Service providing system, gateway device, information collection method and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program

• US 10,542,418 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwai, Takanori, Zembutsu, Hajime, Magatani, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C
• Application Number:
  US14/397,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141- 4, 726 1- 5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

To provide a service providing system capable of providing network information flexibly in response to a request from a server provided by a third party so as to provide services using various information, the service providing system includes an information collection unit (10) that collects node holding information held by each node device in a mobile communication network when a service information acquisition request needed for providing a service is transmitted from a service providing server (50) located in an external communication network, an information generation unit (20) that generates mobile communication network information based on the node holding information collected from each of node devices (41) to (43), and a communication unit (30) that transmits the mobile communication network information to the service providing server (50).

Claims

1. A service providing system comprising:

an application server located in an external communication network;

a network node;

a Home Subscriber Server (HSS); and

a User Equipment (UE), wherein

the network node is configured to;

receive a request message that requests location information of the UE from the application server;

provide information indicating an error to the application server if the application server is not authorized to send the request message;

send a request message to the HSS;

receive information related to the location information of the UE from the HSS; and

send the location information to the application server,

wherein the information related to the location information of the UE received by the network node from the HSS includes identification information of a mobility management node (MME) that manages the location information of the UE,

wherein the network node is configured to;

send a request message to the MME whose identification information is the identification information received from the HSS; and

receive the location information from the MME, and

wherein the request message sent by the network node to the MME includes information indicating a validity period in which the request message sent to the MME is valid.

2. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the network node is configured to:

send the request message to the HSS;

receive the information related to the location information of the UE from the HSS; and

send the location information to the application server,

if the application server is authorized to send the request message.

3. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the request message to request the location information of the UE includes identification information of the application server.

4. The service providing system according to claim 3, wherein the network node is configured to store the identification information of the application server.

5. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the request message to request the location information of the UE includes identification information of the application server, and

the network node is configured to authorize the application server by determining whether the identification information of the application server is stored in the network node.

6. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the location information is sent by a mobility management node (MME) that manages the location information of the UE.

7. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to send a request message to request Quality of Service (QoS) information of the UE.

8. A network node comprising at least one memory storing instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:

receive a request message that requests location information of a User Equipment (UE) from an application server located in an external communication network;

provide information indicating an error to the application server if the application server is not authorized to send the request message;

send a request message to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS);

receive information related to the location information of the UE from the HSS; and

send the location information to the application server,

wherein the information related to the location information of the UE received by the network node from the HSS includes identification information of a mobility management node (MME) that manages the location information of the UE,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to;

send a request message to the MME whose identification information is the identification information received from the HSS; and

receive the location information from the MME, and

wherein the request message sent by the network node to the MME includes information indicating a validity period in which the request message sent to the MME is valid.

9. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

send the request message to the HSS;

receive the information related to the location information of the UE from the HSS; and

send the location information to the application server,

if the application server is authorized to send the request message.

10. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the request message to request the location information of the UE includes identification information of the application server.

11. The network node according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to store the identification information of the application server.

12. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the request message to request the location information of the UE includes identification information of the application server, and

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to authorize the application server by determining whether the identification information of the application server is stored in the network node.

13. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the location information is sent by a mobility management node (MME) that manages the location information of the UE.

14. The network node according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to receive a request message to request Quality of Service (QoS) information of the UE from the application server.