System and method for determining absolute time based upon air interface timing in time of arrival based positioning

摘要

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for reducing the signaling load on the network by instructing a Location Measurement Unit (LMU) to measure the relation between the absolute time and air interface timing, e.g., TDMA frame number, only when a positioning request has been received. Prior to configuring the LMU for time of arrival (TOA)-based positioning of a particular mobile station, the Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) can request an LMU associated with a particular cell to perform an asynchronous handover within the same cell. During this asynchronous handover, the LMU measures the relation between the absolute time and the TDMA frame number, and sends this relation information to the SMLC. The SMLC uses this relation information in configuring the LMU for TOA-based positioning of the particular mobile station.