Method and system for locating a mobile terminal

• US 20050014500A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Staack, Jens, Muhonen, Ahti
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• 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 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for locating a mobile terminal addressed in a location service request by an overlay identity. A database is accessed to obtain a first routing information of the mobile terminal based on the overlay identity, and the first routing information is then used to access a sub-scriber database in order to derive a second routing information and a cellular identity of the mobile terminal, based on which a location service of the cellular network is initiated. Thereby, a LCS clients of the overlay system (e.g. IMS) can be supported in current LCS services to enhance their functionality.

Claims

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

receiving a location service request including an overlay identity of an overlay system;

accessing a database storing a first routing information of said mobile terminal based on said overlay identity;

using said first routing information to access a subscriber database in order to derive a second routing information and a cellular identity of said mobile terminal; and

initiating a location service of said cellular network based on said de-rived second routing information and cellular identity.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of deriving other identities of said mobile terminal from said subscriber database in said step c).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said other identities are stored in a network element having a mobile location function.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said over-lay identity is IMS identity.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said IMS identity is a SIP URL.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first routing information is a country code and a network code of said mobile terminal.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step c) is performed 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 second 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 gateway node for receiving a location request including an overlay identity of said mobile terminal in an overlay system; and

a database storing a first routing information of said mobile terminal;

wherein said gateway node is arranged to access said database based on said overlay identity, to use said first routing information for an access to a subscriber database in order to derive a second routing information and a cellular identity,

and to initiate a location service of said cellular network based on said derived second routing information and cellular identity.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said gateway node is a Gateway Mobile Location Center.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said database is comprised in said gateway node.

13. A system according to anyone of claims 10, wherein said subscriber database is a Home Location Register of said cellular network.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said Home Location Register is arranged to derive said second routing information and said cellular identity by performing a query to a Home Subscriber Server.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein said Home Location Register is arranged to derive other identities of said terminal device.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein said database is arranged to a mapping function between said first routing information and said overlay identity of said terminal device.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein said gateway node is arranged to store said second routing information and/or said cellular identity.

18. A gateway node for initiating a location service for locating a mobile terminal in a cellular network, said gateway node being arranged to read a first routing information from a database based on a received overlay identity of said mobile terminal in an overlay system, to use said first rooting information for an access to a subscriber database in order to derive a second routing information and a cellular identity and to perform said initiation based on said derived second routing information and cellular identity.