System and method for concurrently determining locations of mobile device in wireless communication network

Abstract

A method for a mobile location center (MLC) to determine a location of a mobile device in a wireless communication network includes receiving a request to determine the location of the mobile device; concurrently requesting global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements from the mobile device and terrestrial measurements from transceivers in the wireless communication network, and receiving the GNSS measurements and at least one of the terrestrial measurements. A GNSS location of the mobile device is calculated as a function of the GNSS measurements, and the calculated GNSS location is determined to be the location of the mobile device when the calculated GNSS location meets a predetermined accuracy threshold. A terrestrial location of the mobile device is calculated as a function of the terrestrial measurements, and the calculated terrestrial location is determined to be the location of the mobile device when the calculated terrestrial location meets the predetermined accuracy threshold.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 requesting terrestrial measurements from a transceiver in a wireless communication network in response to a location request for the mobile device, wherein the location request includes an accuracy threshold;   receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements and the terrestrial measurements;   calculating a GNSS location for the mobile device based on the received GNSS measurements;   calculating a terrestrial location for the mobile device based on of the received terrestrial measurements; and   determining whether the GNSS location and/or the terrestrial location meets the accuracy threshold;   calculating a hybrid location of the mobile device based on the GNSS measurements and the received terrestrial measurements in response to neither the calculated GNSS location nor the calculated terrestrial location meeting the accuracy threshold; and   setting the location of the mobile device as the calculated hybrid location.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the GNSS measurements and the terrestrial measurements are received over substantially the same period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein calculating the GNSS location of the mobile device and calculating the terrestrial location of the mobile device are performed in parallel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the GNSS measurements comprise measurements from one of a global positioning system (GPS), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the terrestrial measurements comprise measurements from one of an uplink time difference of arrival (U-TDOA) system, an enhanced observed time difference (E-OTD) system, an angle of arrival (AoA) system and a power of arrival (POA) system.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the predetermined accuracy threshold comprises a quality of position (QoP) parameter.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the QoP parameter includes a horizontal accuracy threshold and a vertical accuracy threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the QoP parameter includes a threshold for an age of the location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the location request comprises a time limit to complete determining the location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 generating the location request in response to detecting an emergency call.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing the location of the mobile device to an entity assigned to respond to the emergency call.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory machined readable memory having machine executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:
 requesting terrestrial measurements from a plurality of transceivers in a wireless communication network in response to a location request for the mobile device, wherein the request includes an accuracy threshold;   receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements;   receiving the terrestrial measurements from a given transceiver of the plurality of transceivers;   calculating a GNSS location of the mobile device based on the received GNSS measurements;   calculating a terrestrial location of the mobile device based on the received terrestrial measurements; and   determining whether the GNSS location and/or the terrestrial location meets the accuracy threshold;   calculating a hybrid location of the mobile device as a function of the GNSS measurements and the received terrestrial measurements in response to neither the calculated GNSS location nor the calculated terrestrial location meeting the accuracy threshold;   determining whether the hybrid location meets the accuracy threshold;   receiving terrestrial measurements from another transceiver of the plurality of transceivers;   re-calculating the terrestrial location based on the terrestrial measurements received from the given transceiver and the other transceiver in response to determining that the hybrid location does not meet the accuracy threshold; and   setting the location of the mobile device as the re-calculated terrestrial location.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the GNSS measurements and the terrestrial measurements are received over substantially the same period of time. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the predetermined accuracy threshold comprises a quality of position (QoP) parameter.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the QoP parameter includes a horizontal accuracy threshold and a vertical accuracy threshold.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the QoP parameter includes a threshold for an age of the location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         18 . A computing device comprising:
 a non-transitory memory that stores machine executable instructions; and   one or more processing units that accesses the memory and executes the machine readable instructions, the machine executable instructions comprising a location calculator that:   calculates a first location of the mobile device based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements and a second location of the mobile device based on terrestrial measurements;   calculates a third location of the mobile device based on both the GNSS measurements and the terrestrial measurements; and   selects one of the first, second or third locations that has a highest accuracy as the location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the calculating of the first and second locations of the mobile device is executed in response to a location request.   
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the location request includes an accuracy threshold, and the calculating of the third location is executed in response to the first and second locations failing to meet the accuracy threshold.   
     
     
         21 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the accuracy threshold comprises at least two of a horizontal accuracy threshold, a vertical accuracy threshold and a threshold for an age of location of the mobile device.