Femto Cell Positioning via Location Server Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in accurately determining the location of mobile stations served by femto cells, as these cells are not populated in the base station almanac, which is essential for location-based services and assumes prior knowledge of base station locations.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves femto cells transmitting their unique identity and location information, allowing mobile stations to forward this data to a location server, which then uses this information to perform positioning tasks, even if the femto cell location is not pre-populated in the base station almanac, by utilizing a separate database for femto cell NID values and maximum antenna ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If femto cells are not populated in the base station almanac, then device complexity is reduced and deployment flexibility is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to lack of a priori knowledge of base station locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location server as an intermediary entity that maintains a database of femto cell locations and characteristics. Instead of requiring all mobile stations to have access to complete base station almanac information, the location server acts as a centralized repository that provides positioning assistance data to mobile stations on demand, resolving the contradiction between simplified deployment and positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by having the location server pre-acquire and store femto cell location information, maximum antenna ranges, and other positioning-relevant data in its database before positioning operations are needed. This allows mobile stations to receive ready-made positioning assistance data without requiring the information to be pre-populated in the base station almanac
2Reliability
If femto cell location information is transmitted to mobile stations, then positioning capability is improved, but information transmission overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The location server provides a universal positioning assistance data service that serves multiple mobile stations simultaneously. Instead of each mobile station receiving redundant femto cell location information independently, the location server maintains a single source of truth and provides assistance data to multiple devices, reducing overall information transmission overhead while maintaining positioning capability for all users
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile station receives a copy of the necessary positioning assistance data from the location server rather than acquiring complete base station almanac information. This selective copying of only the essential positioning-related information (femto cell locations, antenna ranges) reduces the information transmission overhead compared to transmitting full almanac data
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for supporting positioning are described. In an example implementation, a method for use in determining a position of a mobile station is provided, wherein a network-based computing device receives a message from a mobile station, the message indicating an identity of a transmitter device from which the mobile device has received at least one signal; and identifies at least one civil location estimate based at least in part on the message; the at least one civil location estimate representing an estimated location of the mobile device.