Method of providing location based information to a mobile terminal within a communications network

• US 20050003835A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Whereonearth Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Devesh, Riise, Soren
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/04 multi-step notification using statistical or historical mobility data

Abstract

A method of providing location based information to a mobile terminal within a communications network comprising the steps of interrogating a component of the communications network to determine the location of a mobile terminal within the communications network; repeating the above process a number of times over a period of time; generating, from the repeated determinations of the location of the mobile terminal within the communications network, a location profile for the mobile terminal; storing the location profile; and providing location based information to the mobile terminal in response to the location of the mobile terminal determined by the stored location profile.

Claims

1. A method of providing location based information to a mobile terminal within a communications network comprising the steps of:

interrogating a component of the communications network to determine the location of a mobile terminal within the communications network;

repeating the above process a number of times over a period of time;

generating, from the repeated determinations of the location of the mobile terminal within the communications network, a location profile for the mobile terminal;

storing the location profile;

providing location based information to the mobile terminal in response to the location of the mobile terminal determined by the stored location profile.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the component of the communications network is a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Centre).

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal determines its own position independently of the location of the mobile terminal determined by the stored location profile and compares the two locations to validate the location determined by the stored location profile.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the communications network is a cellular communications network and the mobile terminal determines its own location with reference to a Cell Id of the cell in the network within which the mobile terminal is located.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal is enabled with a satellite positioning system to determine its own location.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein if the location of the mobile terminal is not validated, then at least a part of the location profile is regenerated.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein if the location of the mobile terminal is not validated, then an exception is declared and if the number of exceptions is greater than a predetermined threshold number, then at least a part of the location profile is regenerated.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a fresh location profile is established for the mobile terminal upon request.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a fresh location profile is established for the mobile terminal after a predetermined time period.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein interrogation of the stored location profile mimics interrogation of the component of the communications network used to determine the location of a mobile terminal within the communications network.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the location based information is pushed to the mobile terminal.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the location based information comprises a location based service.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the stored location profile contains location information for the mobile terminal over a set time period.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein analysis techniques are used on the location information to enhance the location profile.

15. A location based information system for mobile terminals in a communications network, the system comprising:

a data acquisition module to determine the location of a mobile terminal within the communications network by interrogating a component of the communications network;

a profile generator to analyse and create a location profile of the mobile terminal from the acquired data; and

a location profile store to store the location profiles for a plurality of mobile terminals.

16. A system according to claim 15 further comprising a location based information generator to upload location based information to the mobile terminal in response to the location of the mobile terminal predicted by the stored location profile.

17. A system according to claim 15 further comprising a comparator to compare the location of the mobile terminal predicted by the stored location profile with a known location of the mobile terminal.

18. A location based information system for mobile terminals in a communications network, the system comprising:

a data acquisition module to determine the location of a mobile terminal within the communications network by interrogating a component of the communications network;

a profile generator to analyse and create a location profile of the mobile terminal from the acquired data;

a location profile store to store the location profiles for a plurality of mobile terminals;

a location based information generator to upload location based information to the mobile terminal in response to the location of the mobile terminal predicted by the stored location profile; and

a comparator to compare the location of the mobile terminal predicted by the stored location profile with a known location of the mobile terminal.

19. A location based information system comprising:

a location establishing module for polling a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Centre) resource of a network to establish a location of a mobile terminal within the network;

a data acquisition module to build an historical profile of a user of the mobile terminal that can be used for further generation of service; and

a store of historical data comprising a series of time-logged locations of the mobile terminal.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the historical data is categorised into segments where the determined location is changing indicating movement or activity and segments where the determined location is constant indicating lack of movement or rest.