Patents by Inventor Stephen W. Edge

Stephen W. Edge has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210092552
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting network independent location services (LCS) are described. In one design, a location center may communicate with a terminal to establish an account for the terminal with the location center for location services. The location center may establish the account for the terminal independent of a home network or a serving network for the terminal. During signup to establish the account, the location center may (i) provide address information for the location center, security information, and/or other information for the location center and (ii) receive public identity information and/or other information for the terminal. The location center may thereafter provide location services to the terminal based on the established account and without interacting with the home or serving network for the terminal. Techniques for supporting delivery of assistance data are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 10863475
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting positioning for a terminal (sometimes referred to herein as a target device) in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, positioning for a target device includes transmitting a Request Assistance Data message to a location server, the Request Assistance Data message indicating at least one positioning method from a plurality of supported positioning methods. The Request Assistance Data message comprises common parameters that are applicable to all positioning methods indicated in the Request Assistance Data message. The common parameters comprise a serving cell identifier. Positioning for the target device further includes receiving assistance data sent in response to the Request Assistance Data message, and performing positioning based on the received assistance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Nathan E. Tenny, Sven Fischer
  • Patent number: 10841729
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting network independent location services (LCS) are described. In one design, a location center may communicate with a terminal to establish an account for the terminal with the location center for location services. The location center may establish the account for the terminal independent of a home network or a serving network for the terminal. During signup to establish the account, the location center may (i) provide address information for the location center, security information, and/or other information for the location center and (ii) receive public identity information and/or other information for the terminal. The location center may thereafter provide location services to the terminal based on the established account and without interacting with the home or serving network for the terminal. Techniques for supporting delivery of assistance data are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W Edge
  • Patent number: 10834696
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting positioning for a terminal (sometimes referred to herein as a target device) in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, positioning for a target device includes receiving a Request Location Information message that indicates at least one positioning method from a plurality of supported positioning methods. The Request Location Information message comprises common parameters that are applicable to all positioning methods indicated in the Request Location Information message. The common parameters comprise a quality-of-service (QoS), an indication of whether periodic location information is requested, an indication of whether triggered location information is requested, or any combination thereof. Positioning is performed in response to the Request Location Information message and can include determining a location estimate for a location of the target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Nathan E. Tenny, Sven Fischer
  • Patent number: 9867161
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting positioning for terminals in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, positioning may be supported by a location server that can reside in different entities. In one design, the location server may obtain positioning information (e.g., measurements) for a target device via a common positioning protocol. The location server may use the common positioning protocol regardless of where it resides and may communicate with other entities via this protocol. The location server may determine location information (e.g., a location estimate) for the target device based on the positioning information. In another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting multiple positioning messages together. In yet another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting a positioning message containing multiple parts defined by different organizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Nathan E. Tenny, Sven Fischer
  • Patent number: 9832612
    Abstract: In an aspect, a generic positioning protocol (GPP) may be used to support satellite-based positioning methods and terrestrial-based positioning methods for different access types. A terminal may exchange a first GPP message with first information for a positioning method and an access type supported by GPP. The terminal may exchange a second GPP message with second information for the positioning method and the access type. Each GPP message may include at least one position element, and each position element may be for a specific positioning method. The terminal may obtain a position estimate for itself based on the second information. In another aspect, positioning may be performed based on measurements for cells of different wireless access types. In yet another aspect, received transmission times may be transformed to converted times based on common timing, which may be applicable for multiple wireless access types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9743228
