Methods and Apparatus for Measurement Configuration Support

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a network node for controlling configuration of measurements to be performed by a user equipment ( 150 a, 150 b ) operating in a wireless communication system ( 101 ). A configured measurement corresponds to at least one reporting criteria and the user equipment ( 150 a, 150 b ) is able to support a limited number of parallel reporting criteria. Measurements to be performed by the user equipment in parallel may be requested by different network nodes such as a positioning server ( 140 ) and an eNodeB ( 110 a, 110 b ). By letting a network node, such as the positioning server ( 140 ) or the (eNodeB 110 a, 110 b ), obtain information on measurements requested by another network node the network node is able to configure the user equipment with a set of measurements that does not exceed at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, implemented in a network node, of controlling a configuration of measurements to be performed by a user equipment operating in a wireless communication system, wherein a configured measurement corresponds to at least one reporting criteria, and wherein the user equipment is configured to support a limited number of parallel reporting criteria, the method comprising:
 obtaining information on a plurality of measurements requested by a plurality of different network nodes to be performed by the user equipment in parallel, wherein the plurality of measurements include at least one positioning measurement; and   using the obtained information to configure the user equipment with a set of measurements that does not exceed at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtained information comprises information on:
 at least one category of positioning measurement;   a number of configured positioning measurement reporting criteria for each category of positioning measurement.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the information on the at least one category of the positioning measurement comprises information specifying that a category of positioning measurement comprises:
 an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA);   an Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID);   an intra-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an inter-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an intra-frequency user equipment receive-transmit time difference for a neighbor cell for E-CID measurement;   an inter-frequency user equipment receive transmit measurement for E-CID measurement; or   an inter-radio access technology (RAT) positioning measurement for E-CID measurement.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of measurements requested to be performed by the user equipment comprise measurements to be performed on at least one of a primary carrier and a secondary carrier. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different network nodes comprises a positioning server and a radio network node. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method is implemented in the positioning server. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method is implemented in the radio network node. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 :
 wherein the positioning server comprises an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SLMC) or a Secure User Plane Location Location Platform (SLP);   wherein the radio network node comprises an evolved NodeB (eNodeB).   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein obtaining the information on the plurality of measurements requested by the plurality of different network nodes comprises receiving at least one signaling message with information on at least one requested measurement from at least one third network node;   wherein the third network node comprises:
 one of the plurality of different network nodes; 
 the user equipment; 
 a core network node; 
 a Mobility Management Entity; 
 a network management node; 
 a Self Organizing Network node; or 
 a Minimizing Drive Test node. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the information on the plurality of measurements requested by the plurality of different network nodes comprises sniffing at least one message transmitted between the user equipment and a positioning server to extract information on at least one positioning measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria comprises a threshold specifying a maximum total number of parallel reporting criteria. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria specifies a maximum number of parallel reporting criteria per measurement category;   wherein a plurality of different measurement categories are predefined to include different types of measurements.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of different measurement categories comprises at least one category for positioning measurements. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one category for positioning measurements comprises at least one category for at least one of:
 an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA);   an Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID);   an intra-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an inter-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an intra-frequency user equipment receive-transmit time difference for a neighbor cell for E-CID measurement;   an inter-frequency user equipment receive transmit measurement for E-CID measurement; and   an inter-radio access technology (RAT) positioning measurement for E-CID measurement.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the obtained information to configure the user equipment comprises delaying a previously configured measurement or initiating de-configuration of the previously configured measurement to give priority to one or several other measurements. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 delaying or de-configuring a mobility measurement to give priority to a positioning measurement; or   delaying or de-configuring the positioning measurement to give priority to the mobility measurement.   
     
     
         17 . A network node for controlling configuration of measurements to be performed by a user equipment operating in a wireless communication system, wherein a configured measurement corresponds to at least one reporting criteria, wherein the user equipment is configured to support a limited number of parallel reporting criteria, the network node comprising:
 a receiver;   a transmitter;   a processor;   wherein the receiver and the processor are configured to obtain information on a plurality of measurements requested by a plurality of different network nodes to be performed by the user equipment in parallel, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises at least one positioning measurement;   wherein the processor and the transmitter are configured to use the obtained information to configure the user equipment with a set of measurements that does not exceed at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria.   
     
