Apparatus, systems and methods for mobile network positioning of MTC devices using common reference or synchronization signals

1. A method for improved User Equipment (UE) positioning accuracy in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

providing for a UE configured to listen for Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmissions within an operating bandwidth around Direct Current (DC) sub-carrier and at least one non-PRS transmission;

receiving, at the UE, PRS and non-PRS transmissions transmitted from one or more base stations within the operating bandwidth;

determining, at the UE, for each of the base stations, a PRS positioning measurement based on the PRS transmissions and a non-PRS positioning measurement based on the non-PRS transmissions;

determining, at the UE, for each of the base stations, a non-PRS measurement quality corresponding to the non-PRS positioning measurement;

comparing, at the UE, for each of the base stations, the non-PRS measurement quality to a measurement quality threshold; and

transmitting, from the UE to a Location Server (LS), (i) the PRS positioning measurements, and in response to the comparing indicating that one or more of the non-PRS measurement qualities are greater than the measurement quality threshold, (ii) the non-PRS positioning measurements associated with the one or more non-PRS measurement qualities,

wherein the LS performs a positioning estimation of the UE based on the received PRS positioning measurements and the non-PRS positioning measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing for the UE comprises providing for a Machine Type Communications (MTC) UE configured to listen for the PRS and non-PRS transmissions within a Machine Type Communication (MTC) MTC operating bandwidth of approximately 1.4 MHz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-PRS transmission comprises a Common Reference Signal (CRS).

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the non-PRS transmission comprises a plurality of sub-frames and wherein each of the plurality of sub-frames of the non-PRS transmission comprises the CRS.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-PRS signal comprises a synchronization signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the synchronization signal comprises a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and/or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS).

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the non-PRS transmission comprises a plurality of sub-frames successive in time and wherein every fifth (5 th ) sub-frame comprises the synchronization signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-PRS transmission further comprises a positioning reference signal and wherein determining the non-PRS positioning measurements are further based on the positioning reference signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, a request for enhanced positioning accuracy; and

initiating, at the UE and in response to the request from the LS, determination of the PRS positioning measurements and the non-PRS positioning measurements.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, an early/late start indicator, wherein the early/late start indicator indicates an early or late start in relation to a predetermined reference point for a window for determining the non-PRS positioning measurements based on the non-PRS transmissions; and

wherein performing the non-PRS positioning measurements is further based on the received early/late start indicator.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the non-PRS transmissions comprise a first non-PRS signal and a second non-PRS signal;

performing the non-PRS positioning measurements is based on the first non-PRS signal and the second non-PRS signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, a request for enhanced positioning accuracy; and

initiating, at the UE and in response to the request from the LS, determining the non-PRS positioning measurements based on the first non-PRS signal and the second non-PRS signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, a first window length for performing measurements based on the first non-PRS signal;

receiving, at the UE from the LS, a second window length for performing measurements based on the second non-PRS signal; and

wherein performing non-PRS positioning measurements is further based on the received first window length and the received second window length.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, an early/late start indicator, wherein the early/late start indicator indicates an early or late start in relation to a predetermined reference point for a window for determining the non-PRS positioning measurements based on the first non-PRS signal or the second non-PRS signal; and

wherein performing non-PRS positioning measurements is further based on the received early/late start indicator.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, at the UE, for each of the base stations, a PRS measurement quality corresponding to the PRS positioning measurement; and

wherein, for each of the base stations, the measurement quality threshold is the corresponding determined PRS measurement quality.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting, from the UE to the LS, the PRS measurement quality and information indicating the PRS measurement quality corresponds to the PRS positioning measurement; and

transmitting, from the UE to the LS, the non-PRS measurement quality and information indicating the non-PRS measurement quality corresponds to the non-PRS positioning measurement.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the UE from the LS, a window length for determining the non-PRS positioning measurements based on the non-PRS transmissions; and

wherein determining the non-PRS positioning measurements is further based on the received window length.

18. A mobile communication system for improved User Equipment (UE) positioning accuracy, the system comprising:

a plurality of base stations (BS);

a location server (LS); and

a user equipment (UE) operably connected to at least one of the base stations, the user equipment configured to:

listen for Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmissions within an operating bandwidth around Direct Current (DC) sub-carrier and at least one non-PRS transmission;

receive PRS and non-PRS transmissions transmitted from at least one of the base stations within the operating bandwidth;

determine, for each of the at least one base stations, a PRS positioning measurement based on the PRS transmissions and a non-PRS positioning measurement based on the non-PRS transmissions;

determine, for each of the at least one base stations, a non-PRS measurement quality corresponding to the non-PRS positioning measurement;

compare, for each of the at least one base stations, the non-PRS measurement quality to a measurement quality threshold; and

transmit, from the UE to the LS, (i) the PRS positioning measurements, and in response to the comparing indicating that one or more of the non-PRS measurement qualities are greater than the measurement quality threshold, (ii) the non-PRS positioning measurements associated with the one or more non-PRS measurement qualities,

wherein the LS is configured to perform a positioning estimation of the UE based on the received PRS positioning measurements and the non-PRS positioning measurements.

19. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for improved User Equipment (UE) positioning accuracy in a mobile communication system, the instructions comprising:

instructions for providing for a UE configured to listen for Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmissions within an operating bandwidth around Direct Current (DC) sub-carrier and at least one non-PRS transmission;

instructions for receiving, at the UE, PRS and non-PRS transmissions transmitted from base stations within the operating bandwidth;

instructions for determining, at the UE, for each of the at least one base stations, a PRS positioning measurement based on the PRS transmissions and a non-PRS positioning measurement based on the non-PRS transmissions;

instructions for determining, at the UE, for each of the at least one base stations, a non-PRS measurement quality corresponding to the non-PRS positioning measurement;

instructions for comparing, at the UE, for each of the at least one base stations, the non-PRS measurement quality to a measurement quality threshold; and

instructions for transmitting, from the UE to the LS, (i) the PRS positioning measurements, and in response to the comparing indicating that one or more of the non-PRS measurement qualities are greater than the measurement quality threshold, (ii) the non-PRS positioning measurements associated with the one or more non-PRS measurement qualities,

wherein the LS performs a positioning estimation of the UE based on the received PRS positioning measurements and the non-PRS positioning measurements.