TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns in general the technical field of telecommunications. More particularly, the invention concerns a management of position information of a terminal device.

BACKGROUND

It is commonly known that a position of a terminal device may be determined in a plurality of ways. For example, the terminal device, or the mobile communication network, may be configured to be capable of determining a position of the terminal device on a basis of information derivable from the mobile communication network either directly or indirectly. In case the positioning is performed by the mobile communication network the entity performing the positioning may use measured power levels and antenna patterns and use the concept that terminal device communicates with one of the closest base stations. If the positioning is performed by the terminal device, it may be arranged to measure signal strengths experienced by the terminal device in its location and to determine the position by using the signal strength information together with network related information received from a telecom operator over signaling.

Further, at least some of the existing terminal devices nowadays are equipped with a module suitable for receiving signals from a satellite based navigation system, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). Those are based on a receipt of signals from at least three satellites, preferably from at least four satellites. Fundamentally, the idea e.g. in the GPS system is that the receiver measures times of arrivals of the satellite signals. From the times of arrivals and times of transmission (information included in the received signal) the receiver may compute its position.

In some implementations, the positioning may be a combination of the satellite based positioning and the mobile communication network based positioning. In such an implementation the position data derived from the satellite based positioning system may be improved, or assisted, with the network based positioning information. This kind of approach is commonly known as assisted GPS (A-GPS).

A simplicity of positioning of the terminal device generates also challenges as it comes to privacy issues. Namely, there is a threat that a position of a terminal device may be accessed unintentionally and/or easily by 3rdparties especially in solutions in which the terminal devices are modified versions from devices complying with existing specifications. An example of such a device may e.g. be a terminal device intended to support mobile communication networks dedicated to specific use. For safety reasons it may even be risky if 3rdparties may access a position information of a terminal device belonging to an authority, or to any other person identifiable from any data source.

Hence, there is need to develop solutions by means of which it is possible to improve privacy of users of terminal devices utilizing services provided by at least one mobile communication network.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

An object of the invention is to present a method, a terminal device and a computer program product for generating position information of the terminal device.

The objects of the invention are reached by a method, a terminal device and a computer program product as defined by the respective independent claims.

According to a first aspect, a method for generating position information of a terminal device served by a mobile communication network is provided, the method comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, at least one signal, the at least one signal carrying data applicable in a determination of a position of the terminal device; determining the position of the terminal device expressed as a position data based on the at least one received signal; applying a masking function to determined position data, the masking function is dedicated to the terminal device; determining a slice within a time-dependent network representation in accordance with at least one network characteristic determined by the terminal device, the network representation describing a coverage of a cell as a plurality of sectors comprising a number of slices; generating a data record comprising: a masked position data of the terminal device; information on the determined slice; and at least one network parameter applied by the masking function, the at least one network parameter determined by the terminal device.

The at least one signal carrying data applicable in the determination of the position of the terminal device may be received from a number of base stations of the mobile communication network. Further, the at least one signal carrying data applicable in the determination of the position of the terminal device may be received from a number of satellites of a satellite-based navigation system in addition to the signal received from the number of base stations of the mobile communication network.

Moreover, the network representation of the mobile communication network may be updated in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

An indication of the network representation may be included in the generated data record. For example, the indication may comprise at least one of: an identifier of the used network representation, a time stamp indicating an instant of time of the masking.

At least one terminal device specific seed value received from the mobile communication network and at least one network parameter may be applied as variables in the masking function. For example, the at least one network parameter may be at least one of: a modulation scheme assigned to the terminal device, a signal strength experienced by the terminal device, a distance of the terminal device from the base station serving the terminal device.

Still further, the at least one network characteristic used for determining the slice is at least one of: modulation assigned to the terminal device, signal strength experienced by the terminal device, distance of the terminal device from the base station serving the terminal device.

According to a second aspect, a terminal device for generating position information is provided, the terminal device is served by a mobile communication network, the terminal device comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to perform: receive at least one signal, the at least one signal carrying data applicable in a determination of a position of the terminal device; determine the position of the terminal device expressed as a position data based on the at least one received signal; apply a masking function to determined position data, the masking function is dedicated to the terminal device; determine a slice within a time-dependent network representation in accordance with at least one network characteristic determined by the terminal device, the network representation describing a coverage of a cell as a plurality of sectors comprising a number of slices; generate a data record comprising: a masked position data of the terminal device; information on the determined slice; and at least one network parameter applied by the masking function, the at least one network parameter determined by the terminal device.

The terminal device may be arranged to receive the at least one signal carrying data applicable in the determination of the position of the terminal device from a number of base stations of the mobile communication network.

The terminal device may be arranged to receive the at least one signal carrying data applicable in the determination of the position of the terminal device from a number of satellites of a satellite-based navigation system in addition to the signal received from the number of base stations of the mobile communication network.

Further, the terminal device may be arranged to update the network representation of the mobile communication network in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

The terminal device may be arranged to include an indication of the network representation in the generated data record.

The terminal device may be arranged to apply as variables of the masking function at least one terminal device specific seed value received from the mobile communication network and at least one network parameter. For example, the terminal device may be arranged to use as the at least one network parameter at least one of: a modulation scheme assigned to the terminal device, a signal strength experienced by the terminal device, a distance of the terminal device from the base station serving the terminal device.

The terminal device may be arranged to use as the at least one network characteristic used for determining the slice at least one of: modulation assigned to the terminal device, signal strength experienced by the terminal device, distance of the terminal device from the base station serving the terminal device.

According to a third aspect, a computer program product for generating position information is provided which computer program product, when executed by at least one processor, cause the terminal device to perform the method as described above.

The expression “a number of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from one, e.g. to one, two, or three.

The expression “a plurality of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from two, e.g. to two, three, or four.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features.

The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

