Location based services in communications networks

• US 20060035646A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Pudney, Christopher David, Fox, David Andrew, Wong, Gavin
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

This disclosure concerns systems and methods for implementing location based services in communications networks. In one example, when the GMLC of a telecommunications network receives a request for the location of a mobile terminal, an SMLC is interrogated to obtain therefrom, if available, data indicative of the location of the relevant mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may be caused to selectively switch between a GSM radio access network and another access network if no location information is derivable from one of the access networks currently used by the device.

Claims

1. A cellular telecommunications network, comprising:

means for receiving a request for the location of a device;

means for interrogating a location data processor to obtain, if available, data indicative of the location of said device;

means for causing the device to switch between the respective access networks if said location indicative data is not available when the device uses one of those access networks,

wherein the cellular telecommunications network is adapted to provide core network cellular telecommunications network functions to devices registered therewith over a non-cellular telecommunications network bearer via another access network;

a radio access network comprising a plurality of geographically distributed cells; and

a core network for providing cellular telecommunications network functions to devices registered therewith over a cellular telecommunications network bearer.

2. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the radio access network comprises a plurality of base stations, each of which serves one of said cells, and the core network comprises a plurality of switching centers, each of said switching centers controlling a plurality of said base stations.

3. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 2, wherein said switching centers comprise GSM Mobile Switching Centers.

4. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 2, wherein said switching centers comprise one of:

GSM Serving Gateway Support Nodes;

or, UMTS Serving Gateway Support Nodes.

5. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein said another access network includes a plurality of access points.

6. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 5, wherein the non-cellular telecommunications network bearer includes a wireless link between the mobile terminal and the access point.

7. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 6, wherein said wireless link comprises one of:

a Bluetooth link;

or, WLAN link.

8. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 5, wherein said wireless link comprises a link using unlicensed spectra.

9. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein said non-cellular telecommunications network bearer comprises an IP-based communications link.

10. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 9, wherein said IP-based communications link includes the Internet.

11. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein said other access network includes an access controller.

12. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 11, wherein said access controller provides to the location data processor data indicative of the access points with which said devices communicate.

13. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 12, wherein the location data processor is operative to provide data indicative of the location of at least some of said access points to which said devices are communicatively coupled by said another access network in order to provide said data indicative of the location of a said device.

14. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the location data processor is operative to provide said data indicative of the location of a said device by using data received using data received from said device.

15. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the location data processor is operative to provide said data indicative of the location of a said device by using data received from said radio access network.

16. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 15, wherein said data indicative of the location of a said device from said radio access network includes at least one of cell identity information, timing data, signal strength data, triangulation data and GPS data.

17. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the location data processor includes a Serving Mobile Location Centre (SMLC).

18. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the cellular telecommunications network is a GSM network.

19. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 1, wherein the cellular telecommunications network is a 3G (UMTS) network.

20. A method of operating a GSM or the like cellular telecommunications network including a radio access network and a core network for providing cellular telecommunications network functions to devices registered therewith over a cellular telecommunications network bearer, the radio access network comprising a plurality of geographically distributed cells, and the cellular telecommunications network being adapted to provide core network cellular telecommunications network functions to devices registered therewith over a non-cellular telecommunications network bearer via another access network, the method including:

receiving a request for the location of one of said devices;

interrogating a location data processor to obtain, if available, data indicative of the location of said device; and

selectively causing the device to switch between the respective access networks if said location indicative data is not available when the device is coupled to one of those access networks.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the radio access network comprises a plurality of base stations, each of which serves one of said cells, and the core network comprises a plurality of switching centers, each of said switching centers controlling a plurality of said base stations.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said switching centers comprise GSM Mobile Switching Centers.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said switching centers comprise one of:

GSM Serving Gateway Support Nodes;

or, UMTS Serving Gateway Support Nodes.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said other access network includes a plurality of access points.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-cellular telecommunications network bearer includes a wireless link between the mobile terminal and the access point.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said wireless link comprises one of:

a Bluetooth link;

or, WLAN.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said wireless link comprises a link using unlicensed spectra.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said non-GSM bearer comprises an IP-based communications link.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said IP-based communications link includes the Internet.

30. The network of claim 20, wherein said another access network includes an access controller.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein said access controller provides to the location data processor data indicative of the access points with which said devices communicate.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said location data processor provides data indicative of the location of at least some of the access points with which said devices communicate to provide said data indicative of the location of a said device.

33. The network of claim 20, wherein the location data processor provides said data indicative of the location of a said device by using data received using data received from said device.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the location data processor provides said data indicative of the location of a said mobile terminal using data received from said radio access network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said data indicative of the location of a said device from said radio access network includes at least one of:

cell identity information;

timing data;

signal strength data;

triangulation data; and

, GPS data.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein the location data processor includes a Serving Mobile Location Centre (SMLC).

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the network is a GSM network.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein the network is a 3G (UMTS) network.