Secure UE Location via Spoofing Detection

The patent divides the location determination process into two parts: UE-based positioning measurements (performed by the mobile device) and network-based verification (performed by the location server). This segmentation allows the system to use simple UE measurements while maintaining security through selective network verification of positioning measurements against known transmitter locations and timing information.

The patent introduces an intermediary verification process where the location server acts as a mediator between the UE and the positioning system. The server receives positioning measurements from the UE, verifies them against stored transmitter location and timing data, and determines whether the UE is located in a permitted geographic area, thus providing security without requiring full network-based positioning infrastructure.

The patent segments the computational workload by performing positioning measurements locally at the UE using stored assistance data, rather than requiring all UEs to communicate extensively with network infrastructure. Only the verification of measurements against known transmitter parameters requires network involvement, enabling scalable deployment to large numbers of UEs while maintaining security.

The UE performs self-service positioning by using stored assistance data containing transmitter locations and timing information to determine its own position. This self-determination capability reduces the burden on network infrastructure, allowing the system to scale to many UEs simultaneously while the location server only needs to perform verification checks on submitted measurements.

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-storing accurate transmitter location and timing information in the UE's assistance data before the positioning event. This pre-loaded reference information enables the UE to verify the authenticity of received positioning signals against known parameters, proactively preventing spoofing attacks rather than reacting to them after occurrence.

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE submits its positioning measurements to the location server, which verifies them against stored reference data and determines whether the UE is in a permitted area. This feedback loop provides security verification while maintaining the simplicity of UE-based positioning, as the server can detect spoofing attempts by comparing measurements against known transmitter parameters.