IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,630,181
Granted Patent B2
US 11,630,181 · App. 17/710,792 · Granted Apr 18, 2023

Systems and methods for storage of UE positioning capabilities in a network

Inventors: Stephen William Edge (Escondido, CA); Sven Fischer (Nuremberg, DE); Alexandros Manolakos (Escondido, CA); Sony Akkarakaran (Poway, CA); Guttorm Ringstad Opshaug (Redwood City, CA); Hong Cheng (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
G01S5/0036H04W4/029H04W4/12H04W8/02H04W8/22H04W64/00H04W64/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,630,181
App. No.
17/710,792
Granted
Apr 18, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The positioning capabilities of a User Equipment (UE) are stored in a core network to reduce positioning latency when the UE indicates that its positioning capabilities are stable and/or are long term valid. The UE may provide its positioning capabilities to a location server during a location session along with an indication of whether the positioning capabilities are stable. The location server may enable storage of the positioning capabilities for the UE in the core network, e.g., in the location server or another entity in the core network such as Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), if there is an indication that the positioning capabilities are stable. The AMF may include a UE identifier in location requests with which the location server may retrieve the UE positioning capabilities if stored at the location server or may include the UE positioning capabilities if stored at the AMF.

Claims (49)

1. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for supporting positioning of the UE in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a request for positioning capabilities message from a location server in a core network of the wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the request for positioning capabilities message, sending a provide positioning capabilities message to the location server, the provide positioning capabilities message comprising positioning capabilities of the UE and an indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable, wherein:

the indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable identifies whether the positioning capabilities of the UE will be valid over time or may change over time, and

the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the core network when the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the location server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in a second entity in the core network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the location server is a Location Management Function (LMF) and the second entity is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) UE with fixed positioning capabilities and the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for positioning capabilities message is a positioning message for a first location session, wherein the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable, the method further comprising:

receiving positioning messages for a second location session that is subsequent to the first location session, wherein the positioning messages for the second location session do not include a request for positioning capabilities message.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second location session includes the location server.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second location session includes a second location server different to the location server.

9. A User Equipment (UE) configured for supporting positioning of the UE in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with entities in the wireless network;

at least one memory;

at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, via the wireless transceiver, a request for positioning capabilities message from a location server in a core network of the wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the request for positioning capabilities message, send, via the wireless transceiver, a provide positioning capabilities message to the location server, the provide positioning capabilities message comprising positioning capabilities of the UE and an indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable, wherein:

the indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable identifies whether the positioning capabilities of the UE will be valid over time or may change over time, and

the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the core network when the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

10. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the location server.

11. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in a second entity in the core network.

12. The UE of claim 11 , wherein the location server is a Location Management Function (LMF) and the second entity is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

13. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the UE is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) UE with fixed positioning capabilities and the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

14. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the request for positioning capabilities message is a positioning message for a first location session, wherein the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable, the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive positioning messages for a second location session that is subsequent to the first location session, wherein the positioning messages for the second location session do not include a request for positioning capabilities message.

15. The UE of claim 14 , wherein the second location session includes the location server.

16. The UE of claim 14 , wherein the second location session includes a second location server different to the location server.

17. A User Equipment (UE) configured for supporting positioning of the UE in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving a request for positioning capabilities message from a location server in a core network of the wireless network; and

means for sending a provide positioning capabilities message to the location server, responsive to receiving the request for positioning capabilities message, the provide positioning capabilities message comprising positioning capabilities of the UE and an indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable, wherein:

the indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable identifies whether the positioning capabilities of the UE will be valid over time or may change over time, and

the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the core network when the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

18. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the location server.

19. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in a second entity in the core network.

20. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the location server is a Location Management Function (LMF) and the second entity is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

21. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the UE is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) UE with fixed positioning capabilities and the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

22. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the request for positioning capabilities message is a positioning message for a first location session, wherein the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable, further comprising:

means for receiving positioning messages for a second location session that is subsequent to the first location session, wherein the positioning messages for the second location session do not include a request for positioning capabilities message.

23. The UE of claim 22 , wherein the second location session includes the location server.

24. The UE of claim 22 , wherein the second location session includes a second location server different to the location server.

25. A non-transitory storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code is operable to configure at least one processor in a User Equipment (UE) for supporting positioning of the UE in a wireless network, the program code comprising instructions to:

receive a request for positioning capabilities message from a location server in a core network of the wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the request for positioning capabilities message, send a provide positioning capabilities message to the location server, the provide positioning capabilities message comprising positioning capabilities of the UE and an indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable, wherein:

the indication as to whether the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable or are variable identifies whether the positioning capabilities of the UE will be valid over time or may change over time, and

the positioning capabilities of the UE are stored in the core network when the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable.

26. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 25 , wherein the request for positioning capabilities message is a positioning message for a first location session, wherein the indication indicates that the positioning capabilities of the UE are stable, the program code further comprising instructions to:

receive positioning messages for a second location session that is subsequent to the first location session, wherein the positioning messages for the second location session do not include a request for positioning capabilities message.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2022
From: EDGE, STEPHEN WILLIAM; FISCHER, SVEN; MANOLAKOS, ALEXANDROS; AKKARAKARAN, SONY; OPSHAUG, GUTTORM RINGSTAD; CHENG, HONG
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 059628/0259 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63171072 · Apr 5, 2021
Related Publication 20220322044A1 · Oct 6, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,474,435 US 12,732,796