    Abstract: Techniques for transporting messages for location services (LCS) are described. A Mobility Management Entity (MME) may have a location session with an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) to provide location services for a User Equipment (UE). The UE may exchange LCS-related messages with the E-SMLC to obtain location services. In an aspect, LCS-related messages exchanged between the UE and the E-SMLC may be encapsulated in Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages and transported via the MME and a base station. In another aspect, a routing identifier (ID) may be used to associate messages exchanged between the UE and the MME with the location session between the MME and the E-SMLC for the UE. Each NAS message exchanged between the MME and the UE may include the routing ID, which may enable the MME to associate each NAS message from the UE with the location session between the MME and the E-SMLC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Kirk Allan Burroughs, Ramachandran Subramanian
  • Patent number: 9693184
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting a control plane solution for location services and positioning are described. In an aspect, an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) may communicate with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to support location services and positioning for a UE. In one design, the E-SMLC may receive a location request from the MME, perform a positioning procedure with the UE in response to the location request, and send a location response to the MME after completing the positioning procedure. For a UE-assisted or UE-based positioning procedure, the E-SMLC may send a downlink positioning message to the UE via the MME and may receive an uplink positioning message from the UE via the MME. For a network-based positioning procedure, the E-SMLC may send a network positioning request message to an eNB via the MME and may receive a network positioning response message from the eNB via the MME.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Kirk Allan Burroughs
  • Patent number: 9602990
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates in one particular implementation to a method, apparatus, and/or system for acquiring one or more network-based measurements at a location server from a radio access network serving a user equipment (UE). A first message may be transmitted to the UE from the location server, where the first message comprises at least one of the one or more network-based measurements. A location of the UE is capable of being determined by the UE-based at least in part on the one or more network-based measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sven Fischer, Stephen W. Edge
  • Publication number: 20160360502
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting positioning for terminals in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, positioning may be supported by a location server that can reside in different entities. In one design, the location server may obtain positioning information (e.g., measurements) for a target device via a common positioning protocol. The location server may use the common positioning protocol regardless of where it resides and may communicate with other entities via this protocol. The location server may determine location information (e.g., a location estimate) for the target device based on the positioning information. In another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting multiple positioning messages together. In yet another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting a positioning message containing multiple parts defined by different organizations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen W. EDGE, Nathan E. TENNY, Sven FISCHER
  • Patent number: 9485794
    Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with using D2D communications to support at least a portion of IMS based services. In one example, a first UE is equipped to perform communications with a second UE using an IMS session in which data traffic and signaling traffic are supported through a network, determine that the second UE is within a first proximity threshold of the first UE, establish a D2D communication link with the second UE, and transfer support of the data traffic to the D2D communication link while maintaining the support of the signaling traffic through the network. In an aspect, the first proximity threshold may be a distance, a signaling strength or a signaling quality between the first and second UEs between which D2D communications are supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Publication number: 20160286357
    Abstract: In an aspect, a generic positioning protocol (GPP) may be used to support satellite-based positioning methods and terrestrial-based positioning methods for different access types. A terminal may exchange a first GPP message with first information for a positioning method and an access type supported by GPP. The terminal may exchange a second GPP message with second information for the positioning method and the access type. Each GPP message may include at least one position element, and each position element may be for a specific positioning method. The terminal may obtain a position estimate for itself based on the second information. In another aspect, positioning may be performed based on measurements for cells of different wireless access types. In yet another aspect, received transmission times may be transformed to converted times based on common timing, which may be applicable for multiple wireless access types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9435874
    Abstract: Techniques for supporting positioning for terminals in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, positioning may be supported by a location server that can reside in different entities. In one design, the location server may obtain positioning information (e.g., measurements) for a target device via a common positioning protocol. The location server may use the common positioning protocol regardless of where it resides and may communicate with other entities via this protocol. The location server may determine location information (e.g., a location estimate) for the target device based on the positioning information. In another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting multiple positioning messages together. In yet another aspect, positioning may be supported by transporting a positioning message containing multiple parts defined by different organizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Nathan E. Tenny, Sven Fischer
  • Patent number: 9386408
