Mobile Station Synchronization Accuracy Reporting for Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

The serving SMLC lacks information on the accuracy of BTS timing advance estimation and MS uplink transmission timing, leading to potentially overly pessimistic positioning accuracy estimates, which may result in inadequate service provision or unnecessary involvement of additional BTSs.

Innovation Solution

The mobile station and BSS collaborate to estimate and report synchronization accuracy and transmission offset to the SMLC, allowing for improved positioning accuracy assessment, with the mobile station transmitting RLC data blocks containing TLLI, synchronization accuracy, and transmission offset, and the BSS relaying this information to the SMLC.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the SMLC uses traditional timing advance multilateration without MS synchronization accuracy information, then the positioning process is simpler, but the positioning accuracy estimate becomes overly pessimistic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy estimateVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile station performs synchronization accuracy estimation and transmission offset determination before the positioning measurement is completed. This preliminary action allows the MS to prepare accurate timing information that will be used by the SMLC to improve positioning accuracy estimates, preventing the overly pessimistic estimates that would occur without this advance preparation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile station feeds back its synchronization accuracy estimate and transmission offset information to the SMLC. This feedback loop provides the SMLC with critical information about the actual timing accuracy achieved by the MS, allowing the SMLC to adjust its positioning accuracy estimates accordingly rather than relying on pessimistic default assumptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If additional BTSs are involved to guarantee positioning accuracy, then positioning reliability improves, but system complexity and resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy guaranteeVSAvoidnumber of BTSs involved

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of adding more BTSs to guarantee accuracy with an information-based approach. By substituting the physical addition of BTS resources with the transmission and processing of synchronization accuracy information, the system achieves reliable positioning accuracy estimates without increasing the number of BTSs involved, thus reducing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If the MS provides detailed synchronization accuracy and transmission offset information, then positioning accuracy improves, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidinformation processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential timing-related information (synchronization accuracy estimate and transmission offset) from the mobile station's internal operations. By taking out only these specific, critical parameters rather than all possible measurement data, the system improves positioning accuracy while avoiding the complexity of processing excessive information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10314004B2Providing estimated accuracy of mobile station synchronization and mobile station transmission offset to the network

Publication Date: 2019.06.04 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A mobile station (MS), a base station subsystem (BSS), and various methods are described herein that enable a positioning node (e.g., Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC)) to improve the accuracy of estimating a position of the mobile station.