Location based services for integrated cellular and LAN networks

• US 20050232189A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: TTI Inventions C LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Loushine, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Determining the physical location of a WLAN client includes making a request to a core network of an integrated cellular—WLAN network. Using an HLR and WLAN client identifier, the WLAN network in which the client is located is determined. A location request is then made to a MSC/SGSN servicing that WLAN network, the MSC/SGSN then forwarding the request to a gateway that interfaces the WLAN network to the core network. Alternatively, the location request is directly forwarded to the gateway. Upon receiving the request, the gateway uses a positioning procedure(s) to determine the client'"'"'s physical location. This location is then returned to the core network. According to one example positioning procedure, a database containing access point physical locations is maintained. Here, a determination is made as to which access point(s) the client can communicate. The location of the access point(s), as obtained through the database, then forms a basis for the client'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A method for determining a physical location of a wireless local area network (WLAN) client, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a location services module associated with a WLAN network a location request originating from a core network, said location request requesting said physical location of said WLAN client;

communicating by said location services module with one or more network elements within said WLAN network to ascertain location based information;

determining said physical location of said WLAN client based on said location based information; and

forwarding by said location services module said determined physical location of said WLAN client back to said core network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said core network is part of a cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said location services module receives said location request through either a mobile switching center (MSC) or a serving general packet radio system support node (SGSN) within said core network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said location request originates from a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) within said core network and does not pass through an MSC or SGSN.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said communicating step, the steps of:

receiving said location request at an interface module associated with said location services module and said WLAN network;

in response to said location request, accessing by said interface module a home location register (HLR) that maintains subscription data, including authentication data, for said WLAN client;

using said authentication data by said interface module to authenticate said WLAN client; and

passing by said interface module to said location services module said location request if said WLAN client is authenticated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step comprises the step of determining by said location services module one or more access points within said WLAN network from which said WLAN client is receiving signals;

and

wherein said physical location determining step comprises the steps of determining a physical location for each of said one or more determined access points, and using said physical locations of said one or more determined access points as a basis for determining said physical location of said WLAN client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of determining physical locations for each of said one or more determined access points comprises the step of accessing by said location services module a database, said database maintaining physical locations for at least a plurality of access points in said WLAN network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step comprises the steps of requesting by said location services module that said WLAN client determine one or more access points within said WLAN network from which said WLAN client is receiving signals, and receiving at said location services module from said WLAN client said one or more determined access points;

and

wherein said physical location determining step comprises the steps of determining a physical location for each of said one or more determined access points, and using said physical locations of said one or more determined access points as a basis for determining said physical location of said WLAN client.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said requesting step comprises said location services module requesting that said WLAN client also determine a signal strength measurement corresponding to each of said one or more determined access points;

and

wherein said step of determining said physical location of said WLAN client comprises the step of using said physical locations and said determined signal strength measurements of said one or more determined access points as a basis for determining said physical location of said WLAN client.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of determining physical locations for each of said one or more determined access points comprises the step of accessing by said location services module a database, said database maintaining physical locations for at least a plurality of access points in said WLAN network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said database is a regional database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical location determining step comprises the step of said location services module causing a regional server to compute said physical location of said WLAN client based on said location based information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step comprises the step of forwarding by said location services module to said WLAN client a request for said WLAN client to obtain a location of said WLAN client, said location based information comprising said obtained location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said location services module also provides to said WLAN client an approximate location of said WLAN client, said approximate location acting as a point of reference for said obtained location.

15. A system associated with a WLAN network for determining a physical location of a WLAN client interfaced to the WLAN network, said system comprising:

a system control module for receiving from a core network a location request for said physical location of said WLAN client and for selecting at least one positioning procedure to determine said physical location of said WLAN client;

a positioning radio coordination module for communicating, according to said at least one positioning procedure, with one or more network elements within said WLAN network to ascertain location based information; and

a positioning calculation module for determining said physical location of said WLAN client based on said location based information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said core network is part of a cellular network.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising an interface module for directly interfacing with a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) within said core network, said interface module receiving said location request from said GMLC and passing said location request to said system control module.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a database interfaced to said positioning calculation module, said database maintaining physical locations for at least a plurality of access points in said WLAN network.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said location based information obtained by said positioning radio coordination module is one or more access points within said WLAN network from which said WLAN client is receiving signals, and wherein said positioning calculation module determines one or more physical locations for said one or more determined access points and uses said one or more physical locations as a basis for determining said physical location of said WLAN client.

20. A method for determining physical locations of subscribers of an integrated network, said network comprising at least one core network and at least a plurality of local area networks (LANs), said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said core network a location request for a physical location of a specified subscriber;

determining by said core network to which network, from among said at least plurality of LANs, said subscriber is currently associated;

forwarding by said core network said location request to said determined network;

determining by said determined network said physical location of said subscriber; and

forwarding by said determined network said determined physical location of said subscriber back to said core network.