Method and system for managing user location information in a communication system

• US 10,361,874 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jianrong, Wang, Jiansong
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chandrahas B
• Application Number:
  US15/336,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/65 Off-line charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, receive a subscription from an application server where the subscription identifies a session event and/or sub-events occurring in a communication session for which the application server requests user location information, provide subscription information based on the subscription to core network nodes of the mobile communications network, receive user location information from the core network nodes responsive to a detection of a triggering event corresponding to the session event of the subscription, and provide the user location information to an IP multimedia subsystem network for delivery to the application server. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, user location information from at least one core network node of a mobile communications network responsive to a detection of a triggering event corresponding to a session event occurring in a communication session;

determining, by the processing system, whether reporting of the triggering event that is detected will not result in an undesired signal load; and

providing, by the processing system, the user location information to an IP multimedia subsystem network for delivery to an application server responsive to the determining that the reporting of the triggering event will not result in the undesired signal load, wherein the delivery of the user location information is limited to application servers that are subscribed to the session event,

wherein the session event is a group of session events comprising a session initiation and a session termination, and wherein the session event is not a session update caused by user mobility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing system performs policy control and charging functions in the mobile communications network, and wherein a subscription identifies a session event occurring in a communication session for which the application server requests user location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one core network node comprises a mobility management entity, a home subscriber server, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the processing system, subscription information based on a subscription to one or more core network nodes of the mobile communications network, wherein the providing of the user location information to the IP multimedia subsystem network comprises transmitting the user location information from a policy charging and rules function server of the mobile communications network to a call session control function server of the IP multimedia subsystem network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location information comprises a cell identification and local time information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the session event comprises a session update.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the user location information from the at least one core network node comprises receiving the user location information at a policy charging and enforcement function server of the mobile communications network and then providing the user location information to a policy charging and rules function server of the mobile communications network.

8. A system comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processing system comprising a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processing system, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

providing subscription information based on subscriptions to at least one core network node in a mobile communications network;

receiving user location information from the at least one core network node responsive to detection of triggering events that correspond to session events of a communication session, wherein the subscriptions identify the session events for which a subset of application servers of a plurality of application servers are requesting user location information;

determining whether reporting of the triggering events that are detected will not result in an undesired signal load; and

providing, responsive to the determining that the reporting of the triggering events that are detected will not result in the undesired signal load, the user location information to an IP multimedia subsystem network for delivery to the subset of application servers without delivery to remaining application servers of the plurality of application servers that did not subscribe to the session events, wherein delivery of the user location information is for only subscribed event or sub-events without delivery of unsubscribed events or sub-events.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one core network node comprises a home subscriber server.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the providing of the user location information to the IP multimedia subsystem network comprises transmitting the user location information from a policy charging and rules function server of the system to a call session control function server of the IP multimedia subsystem network, and wherein the receiving of the user location information from the at least one core network node comprises receiving the user location information at a policy charging and enforcement function server of the system and then providing the user location information to the policy charging and rules function server.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the subscription information identifies an individual user within a group of cells of the mobile communications network, and wherein the operations further comprise providing the user location information to the IP multimedia subsystem network when the user location information indicates that the user is located within the group of cells and not providing the user location information to the IP multimedia subsystem network when the user location information indicates that the user is located outside of the group of cells.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the session events comprise a session initiation and a session termination, and wherein the session events do not include a session update caused by user mobility.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the session events comprise a session update, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the session events comprise a session initiation, a session termination, or a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one core network node comprises a mobility management entity.

16. An application server comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processing system including a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processing system, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

providing a subscription to a system that performs policy control and charging functions in a mobile communications network, wherein the subscription identifies whether user equipment is inside or outside a specific set of cells or serving areas associated with the subscription; and

receiving, from an IP multimedia subsystem network, first user location information responsive to a detection of a first triggering event corresponding to whether the user equipment is inside or outside the specific set of cells or serving areas associated with the subscription, wherein the processor does not receive second user location information when a detection of a second triggering event occurs, wherein the second triggering event corresponds to a session event or sub-event for which the application server is not subscribed, and wherein the first triggering event is not received if the IP multimedia subsystem network determines that reporting of the first triggering event will result in an undesired signal load,

wherein the session event or sub-event is not an update caused by mobility of the user equipment.

17. The application server of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring network performance and problem trouble shooting based on the first user location information, and wherein the subscription corresponds to session terminations caused by an undesired condition, and wherein the subscription excludes session terminations that are at a request of user equipment.

18. The application server of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise using the first user location information to perform billing, network performance analysis, and location-based service authorization functions.

19. The application server of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring network performance and problem trouble shooting based on the first user location information, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

20. The application server of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise enabling IP multimedia media services based on the first user location information.