Method and system for locating a mobile terminal

• US 20040137900A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Varonen, Tomi, Kraufvelin, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• 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 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system locates a mobile terminal addressed in a location service request using an overlay identity. According to one aspect of the invention a location service client accesses a first subscriber database, thereby providing said overlay identity, in order to derive a cellular identity of said mobile terminal. According to another aspect of the invention the location service client accesses a location service server in order thereby providing said overlay identity. The location service server initiates a privacy check using said overlay identity and in response receives a cellular identity. The cellular identity then may be used to request a location service to enhance functionality.

Claims

1. A method of locating a mobile terminal in a cellular network, said method comprising:

a) a location service client accessing a first subscriber database, thereby providing an overlay identity;

b) said first subscriber database in response returning a cellular identity of said mobile terminal;

c) said location service client using said cellular identity to request a location service from a location service server;

d) said location service server using said cellular identity to access the first or a second subscriber database;

e) said first or second subscriber database in response returning a routing information of said mobile terminal; and

f) said location service server initiating a location service of said cellular network based on said cellular identity and on said derived routing information.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the location service client is an IMS server and said overlay identity is an IMS identity.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first subscriber database is a Home Subscriber Server.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said IMS server is a SIP application server and said IMS identity is a SIP URL.

5. A method according to claim 4, whereby said SIP application server accesses said Home Subscriber Server utilizing a Sh interface.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said location service server is a Gateway Mobile Location Center.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said location service is initiated by using a MAP-SEND-ROUTING-INFO-FOR-LCS service function.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cellular identity is an MSISDN or IMSI.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said routing information is an address of a network element, having a switching function in said cellular network.

10. A system for locating a mobile terminal in a cellular network, said system comprising:

a) a location service client having an overlay identity of said mobile terminal;

b) a first subscriber database storing a cellular identity of said mobile terminal, which first subscriber database is arranged to be accessible by said location service client and to derive a cellular identity of said mobile terminal based on the overlay identity provided by said location service client;

c) a location service server arranged to receive a location request of said location service client including said cellular identity of said mobile terminal, which location service server is arranged to use said cellular identity for an access to the first subscriber database or a second subscriber database in order to derive a routing information, and to initiate a location service of said cellular network based on said routing information and said cellular identity.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the first subscriber database is a Home Subscriber Server.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said location service client is part of an IMS and said overlay identity is an IMS identity.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said location service client is a SIP application server and said IMS identity is a SIP URL.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said first subscriber database comprises a HLR multimedia functionality part and an IP multimedia functionality part.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said cellular identity is stored in the IP multimedia functionality part of said first subscriber database.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein an internal interface is arranged within said first subscriber database for utilizing pointers between both functionality parts.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein said location service server is a Gateway Mobile Location Center.

18. A system according to claim 10, wherein said second subscriber database is a Home Subscriber Server or a Home Location Register of said cellular network.

19. A method of locating a mobile terminal in a cellular network, said method comprising:

a) a location service client accessing a location service server in order to request a location service thereby providing an overlay identity;

b) said location service server sending a conversion request to a Privacy Profile using said overlay identity;

c) in response to said conversion request a cellular identity being returned;

d) said location service server using said cellular identity to access a subscriber database;

e) said subscriber database in response returning a routing information of said mobile terminal; and

f) said location service server initiating a location service of said cellular network based on said cellular identity and on said derived routing information.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said conversion request is sent in the context of a privacy check;

and said cellular identity is returned in response to said privacy check.

21. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein said location service server contains privacy profile register functionality including a relation between the overlay identity and the cellular identity.

22. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein said privacy check is performed by accessing a privacy profile register containing a relation between said overlay identity and said cellular identity.

23. A method according to anyone of the claims 19 to 22, wherein the location service client is an IMS server and said overlay identity is an IMS identity.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said IMS server is a SIP application server and said IMS identity is a SIP URL.

25. A method according to anyone of the claims 19 to 24, wherein said location service server is a Gateway Mobile Location Center.

26. A method according to anyone of the claims 19 to 25, wherein said step f) is performed by using a MAP-SEND-ROUTING-INFO-FOR-LCS service function.

27. A method according to anyone of the claims 19 to 26, wherein said cellular identity is an MSISDN or IMSI.

28. A method according to anyone of the claims 19 to 27, wherein said routing information is an address of a network element, having a switching function in said cellular network.

29. A system for locating a mobile terminal in a cellular network, said system comprising a subscriber database, a location service client having an overlay identity of said mobile terminal, and a location service server arranged to receive a location request from said location service client including said overlay identity, said location service server further being arranged to use said overlay identity for sending a conversion request to a Privacy Profile, to receive a cellular identity in response to said conversion request, to use said cellular identity for an access to said subscriber database in order to derive a routing information, and to initiate a location service of said cellular network based on said routing information and said cellular identity.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein said location service server is arranged to send said conversion request in the context of a privacy check;

and to receive said cellular identity in response to said privacy check.

31. A system according to claim 29 or 30, wherein said location service server contains privacy profile register functionality including a relation between the overlay identity and the cellular identity.

32. A system according to claim 29 or 30, which further comprises a privacy profile register containing a relation between said overlay identity and said cellular identity and being accessible by said location service server.

33. A system according to anyone of the claims 29 to 32, wherein said location service client is part of an IMS and said overlay identity is an IMS identity.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein said location service client is a SIP application server and said IMS identity is a SIP URL.

35. A system according to anyone of the claims 29 to 34, wherein said location service server is a Gateway Mobile Location Center.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein said Gateway Mobile Location Center contains domain address information corresponding to the mobile terminal Home Gateway Mobile Location Center.

37. A system according to claim 35, which further comprises a database containing domain address information, whereby said Gateway Mobile Location Center is further arranged to send a query to said database in order to derive domain address information corresponding to the mobile terminal Home Gateway Mobile Location Center.