PosSIB Validity Tags for Positioning Assistance Data

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless networks, particularly in 4G LTE, broadcasting positioning assistance data to mobile devices can be inefficient due to the need for individual data transmission, leading to delays and resource consumption, as devices must constantly receive and process updated data even if it has not changed.

Innovation Solution

Partitioning positioning assistance data into System Information Blocks (posSIBs) with validity times and validity tags, allowing mobile devices to wait for changes before receiving new data, thereby reducing unnecessary data reception and processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If assistance data is broadcast periodically to all mobile devices, then all devices can receive positioning assistance data, but mobile devices must constantly receive and process updated data even when it has not changed, leading to significant resource consumption and battery use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning assistance data delivery efficiencyVSAvoidmobile device battery consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The location server pre-determines the validity time for assistance data before broadcasting. The base station includes this validity time information in the broadcast, allowing mobile devices to predict when updates will occur and enter sleep modes in between, thus reducing battery consumption while maintaining positioning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where mobile devices monitor validity time tags associated with broadcast assistance data. When the validity time has not expired, devices can skip reception; when it has expired or changed, devices know to receive and process new data, creating an efficient feedback loop that reduces unnecessary processing and energy use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If assistance data is sent individually to each mobile device, then each device receives accurate positioning data, but it results in significant delay and consumes significant network resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges assistance data delivery into a single broadcast transmission that reaches all mobile devices simultaneously. By combining individual deliveries into one collective broadcast event, the system maintains accurate positioning data delivery to each device while eliminating the cumulative delays that would result from sequential individual transmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If mobile devices receive and process every broadcasted assistance data, then they ensure they have the latest positioning information, but it leads to repetitive reception and processing of unchanged data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning data currencyVSAvoidunnecessary data processing energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the validity time information from the assistance data broadcast and presents it separately as a distinct indicator. Mobile devices can examine this extracted validity tag without fully processing the entire assistance data set, allowing them to quickly determine whether new data is available before committing significant processing resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The broadcast assistance data includes self-identifying validity time tags that allow mobile devices to autonomously determine whether to receive and process new data. This self-service mechanism enables devices to make independent decisions about data reception based on the included validity information, reducing unnecessary network interactions and processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3834497B1Broadcasting positioning assistance data including validity time and change notification information
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3834497B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3834497B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3834497B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Positioning assistance data (PAD) may be partitioned into positioning System Information Blocks (posSIBs) and periodically broadcast by a base station. A posSIB or scheduling information for a posSIB may include a validity time and a validity tag that indicates whether the PAD for a posSIB has changed. A user equipment (UE) may receive a posSIB comprising PAD and the validity time and the validity tag for the posSIB. The UE may then wait until the validity time expires and/or the validity tag in the scheduling information indicates a change of PAD before receiving a new instance of the posSIB. The validity time and validity tag may both be included in the posSIB, in which case the UE may receive the posSIB and then look at the validity tag to determine whether to decode and process the PAD.