Method and apparatus for use of performance history data in positioning method selection

摘要

A method of selecting the positioning method(s) used to respond to given positioning requests uses historical performance data reflecting the actual performance yielded by one or more of the positioning methods that are generally available for selection. As a non-limiting example, a positioning node maintains or otherwise has access to historical data reflecting the QoS obtained for at least some of the positioning methods supported by the node. Correspondingly, the node compares the QoS requirements associated with an incoming positioning request to the historical performance data, to identify the positioning method(s) that appear to best satisfy the requirements. The positioning node therefore selects the “best” method(s) for responding to a positioning request, not based on “generic” performance characteristics of those methods, but rather based on observed real-world performance of those methods, as applicable to the particular operating environment (radio environment) in which the positioning methods are carried out.

主权项

1. A method in a positioning node of a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving different positioning requests at the positioning node associated with different confidence levels; obtaining different positioning Quality-of-Service (QoS) values at the different confidence levels associated with the different requests, for different positioning methods supported by the positioning node, based on historical positioning performance data maintained for those positioning methods; and selecting one or more positioning methods for use in responding to each of the different positioning requests, based on comparing a positioning QoS value required by that positioning request with the positioning QoS values obtained for the different positioning methods at the confidence level associated with that positioning request; wherein the historical positioning performance data is maintained for a given positioning method at a confidence level different than that associated with a given positioning request, and wherein positioning QoS value are obtained at the confidence level associated with said given positioning request for said given positioning method by scaling the historical positioning performance data maintained for that method to that confidence level.