Method for localizing a mobile terminal in an area under radio coverage of a cellular communication network and of a localization point, corresponding mobile terminal, server and localization point

• US 20030220105A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDPA Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Daigremont, Johann, Bazin, Claire
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for localizing a mobile terminal (13) in an area under radio coverage of a cellular communication network (12) and of a localization point (11).

According to the invention, the method comprises the steps of:

transferring to said mobile terminal (13) a localization point identifier (LP-ID) of said localization point (111, . . . , 113), said mobile terminal (13) being under radio coverage of said localization point (111, . . . , 113);

transferring said localization point identifier (LP-IDs) via said cellular communication network (12) from said mobile terminal (13) to a server (123) connected to said cellular communication network (12).

Claims

1. / A method for localizing a mobile terminal in an area under radio coverage of a cellular communication network and of a localization point belonging to a short-range non-cellular communication network, said mobile terminal comprising a first air interface to said short-range non cellular communication network and a second air interface to said cellular communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

transferring to said mobile terminal a localization point identifier of said localization point over said first air interface, when the presence of said mobile terminal has been detected at said localization point;

transferring said localization point identifier over said second air interface from said mobile terminal to a server connected to said cellular communication network.

2. / A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting at a localization point a mobile terminal entering the zone of coverage of said localization point;

pushing from said localization point its localization point identifier towards said mobile terminal when the presence of said mobile terminal has been detected.

3. / A method according to claim 1, wherein said localization point identifiers are encapsulated in Unstructured Supplementary Service Data messages for transmission from said mobile terminal to said cellular communication network over the air interface.

4. / A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

matching at said server said localization point identifier with a geographical information.

5. / A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting from said server said geographical information or said localization point identifier to an appropriate location based service server.

6. / A method according to claim 5, wherein said geographical information or said localization point identifier are passed between said server and said location based service server via an interface having a data structure with an attribute defining a string type data field which is reserved for said geographical information or for said localization point identifier.

7. / A method according to claim 1, wherein said cellular communication network is one of the group of GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS communication networks.

8. / A server connectable to a cellular communication network, said server comprising:

means for receiving a localization point identifier identifying a localization point in a short-range non-cellular communication network over an interface from said cellular radio communication network;

means for matching said localization point identifier with geographical information;

means for transmitting said geographical information or said localization point identifier identifying a localization point in a short-range non-cellular communication network over a predefined interface to an appropriate location based service server.

9. / A localization point belonging to a short-range non-cellular communication network, wherein it comprises:

means for detecting a mobile terminal entering the zone of coverage of said localization point;

means for pushing a localization point identifier identifying itself to a mobile terminal when the presence of said mobile terminal has been detected.