Non-Carrier Location Server for Imperceptible Base Station Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile device positioning systems rely on carrier-provided servers for OTDOA assistance data, limiting availability and redundancy, and are economically restrictive, as users must rely on carrier-controlled location services for location determination.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that enable a mobile device to receive and compute transmit time offsets from a non-carrier base station almanac, allowing it to calculate time offsets for imperceptible base stations, thereby bypassing carrier-controlled location servers and utilizing a non-carrier location server for positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile devices rely on carrier-provided servers for OTDOA assistance data, then positioning service can be provided through controlled carrier infrastructure, but availability and redundancy are limited and users face economic restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a non-carrier location server as an intermediary entity that provides OTDOA assistance data independently of carrier-controlled servers. This mediator enables mobile devices to obtain positioning assistance data from alternative sources, thereby improving service availability and redundancy while maintaining compatibility with existing carrier infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the positioning service infrastructure into carrier-controlled components and independent non-carrier components. By separating the location server function from carrier control, the system allows multiple independent providers to offer positioning services, enhancing both reliability through redundancy and adaptability through competitive accessibility
2Productivity
If mobile devices use carrier-controlled location servers, then positioning computations can be centralized, but redundancy is reduced and economic flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal positioning assistance framework where non-carrier location servers can serve multiple mobile devices from different carriers simultaneously. This multi-functional approach maintains centralized computation efficiency while introducing competitive redundancy, as multiple independent servers can provide the same positioning assistance services
3Adaptability or versatility
If third-party location servers are introduced, then service redundancy and accessibility are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a copying approach where non-carrier location servers replicate the functionality of carrier-controlled location servers without requiring fundamental architectural changes. Mobile devices continue to use existing OTDOA protocols and assistance data formats, simply obtaining copies of the same type of positioning assistance data from alternative sources, thereby minimizing system complexity while enhancing accessibility
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for calculating time offsets for imperceptible base stations, which include base stations that have limited or no communication with a mobile station are presented. Time offsets for the imperceptible base stations are computed using transmit time offset information for a plurality of base station pairs received from a non-carrier base station almanac. A time offset between the mobile device at a first location and a serving base station at a second location is also computed. The time offsets for the imperceptible base stations may then be computed using the received transmit time offsets of the plurality of base station pairs and the time offset between the mobile device and the serving base station. The non-carrier base station almanac is built using a mobile device that informs a non-carrier location server of observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) assistance data it receives from a carrier's location server.