Location request control

• US 20050020276A1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Maanoja, Markus, Kall, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and system for providing location services in a mobile wireless network between a user and a location services provider, wherein the control point of periodic location requests is dynamically allocated to one of a plurality of network elements

Claims

1. A method of providing location services in a mobile wireless network between a user and a location services provider, wherein the control point of periodic location requests is dynamically allocated to one of a plurality of network elements.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of network elements include at least one of:

user equipment;

an element of the radio access network;

or an element of the core network.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein core network carries out the step of dynamically allocating the control point.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein a gateway of the core network carries out said step.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the control point is dynamically allocated in dependence on characteristics of a location service request.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the characteristics include at least one of:

a quality of service level to be supported;

the periodic interval of the location updates;

the current network load;

or the operators business logic.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of network elements includes a gateway of the core network.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the gateway is a gateway mobile location centre.

9. A method according to claim 1 in a packet switched network, wherein the plurality of network elements includes a serving GPRS support node.

10. A method according claim 1 in a circuit switched network, wherein the plurality of network elements includes a mobile switching centre.

11. A mobile wireless network supporting location services and comprising at least a radio access network, a core network, and a location services provider, wherein the network further comprises means for dynamically allocating the control point of periodic location requests to one of a plurality of network elements.

12. A mobile wireless network according to claim 11 wherein the means for dynamically allocating the control point comprises a network element of the core network.

13. A mobile wireless network according to claim 12 wherein said network element is a gateway of the core network.

14. A mobile wireless network of claim 13 wherein said gateway is a gateway mobile location centre.

15. A mobile wireless network according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of network elements include at least one of user equipment;

an element of a radio access network; and

an element of a core network.

16. A packet switched mobile wireless network according to claim 15 wherein the element of the radio access network is a serving GPRS support node.

17. A circuit switched mobile access network according to claim 15 wherein the element of the radio access network is a mobile switching centre.

18. A mobile wireless network according to claim 15 wherein the element of the core network is a gateway element.