Method and application for automatic tracking of mobile devices for computer network processor systems

• US 20060009152A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Strole, Norman C., Millard, Thomas A., Sannipoli, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• 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 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system is provided for tracking mobile devices combining packet processing technology with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. A central network system comprising a packet processing subsystem receives transmitted GPS location data from a mobile device transmitting GPS location data, wherein the packet processing subsystem uses a table access scheme to process the GPS location data and produce responsive mapping data, and the central network processing system compares the mapping data to a map and identifies a corresponding map location. Embodiments may also correlate device identification data, tracking table entries, and/or billing zone charges. In some embodiments a look-up key is built responsive to the GPS location data and used to identify map locations. The table access scheme may be a key hashing scheme and, in particular, a longest prefix match type scheme.

Claims

1. A method for tracking mobile devices combining packet processing technology with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one mobile device transmitting GPS location data;

a central network system receiving the transmitted GPS location data, said central network system further comprising a packet processing subsystem comprising a network processor, at least one hardware assist coprocessor configured to accelerate networking functions associated with packet filtering and forwarding, at least one programmable protocol processor configured for customization of networking communication functions, and an embedded memory for on-chip packet buffering and operational program storage;

the packet processing subsystem using a table access scheme that is executed on at least one of the network processors, the at least one hardware assist coprocessor, the at least one protocol processor and the embedded memory to process said GPS location data to produce responsive mapping data;

the central network processing system comparing the mapping data to a first map structure comprising a plurality of location zones; and

the central network processing system responsively identifying a first map location zone corresponding to the GPS location data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the central network processing system further comprises a tracking table, further comprising the steps of:

the at least one mobile device transmitting identification data;

the central network processing system receiving the transmitted identification data;

the packet processing subsystem utilizing the network processor to expedite processing said identification data;

the central network processing system correlating the first map location zone with the identification data; and

the central network processing system writing the first map location zone into a tracking table entry in the tracking table correlated to the identification data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the central network processing system further comprises a billing table, further comprising the steps of:

the central network processing system responsively comparing the first map location zone and identification data with a plurality of billing zones within the billing table; and

the central network processing system producing a billing charge responsive to a correlation of the first map location zone with at least one of the billing zones.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

the central network processing system determining an elapsed time that the mapping data indicates a correlation of the first map location zone with the one of the billing zones; and

the central network processing system producing the billing charge responsive to the elapsed time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of using a table access scheme further comprises the step of building a look-up key responsive to processing said GPS location data, and wherein the steps of comparing the mapping data to a first map structure and responsively identifying a first map location zone corresponding to the GPS location data are performed by using the look-up key.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the table access scheme is a key hashing scheme.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the table access scheme is a longest prefix type of match scheme.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first map structure is a static lookup table.

9. A network processing system for tracking mobile devices by combining packet processing technology with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, the network processing system configured to receive transmitted GPS location data from at least one mobile device and comprising:

a packet processing subsystem comprising a network processor, at least one hardware assist coprocessor configured to accelerate networking functions associated with packet filtering and forwarding, at least one programmable protocol processor configured for customization of networking communication functions, and an embedded memory for on-chip packet buffering and operational program storage;

wherein the packet processing subsystem is configured to use a table access scheme executed on at least one of the network processors, the at least one hardware assist coprocessor, the at least one protocol processor and the embedded memory to process said GPS location data to produce responsive mapping data;

wherein the network processing system is configured to compare the mapping data to a first map structure comprising a plurality of location zones; and

wherein the network processing system is configured to responsively identify a first map location zone corresponding to the GPS location data.

10. The network processing system of claim 9 further comprising a tracking table;

wherein, the network processing system is configured to receive transmitted identification data from the at least one mobile device;

the packet processing subsystem is configured to utilize the network processor to expedite processing said identification data;

the network processing system is configured to correlate the first map location zone with the identification data; and

the network processing system is configured to write the first map location zone into a tracking table entry in the tracking table correlated to the identification data.

11. The network processing system of claim 10 wherein the network processing system further comprises a billing table;

the network processing system is configured to compare the first map location zone and identification data with a plurality of billing zones within the billing table; and

the network processing system is configured to produce a billing charge responsive to a correlation of the first map location zone with at least one of the billing zones.

12. The network processing system of claim 11, wherein the network processing system is configured to determine an elapsed time that the mapping data indicates a correlation of the first map location zone with the one of the billing zones;

and

produce the billing charge responsive to the elapsed time.

13. The network processing system of claim 9 wherein the packet processing subsystem is configured to build a look-up key responsive to processing said GPS location data, and the network processing system is configured to compare the mapping data to a first map structure and responsively identify a first map location zone corresponding to the GPS location by using the look-up key.

14. The network processing system of claim 9 wherein the table access scheme is a key hashing scheme.

15. The network processing system of claim 14 wherein the table access scheme is a longest prefix type of match scheme.

16. The network processing system of claim 9 wherein the first map structure is a static look-up table.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program embodied in said medium, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a network processing system comprising a packet processing subsystem comprising a network processor, at least one hardware assist coprocessor configured to accelerate networking functions associated with packet filtering and forwarding, at least one programmable protocol processor configured for customization of networking communication functions, and an embedded memory for on-chip packet buffering and operational program storage, causes the network processing system to:

receive transmitted GPS location data from at least one mobile device;

the packet processing subsystem to use a table access scheme executed on at least one of the network processors, the at least one hardware assist coprocessor, the at least one protocol processor and the embedded memory to process said GPS location data to produce responsive mapping data;

the central network processing system to compare the mapping data to a first map structure comprising a plurality of location zones; and

the central network processing system to responsively identify a first map location zone corresponding to the GPS location data.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the central network processing system is further caused to receive transmitted identification data from the at least one mobile device;

the packet processing utilize the network processor to expedite processing said identification data;

the central network processing system correlate the first map location zone with the identification data; and

the central network processing system write the first map location zone into a tracking table entry in the tracking table correlated to the identification data.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the central network processing system is further caused to responsively compare the first map location zone and identification data with a plurality of billing zones within a billing table;

and

the central network processing system produce a billing charge responsive to a correlation of the first map location zone with at least one of the billing zones.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the central network processing system is further caused to determine an elapsed time that the mapping data indicates a correlation of the first map location zone with the one of the billing zones;

and

produce the billing charge responsive to the elapsed time.