UE Positioning Quality Reports for Selective Technology Tracking

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 5G networks lack a mechanism to efficiently select the best positioning technology based on the reliability of available technologies and the requirements of specific use cases, leading to issues with power consumption, signaling resources, and latency due to redundant information transmission.

Innovation Solution

A method for a network entity to optimize UE positioning by requesting quality reports from measurement units, considering both static and situational/environmental circumstances, enabling informed decisions on the best positioning method through quality-related signaling and selective technology monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If all positioning technologies are requested and tracked, then positioning accuracy is improved, but power consumption and signaling resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by requesting only the necessary set of positioning technologies based on quality reports rather than all available technologies. The network entity requests quality reports for a first set of technologies, and only requests location information for technologies that are both in the first set and have quality above a threshold, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining sufficient positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the set of requested technologies based on quality thresholds. The network entity monitors quality parameters of positioning technologies and modifies the request scope accordingly - requesting detailed location information only when quality exceeds the threshold, thus optimizing the balance between accuracy and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If all positioning technologies are requested and tracked, then positioning accuracy is improved, but LPP message size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidLPP message size

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts redundant information by first requesting quality reports to identify only the necessary technologies, then requesting location information only for those technologies that meet the quality threshold. This extraction approach removes unnecessary data from the LPP messages, reducing message size while preserving positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by requesting only the necessary set of positioning technologies based on quality reports rather than all available technologies. The network entity requests quality reports for a first set of technologies, and only requests location information for technologies that are both in the first set and have quality above a threshold, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining sufficient positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If multiple positioning technologies are monitored, then positioning reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the monitoring scope adaptive rather than static. The network entity dynamically adjusts which technologies to monitor and request based on real-time quality reports, transitioning from a fixed all-technologies approach to a dynamic threshold-based selection, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the set of requested technologies based on quality thresholds. The network entity monitors quality parameters of positioning technologies and modifies the request scope accordingly - requesting detailed location information only when quality exceeds the threshold, thus optimizing the balance between accuracy and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12413931B2Method and system for optimizing the position of a user equipment

Publication Date: 2025.09.09 FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV

AI summary

The disclosure describes a method for a network entity (NE) to optimize positioning of a user equipment (UE) based on static circumstances and situational/environmental circumstances. The static circumstances may be sensor capabilities and sensor quality related to the UE, radio access network (RAN) capabilities, or general system limitations. The NE may request a quality report from a measurement unit (MU) that indicates the positioning technologies used for such quality reporting. The NE may inform the MU which sensors and technologies to use for monitoring and request a report from these sensors and technologies. The NE may receive results from measurements performed by the MU, and the NE may receive a message including the MU quality report in order to enable the NE to decide on the best positioning method for the UE in the current situation for the indicated sensors and technologies to perform the position calculation.