Method and system for providing location dependent information

• US 20030157942A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Osmo, Salo
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method of providing location dependent information in a communications system, said method comprising the steps of: providing information identifying the location of a first station; sending said location information to a first element, said first element determining a second element based on said location information; and said second element providing geographic information relating to said location information.

Claims

1. A method of providing location dependent information in a communications system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing location information identifying the location of a first mobile station;

sending said location information to a first network element, said first network element determining a second network element based on said location information; and

said second network element providing geographic information relating to said location information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said geographic information is passed to a further network element, said further network element being arranged to provide information associated with said geographic information to said first mobile station.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first network element is a gateway element whereby messages between the first mobile station to the second network element and/or to the further network element pass through said gateway.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein messages between the further network element and the second network element pass through said gateway.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, or 4, wherein said gateway is arranged to translate the messages between a first and second format.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein said gateway is arranged store information defining the type of location information required while the second network element provides the geographic information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said gateway is arranged to send the geographic information and the information defining the type of location information required to the further network element.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said system comprises at least one communications network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one network is divided into a plurality of cells.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said location information comprises the identity of the cell in which the first mobile station is located.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said location information comprises the identity of a group of cells in which the first mobile station is located.

12. A method as claimed in claims 7 to 11, wherein said system comprises a home network with which the first mobile station is associated and at least one other network which can be visited by the first mobile station.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said location information comprises the identity of the network.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein a second network element is provided for each network.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said location information is provided to the second network element associated with the home network and if said first mobile station is located in another network, said location information is sent by the second network element associated with the home network to the second network element associated with the another network.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second network element associated with the another network is arranged to send the geographic information back to the second network element associated with the home network.

17. A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the second network elements are arranged to communicate via the Internet.

18. A method as claimed in claims 2 to 17, wherein at least one of the second network element and the further network element is arranged to communicate with the first network element via the Internet.

19. A method as claimed in claims 2 to 18, wherein said first station requests location dependent information from said further network element.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said further network element requests said location information from said first station in response to a request for location dependent information from the first mobile station.

21. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first station is arranged to provide address information in association with said location information so that the first mobile station receives the location dependent information.

22. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first mobile station operates in accordance with a wireless application protocol.

23. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said geographic information comprises geographic coordinates;

an address;

a post code;

the town;

or the country.

24. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said location information comprises information identifying the network in which the mobile station is located.

25. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said location information comprises information identifying the country.

26. A communication system comprising:

a first mobile station, information on the location of said first station being available;

a first network element, arranged to receive said location information and to determine a second network element based on said location information; and

said second network element arranged to provide geographic information relating to said location information.

27. A communication system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said location information is defined with respect to said system, said first network element being arranged to forward said location information to said second network element, said first network element being arranged to receive said geographic information from said second network element and to forward said geographic information to a third network element which provides location dependent information associated with said geographic information, said first network element being arranged to receive said location dependent information from said third network element and to forward said location dependent information to said first mobile station.

28. A communication system as claimed in claim 27, said second network element comprising:

means for storing geographic information relating to the network of which said second network element is a part;

means for receiving said location information relating to the position of said first mobile station in said network;

means for determining if said network is the home network of said first mobile station or a different network;

means for forwarding said location information to a corresponding network element in a different network if said different network is the home network of said first mobile station; and

means for outputting geographic information corresponding to said location network from either said storing means if said network is the home network or from said corresponding network if said home network is said different network.

29. A gateway element for use in a communication system, said gateway element being arranged to receive location information from a first mobile station, said location information being defined with respect to said system, said gateway element being arranged to forward said location information to a first network element which is arranged to provide geographic information associated with said location information, said gateway element being arranged to receive said geographic information from said first network element and to forward said geographic information to a further network element which provides location dependent information associated with said geographic information, said gateway element being arranged to receive said location dependent information from said further network element and to forward said information to said first mobile station.

30. A gateway element as claimed in claim 30, wherein said gateway element is arranged to translate information between first and second formats.

31. A network element for use in a communications system comprising:

means for storing geographic information relating to the network of which said network element is a part;

means for receiving location information relating to the position of a first mobile station in said network;

means for determining if said network is the home network of said first mobile station;

means for forwarding said location information to a corresponding network element of a different network if said different network is the home network of said mobile station; and

means for outputting geographic information corresponding to said location network from either said storing means if said network is the home network or from said corresponding network element if said home network is said different network.

32. A method of providing location dependent information to a first mobile station in a communications system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing information identifying the location of a first mobile station, said information being defined with respect to said system;

sending said location information to a first network element, said first network element being arranged to provided geographic information relating to said location information; and

sending said geographic information to a further network element, said further network element being arranged to provide information associated with said geographic information to said first mobile station.

33. A method of providing location dependent information in a communications system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing information identifying the location of a first mobile station;

sending said location information to a first network element, said first network element determining if said first network element is able to provide geographic information associated with said location information; and

sending said location information to a further network element, if it is determined that said first network element is unable to provide said geographic information, said further network element being arranged to provide said geographic information to said first mobile station.

34. A communication system comprising:

a first mobile station, said first station being arranged to provide information identifying the location of a first mobile station;

a first network element, said first network element being arranged to provide geographic information relating to said location information; and

a further network element, said further element being arranged to provide information associated with said geographic information to said first mobile station.