IP Library Granted Patent US 11,356,809
Granted Patent B2
US 11,356,809 · App. 16/983,632 · Granted Jun 7, 2022

Distributed location management function

Inventors: Nathan Edward Tenny (Portland, OR); Andrey Krendzel (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04W4/029H04W64/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,356,809
App. No.
16/983,632
Granted
Jun 7, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein is a network node comprising a processor that executes instructions to receive a location service request for a user equipment (UE); transmit a reachability request for the UE to an access and mobility management function (AMF); receive a reachability response comprising reachability information of the UE from the AMF; determine whether to perform positioning procedures related to the location service request locally or to perform positioning procedures related to the location service request remotely based, in part, on the reachability information; based on a determination to perform the positioning procedures remotely, determine a distributed location management function (LMFd) to process the location service request based, at least in part, on the reachability information; transmit the location service request to the LMFd; receive a location service result from the LMFd; and transmit, responsive to the location service request, a UE position estimate determined based on the location service result.

Claims (35)

1. A location management function (LMF) comprising:

a memory having instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

receive a location service request for a user equipment (UE) from a network node, the location service request comprising reachability information of the UE;

instigate positioning operations directly with one or more of the UE or a radio access network (RAN) node, wherein the positioning operations bypass do not include an access and mobility management function (AMF);

receive location information from one or more of the UE or the RAN node; and

transmit a location service result to the network node.

2. The LMF of claim 1 , wherein the positioning operations comprise transmitting location assistance data to the UE.

3. The LMF of claim 1 , wherein the location service result comprises positioning measurements.

4. The LMF of claim 1 , wherein the location service result comprises a UE location estimate.

5. The LMF of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to calculate a UE position estimate based on the location information.

6. The LMF of claim 1 , wherein the network node is one of an AMF or another LMF.

7. A method for performing location services, the method comprising:

receiving, by a location management function (LMF), a location service request for a user equipment (UE) from a network node, the location service request comprising reachability information of the UE;

instigating, by the LMF, positioning operations directly with one or more of the UE or a radio access network (RAN) node, wherein the positioning operations bypass an access and mobility management function (AMF);

receiving, by the LMF, location information from one or more of the UE or the RAN node; and

transmitting, by the LMF, a location service result to the network node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the positioning operations comprise transmitting location assistance data to the UE.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the location service result comprises positioning measurements.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the location service result comprises a UE location estimate.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising calculating a UE position estimate based on the location information.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the network node is one of an AMF or another LMF.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, the instructions executable by a location management function (LMF) to cause the LMF to:

receive a location service request for a user equipment (UE) from a network node, the location service request comprising reachability information of the UE;

instigate positioning operations directly with one or more of the UE or a radio access network (RAN) node, wherein the positioning operations bypass an access and mobility management function (AMF);

receive location information from one or more of the UE or the RAN node; and

transmit a location service result to the network node.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the positioning operations comprise transmitting location assistance data to the UE.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the location service result comprises positioning measurements.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the location service result comprises a UE location estimate.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the network node to calculate a UE position estimate based on the location information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the network node is one of an AMF or another LMF.

19. The LMF of claim 1 , wherein the positioning operations are based on New Radio (NR) positioning protocol (NRPP).

20. The method of claim 7 , wherein the positioning operations are based on New Radio (NR) positioning protocol (NRPP).

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the positioning operations are based on New Radio (NR) positioning protocol (NRPP).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: FUTUREWEI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058854/0343 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation PCTCN2019080280 · Mar 29, 2019
Provisional Application 62781173 · Dec 18, 2018
Provisional Application 62652155 · Apr 3, 2018
Related Publication 20200367022A1 · Nov 19, 2020