Method, apparatus and system for determining a location of a mobile device

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device from each one of one or more transmission points of a wireless network via a respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information, a broadcasted respective location information message containing an indication of geographic location of said one of the one or more transmission points and broadcasted repeatedly according to a schedule; and

determining, by the mobile device, its location based on content of the broadcasted location information message,

wherein the respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information is a dedicated physical channel associated with a dedicated logical channel of the wireless network, and wherein the broadcasted location information message is transmitted on a portion of resources assigned to the dedicated physical channel, and

wherein the portion of resources is configured for a reuse by multiple ones of the transmission points, and wherein the transmission points are spaced apart such that mutual interference due to said reuse is below a level required for reliable reception of the broadcasted location information messages.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

continuously or intermittently monitoring, by the mobile device, the dedicated physical channel for detecting the dedicated logical channel associated with dedicated physical channel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mobile device determines its location based on physical layer detection information of the dedicated physical channel, the physical layer detection information obtained from signals transmitted by three or more of the transmission points, said signals including the location information, other signals, or a combination thereof, the physical layer detection information including an indication of distance, direction, or both distance and direction of said three or more transmission points relative to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining the location of the mobile device is performed based on physical layer parameters of the broadcasted location information message, physical layer parameters of other signals transmitted by the one or more transmission points, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective broadcasted location information message further includes an identifier of said one of the one or more transmission points, and wherein the indication of geographic location is one of: an absolute geographic location comprising latitude, longitude and height information, and a geographic location relative to a predetermined reference location and comprising a three-dimensional location offset from said reference location.

6. A method comprising:

sending, by a mobile device, a registration message to one of one or more transmission points of a wireless network, or a control function communicable with at least one of the one or more transmission points;

receiving, by the mobile device from the control function or said one of the one or more transmission points, resource information, the resource information indicating communication resources, of the wireless network, configured for a transmission of a broadcasted location information message between the one or more transmission points and the mobile device;

monitoring, by the mobile device, said communication resources for the broadcasted location information message;

receiving, by the mobile device from each one of the one or more transmission points via a respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information, a respective instance of the broadcasted location information message containing an indication of geographic location of said one of the one or more transmission points and broadcasted repeatedly according to a schedule; and

determining, by the mobile device, its location based on content of the broadcasted location information message.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the broadcasted location information messages are encrypted, and wherein the resource information further comprises security information to be used by the mobile device for decrypting the encrypted location information messages.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information is a dedicated physical channel associated with a dedicated logical channel of the wireless network, the method further comprising:

continuously or intermittently monitoring, by the mobile device, the dedicated physical channel for detecting the dedicated logical channel associated with dedicated physical channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device determines its location based on physical layer detection information of the dedicated physical channel, the physical layer detection information obtained from signals transmitted by three or more of the transmission points, said signals including the location information, other signals, or a combination thereof, the physical layer detection information including an indication of distance, direction, or both distance and direction of said three or more transmission points relative to the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein said determining the location of the mobile device is performed based on physical layer parameters of the broadcasted location information message, physical layer parameters of other signals transmitted by the one or more transmission points, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the broadcasted location information message further includes an identifier of said one of the one or more transmission points, and wherein the indication of geographic location is one of: an absolute geographic location comprising latitude, longitude and height information, and a geographic location relative to a predetermined reference location and comprising a three-dimensional location offset from said reference location.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine readable memory including machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:

receive, from each one of one or more transmission points of a wireless network via a respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information, a broadcasted respective location information message containing an indication of geographic location of said one of the one or more transmission points and broadcasted repeatedly according to a schedule; and

determine a location of the apparatus based on content of the broadcasted location information message,

wherein the respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information is a dedicated physical channel associated with a dedicated logical channel of the wireless network, and wherein the broadcasted location information message is transmitted on a portion of resources assigned to the dedicated physical channel, and

wherein the portion of resources is configured for a reuse by multiple ones of the transmission points, and wherein the transmission points are spaced apart such that mutual interference due to said reuse is below a level required for reliable reception of the broadcasted location information messages.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the machine readable memory when executed by the processor further configure the apparatus to continuously or intermittently monitor the dedicated physical channel for detecting the dedicated logical channel associated with dedicated physical channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus determines its location based on physical layer detection information of the dedicated physical channel, the physical layer detection information obtained from signals transmitted by three or more of the transmission points, said signals including the location information, other signals, or a combination thereof, the physical layer detection information including an indication of distance, direction, or both distance and direction of said three or more transmission points relative to the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is configured to perform said determining its location based on physical layer parameters of the broadcasted location information message, physical layer parameters of other signals transmitted by the one or more transmission points, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the machine readable memory when executed by the processor further configure the apparatus to: receive a decryption key; and decrypt the broadcasted location information message using the decryption key.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the broadcasted location information message further includes an identifier of said one of the one or more transmission points, and wherein the indication of geographic location is one of: an absolute geographic location comprising latitude, longitude and height information, and a geographic location relative to a predetermined reference location and comprising a three-dimensional location offset from said reference location.

18. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from each one of one or more transmission points of a wireless network via a respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information, a broadcasted respective location information message containing an indication of geographic location of said one of the one or more transmission points and broadcasted repeatedly according to a schedule; and

determining a location of the mobile device based on content of the broadcasted location information message,

wherein the respective broadcast transport channel dedicated for transmission of location information is a dedicated physical channel associated with a dedicated logical channel of the wireless network, and wherein the broadcasted location information message is transmitted on a portion of resources assigned to the dedicated physical channel, and

wherein the portion of resources is configured for a reuse by multiple ones of the transmission points, and wherein the transmission points are spaced apart such that mutual interference due to said reuse is below a level required for reliable reception of the broadcasted location information messages.