiencyVSAvoidinitial signaling data
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The home network performs preliminary configuration of area event trigger conditions and area identifiers to the roaming SET during the initial attachment or location service setup phase. This one-time preliminary signaling enables efficient event-triggered positioning throughout the roaming period, improving overall positioning efficiency while the initial signaling cost is amortized over the entire service period.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2008377B1Set initiated area event triggered positioning method in mobile communication system
Publication Date: 2011.06.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2008377B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2008377B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2008377B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A SET-initiated area event triggered positioning method in a session-based service system is disclosed. The method is variously performed according to a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode, and further according to which SLP (SUPL location platform) has a positioning procedure.