Selecting domain for transmitting a location service request

• US 20040058692A1
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Muhonen, Janne, Vanttinen, Veijo, Kall, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,142,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

In a system comprising at least two different domains both supporting location services, the Gateway Mobile Location Center routing the location service requests receives a routing address for both domains, i.e. at least two addresses, if the target mobile station has subscription to both domains. In order to select via which domain the attempts should be f first made to obtain the location information of the target MS, the state of the target MS is found out (2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5) at least in one domain and preferably in both domains.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a domain via which a location request is transmitted in a mobile communications system comprising at least a first domain and a second domain both supporting location services, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a location request relating to a target mobile station from a requesting entity;

characterized by

requesting the state of the target mobile station at least in the first domain; and

transmitting the location request to the target mobile station via the first domain if the state indicates that the mobile station is active in the first domain.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first domain is a circuit switched domain and the second domain is a packet switched domain.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, charactrized in that the first domain is a packet switched domain and the second domain is a circuit switched domain.

2. A method of selecting a domain via which a location request is transmitted in a mobile communications system comprising at least a first domain and a second domain both supporting location services, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a location request relating to a target mobile station from a requesting entity;

characterized by

requesting the state of the target mobile station in the first domain and in the second domain;

if the state of the target mobile indicates that the target mobile is detached from the first domain and the state of the target mobile in the second domain indicates that the target mobile is attached to the second domain, transmitting the location request to the target mobile station via the second domain; and

if the state of the target mobile indicates in the first domain and the second domain that the target mobile is attached to the domain, selecting, on the basis of a predetermined set of rules comprising at least one rule, the domain to be used and transmitting the location request via the selected domain.

5. A system (1) comprising at least

a first domain (MSC/VLR, SGSN) supporting a location service;

and

a second domain (MSC/VLR, SGSN) supporting the location service,

a first network node (GMLC) for routing via either the first or the second domain a location service request relating to a target mobile station (MS);

characterized in that

the system (1) is arranged to request the state of the target mobile station (MS) at least in the first domain (MSC/VLR, SGSN) and to use the information on the state of the target mobile station in the first domain when selecting the domain via which the location request is routed.

6. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that

the system (1) is arranged to request the state of the target mobile station (MS) also in the second domain (MSC/VLR) and to use also the information on the state of the target mobile station in the second domain when selecting the domain via which the location request is routed.

7. A system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that

the first network node (GMLC) is arranged to store the result of the location request in a memory and in response to a next location request relating to the same target MS to decide according to predetermined conditions whether the stored result can be used to select the domain.

8. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that

the first network node is arranged to indicate in a routing address request whether the state of the target mobile is to be requested;

and

the system further comprises a second network node (HLR) having routing addresses for the target MS, the second network node being arranged to request the state of the target MS in response to receiving a routing address request indicating that the state of the target MS is to be requested.

9. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that

the second network node (HLR) is arranged to request the state of the target MS in the second domain via the first domain.

10. A system according to claim 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that the first domain is a GSM network and the second domain is an UMTS network.

11. A network node (HLR) in a communications system comprising at least a first and a second domain both supporting location services, the network node (HLR) comprising routing addresses to the first and to the second domain for a mobile station being capable to operate in the first domain and the second domain, characterized in that

the network node (HLR) is configured, in response to receiving a routing information request for a location service targeted to the mobile station, to request the state of the mobile station at least in the first domain.

12. A network node (HLR) according to claim 11, characterized in that the network node is further configured to respond to the routing address request by giving only the routing address in the first domain if the mobile station is active in the first domain.

13. A network node (HLR) according to claim 11, characterized in that the network node is further configured to request the state of the mobile station also in the second domain, and to respond to the routing address request by giving the routing address in the first domain if the target mobile station is attached to the first domain and the routing address in the second domain if the target mobile station is attached to the second domain.

14. A network node (MSC/VLR) in a communications system comprising at least a first and a second domain both supporting location services,

the network node (MSC/VLR) being arranged to comprise information on the state of a mobile station in the first domain when the mobile station is in the service area of the network node, characterized in that the network node (MSC/VLR) is configured, in response to receiving a request of the state of the mobile station, to request the state of the mobile station in the second domain and, if the mobile station is attached to at least one of the domains, to send a response to the request, the response indicating at least the domain to which the mobile station is attached.

15. A network node according to claim 14, characterized in that the network node is further configured to request the state of the mobile station in the second domain only if the request indicates that the state in the second domain is needed.

16. A network node (GMLC) in a communications system comprising at least a first and a second domain both supporting location services, the network node (GMLC) being arranged to perform location services,

characterizd in that the network node (GMLC) is configured, in response to receiving a location request relating to a target mobile station from a requesting entity, to request at least the state of the target mobile station in the first domain and to use the state information when deciding via which domain to route the location request.

17. A network node according to claim 16, characterized in that the network node (GMLC) is further configured to request the state of the target mobile station in a domain by sending a routing address request indicating that the state of the target mobile is required in the domain.

18. A network node according to claim 16 or 17 characterized in that the network node is further configured to store the result of the location request in a memory and in response to a next location request relating to the same target MS to decide according to predetermined conditions whether the stored result can be used to select the domain and if the stored result can be used not to request the state of the target mobile station.