Methods and apparatuses for use in providing positioning assistance data to mobile stations via a self-organizing network

Abstract

Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses to allow a mobile station to receive positioning assistance data that may be used in a signal-based position estimation process. For example, a device at a node of a self organizing network (SON) portion of a communication network may be self-provisioned by establishing and providing selected positioning assistance data to a mobile station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 with a device operating at a first node of a self organizing network portion of a communication network to provide a wireless communication access service:
 establishing selected positioning assistance data based, at least in part, on:
 received positioning information associated with one or more base stations of said communication network available to at least transmit one or more positioning signals to a mobile station for use in signal-based position estimation, and 
 a determination as to whether said first node and/or at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit at least one of said one or more positioning signals to said mobile station; and 
 
 transmitting one or more signals representing at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data over a communication link to said mobile station. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said determination that said first node is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals is based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said first node and at least one of said one or more base stations,   an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said first node, and/or   a power class associated with said first node.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said determination that said at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals is based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said at least one other node and at least one of said one or more base stations,   an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said at least one other node, and/or   a power class associated with said at least one other node.   
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting is performed in response to a request for positioning assistance data received from said mobile station while said first node is acting as a serving communication node to said mobile station. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said received positioning information is received over a non-wireless communication link. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a plurality of said one or more base stations. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a particular one of said one or more base stations from which additional positioning assistance data is available to said mobile station. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said received positioning information comprises:
 information associated with at least one of said one or more base stations comprising a node of said self organizing network portion and identifying at least one of: an estimated position, an estimated position error, and/or a power class.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for use at a first node in a self organizing network portion of a communication network providing a wireless communication access service, said apparatus comprising:
 at least one network interface comprising at least one wireless transmitter; and   at least one processing unit to:
 establish selected positioning assistance data based, at least in part, on: positioning information that is received via said at least one network interface and associated with one or more base stations of said communication network available to at least transmit one or more positioning signals to a mobile station for use in signal-based position estimation, and a determination as to whether said first node and/or at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit at least one of said one or more positioning signals to said mobile station; and 
 initiate transmission of at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data over a communication link via said at least one wireless transmitter to said mobile station. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , said at least one processing unit to determine whether said first node is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said first node and at least one of said one or more base stations,   an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said first node, and/or   a power class associated with said first node.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , said at least one processing unit to determine whether said at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said at least one other node and at least one of said one or more base stations,   an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said at least one other node, and/or   a power class associated with said at least one other node.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , said at least one processing unit to initiate transmission of said at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data in response to a request for positioning assistance data received via said at least one network interface from said mobile station while said first node is acting as a serving communication node to said mobile station. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said at least one network interface further comprises a non-wireless communication interface, and wherein at least a portion of said received positioning information is received over a non-wireless communication link via said non-wireless communication interface. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a plurality of said one or more base stations. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a particular one of said one or more base stations from which additional positioning assistance data is available to said mobile station. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said received positioning information comprises:
 information associated with at least one of said one or more base stations comprising a node of said self organizing network portion and identifying at least one of: an estimated position, an estimated position error, and/or a power class.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for use in a device operating at a first node of a self organizing network portion of a communication network providing wireless communication access services, the apparatus comprising:
 means for establishing selected positioning assistance data based, at least in part, on:
 received positioning information associated with one or more base stations of said communication network available to at least transmit one or more positioning signals to a mobile station for use in signal-based position estimation, and 
 a determination as to whether said first node and/or at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit at least one of said one or more positioning signals to said mobile station; and 
   means for transmitting at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data over a communication link to said mobile station.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for determining that said first node is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said first node and at least one of said one or more base stations, 
 an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said first node, and/or 
 a power class associated with said first node. 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for determining that said at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said at least one other node and at least one of said one or more base stations, 
 an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said at least one other node, and/or 
 a power class associated with said at least one other node. 
   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for operating said first node as a serving communication node to said mobile station; and   means for receiving a request for positioning assistance data from said mobile station.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for receiving at least a portion of said received positioning information over a non-wireless communication link.   
     
     
         22 . An article for use with a device operating at a first node of a self organizing network portion of a communication network providing wireless communication access services, the article comprising:
 a computer readable medium having stored therein computer executable instructions executable by one or more processing units of the device to:
 establish selected positioning assistance data based, at least in part, on:
 received positioning information associated with one or more base stations of said communication network available to at least transmit one or more positioning signals to a mobile station for use in signal-based position estimation, and 
 a determination as to whether said first node and/or at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit at least one of said one or more positioning signals to said mobile station; and 
 
 initiate transmission of at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data over a communication link to said mobile station. 
   
     
     
         23 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , said computer executable instructions being further executable by said one or more processing units to:
 determine whether said first node is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said first node and at least one of said one or more base stations, 
 an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said first node, and/or 
 a power class associated with said first node. 
   
     
     
         24 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , said computer executable instructions being further executable by said one or more processing units to:
 determine whether said at least one other node of said self organizing network portion is available to transmit said at least one of said one or more positioning signals based, at least in part, on at least one of:
 an estimated synchronization error between said at least one other node and at least one of said one or more base stations, 
 an estimated position error associated with an estimated position of said at least one other node, and/or 
 a power class associated with said at least one other node. 
   
     
     
         25 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , said computer executable instructions being further executable by said one or more processing units to:
 initiate transmission of at least a portion of said selected positioning assistance data in response to a request for positioning assistance data received from said mobile station while said first node acts as a serving communication node to said mobile station.   
     
     
         26 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of said received positioning information is received over a non-wireless communication link. 
     
     
         27 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a plurality of said one or more base stations. 
     
     
         28 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said transmitted selected positioning assistance data comprises information identifying a particular one of said one or more base stations from which additional positioning assistance data is available to said mobile station. 
     
     
         29 . The article as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said received positioning information comprises:
 information associated with at least one of said one or more base stations comprising a node of said self organizing network portion and identifying at least one of: an estimated position, an estimated position error, and/or a power class.