    Abstract: In an aspect, a generic positioning protocol (GPP) may be used to support satellite-based positioning methods and terrestrial-based positioning methods for different access types. A terminal may exchange a first GPP message with first information for a positioning method and an access type supported by GPP. The terminal may exchange a second GPP message with second information for the positioning method and the access type. Each GPP message may include at least one position element, and each position element may be for a specific positioning method. The terminal may obtain a position estimate for itself based on the second information. In another aspect, positioning may be performed based on measurements for cells of different wireless access types. In yet another aspect, received transmission times may be transformed to converted times based on common timing, which may be applicable for multiple wireless access types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9374798
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and network location server support multiple positioning protocols so that a first position measurement of the mobile terminal may be obtained using a positioning protocol defined for a first wireless network and a second position measurement of the mobile terminal may be obtained using a different positioning protocol defined for a different wireless network during the same location session. The first position measurement and the second position measurement can then be used together to determine a position of the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9357439
    Abstract: Techniques for maintaining location continuity for a user equipment (UE) following handover are described. The UE communicates with a first radio access network (RAN) and is served by a source serving node and a source location server prior to handover. The UE communicates with a second RAN and is served by a target serving node and a target location server after the handover. In an aspect, location continuity may be maintained for the UE by transferring an identity of the target serving node to a location server during handover of the UE. In one design, the target serving node sends its identity to the target location server, which updates a Location and Routing Function (LRF) serving the UE. In another design, for handover from packet-switched domain to circuit-switched domain, the source serving node sends the target serving node identity to the source location server, which updates the LRF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9307454
    Abstract: Techniques for maintaining location continuity for a user equipment (UE) following handover are described. The UE communicates with a first radio access network (RAN) and is served by a source serving node and a source location server prior to handover. The UE communicates with a second RAN and is served by a target serving node and a target location server after the handover. In an aspect, location continuity may be maintained for the UE by transferring an identity of the target serving node to a location server during handover of the UE. In one design, the target serving node sends its identity to the target location server, which updates a Location and Routing Function (LRF) serving the UE. In another design, for handover from packet-switched domain to circuit-switched domain, the source serving node sends the target serving node identity to the source location server, which updates the LRF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9280778
    Abstract: Techniques for performing location logging and location and time based filtering are described. In one design of location logging, a terminal periodically determines its location, e.g., during its paging slots. The terminal determines whether there is a change in its location and stores its location if a change in location is detected. In one design of location and time based filtering, the terminal obtains a location and time criterion with a target area and a time period. The terminal determines its location during the time period, e.g., based on the location log. The terminal evaluates the location and time criterion based on the target area and its location during the time period, e.g., based on at least one sector ID for the target area and one or more sector IDs for its location. The terminal determines whether to download and/or present broadcast information based on the result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald William Gillies, Charles N. Lo, Stephen W. Edge
  • Patent number: 9226257
    Abstract: Techniques to support positioning for access points and terminals in WLANs and other wireless networks are described. In one aspect, WLAN positioning is supported with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL). A terminal obtains measurements for an access point in a WLAN and/or receives measurements made by the access point for the terminal. The terminal determines WLAN AP information for the access point and/or the terminal based on the measurements and sends the WLAN AP information to a SUPL Location Platform (SLP). The SLP determines a location estimate for the terminal based on the WLAN AP information. In another aspect, the terminal receives supported network information from the SLP. The terminal obtains network measurement information (e.g., measurements) for a radio access network and determines which particular network measurement information to send based on the supported network information. The terminal sends network measurement information permitted by the supported network information to the SLP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen W. Edge, Andreas K. Wachter
  • Publication number: 20150341828
    Abstract: Techniques for maintaining location continuity for a user equipment (UE) following handover are described. The UE communicates with a first radio access network (RAN) and is served by a source serving node and a source location server prior to handover. The UE communicates with a second RAN and is served by a target serving node and a target location server after the handover. In an aspect, location continuity may be maintained for the UE by transferring an identity of the target serving node to a location server during handover of the UE. In one design, the target serving node sends its identity to the target location server, which updates a Location and Routing Function (LRF) serving the UE. In another design, for handover from packet-switched domain to circuit-switched domain, the source serving node sends the target serving node identity to the source location server, which updates the LRF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventor: Stephen W. Edge