     
         18 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the obtained information comprises information on at least one category of positioning measurement and a number of configured positioning measurement reporting criteria for each category of positioning measurement. 
     
     
         19 . The network node of  claim 18 , wherein the information on type of positioning measurement comprises information specifying that a category of positioning measurement comprises:
 an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA);   an Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID);   an intra-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an inter-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an intra-frequency user equipment receive-transmit time difference for a neighbor cell for E-CID measurement;   an inter-frequency user equipment receive transmit measurement for E-CID measurement; or   an inter-radio access technology (RAT) positioning measurement for E-CID measurement.   
     
     
         20 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of measurements requested to be performed by the user equipment comprise measurements to be performed on at least one of a primary carrier and a secondary carrier. 
     
     
         21 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of different network nodes comprises a positioning server and a radio network node. 
     
     
         22 . The network node of  claim 21 , wherein the network node comprises the positioning server. 
     
     
         23 . The network node of  claim 21 , wherein the network node comprises the radio network node. 
     
     
         24 . The network node of  claim 21 :
 wherein the positioning server comprises an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SLMC) or a Secure User Plane Location Platform (SLP);   wherein the radio network node comprises an evolved NodeB (eNodeB).   
     
     
         25 . The network node of  claim 17 :
 wherein the receiver is configured to obtain information on the plurality of measurements requested by the plurality of different network nodes by receiving at least one signaling message with information on at least one requested measurement from at least one third network node;   wherein the third network node comprises:
 one of the plurality of different network nodes; 
 the user equipment; 
 a core network node; 
 a Mobility Management Entity; 
 a network management node; 
 a Self Organizing Network node, or 
 a Minimizing Drive Test node. 
   
     
     
         26 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the receiver and processor are configured to obtain at least some of the information on the plurality of measurements requested by the plurality of different network nodes by sniffing at least one message transmitted between the user equipment and a positioning server to extract information on at least one positioning measurement. 
     
     
         27 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria comprises a threshold specifying a maximum total number of parallel reporting criteria. 
     
     
         28 . The network node of  claim 17 :
 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria specifies a maximum number of parallel reporting criteria per measurement category;   wherein a plurality of different measurement categories are predefined to include different types of measurements.   
     
     
         29 . The network node of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of different measurement categories comprises at least one category for positioning measurements. 
     
     
         30 . The network node of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one category for positioning measurements comprises at least one category for at least one of:
 an Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA);   an Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID);   an intra-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an inter-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference for OTDOA measurement;   an intra-frequency user equipment receive-transmit time difference for a neighbor cell for E-CID measurement;   an inter-frequency user equipment receive transmit measurement for E-CID measurement; and   an inter-radio access technology (RAT) positioning measurement for E-CID measurement.   
     
     
         31 . The network node of  claim 17 , wherein the processor and the transmitter are configured to use the obtained information to delay a previously configured measurement or de-configure the previously configured measurement to give priority to one or several other measurements. 
     
     
         32 . The network node of  claim 31  wherein the processor and the transmitter are configured to:
 delay or de-configure a mobility measurement to give priority to a positioning measurement; or 
 delay or de-configure a positioning measurement to give priority to a mobility measurement. 
 
     
     
         33 . A method, implemented in a network node, of controlling a configuration of measurements to be performed by a user equipment operating in a wireless communication system, wherein a configured measurement corresponds to at least one reporting criteria, and wherein the user equipment is configured to support a limited number of parallel reporting criteria, the method comprising:
 obtaining information on a plurality of measurements requested by a plurality of different network nodes to be performed by the user equipment in parallel; and   using the obtained information to configure the user equipment with a set of measurements that does not exceed at least one predetermined threshold for parallel reporting criteria.