System and method for collecting continuous location updates while minimizing overall network utilization

• US 20060079244A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Posner, Jeffrey Scott, Ewald, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless device and method for providing location updates to a wireless network includes determining a current location of the wireless device, comparing the current location to a second location and transmitting a location update, including presence information, to the wireless network when the current location differs from the second location by at least a predetermined geographical distance. The predetermined geographical distance is determined in accordance with at least one of subscription information associated with the subscriber unit, including a subscription fee paid, an enabled service and a network state. The current location may be determined via GPS, wireless network based position determination or other method.

Claims

1. A method performed by a subscriber unit for providing location updates to a wireless network comprising the steps of:

determining a current location of the subscriber unit;

comparing the current location to a second location; and

transmitting a location update, including presence information, to the wireless network when the current location differs from the second location by at least a predetermined geographical distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined geographical distance for the subscriber unit is determined in accordance with subscription information associated with the subscriber unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the predetermined geographical distance is based upon a fee paid for an account associated with the subscriber unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the current location of the subscriber unit is determined using GPS.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the current location of the subscriber unit is determined by measuring a distance between the subscriber unit and each of a plurality of base stations in the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second location is a previous location of the subscriber unit.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein second location was previously transmitted to the wireless network in a location update.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined geographic distance depends on a service enabled on the subscriber unit.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the enabled service is a presence service.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the enabled service is a location-based service.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the enabled service is associated with a plurality of geographic distances, each geographic distance having an associated quality of service level for the service.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the subscriber unit includes an associated quality of service level, and wherein the predetermined geographic distance is selected from the plurality of geographic distances based on the quality of service level of the subscriber unit.

13. A wireless device comprising:

a control processor; and

a program memory storing program instructions for causing the control processor to perform steps including;

determining a current location of the subscriber unit;

comparing the current location to a second location; and

transmitting a location update, including presence information, to the wireless network when the current location differs from the second location by at least a predetermined geographical distance.

14. The wireless device of claim 13 further comprising a data memory storing the second location and the predetermined geographical distance, the data memory being configurable by the wireless network.

15. The wireless device of claim 14 wherein the predetermined geographical distance is determined in accordance with subscription information associated with the wireless device.

16. The wireless device of claim 13 wherein the second location is a previous location of the wireless device.

17. The wireless device of claim 13 wherein the program memory further includes a client presence application, and wherein a value of the predetermined geographic distance depends on whether the client presence application is enabled.

18. A wireless network comprising:

a location server adapted to receive periodic location updates from at least one wireless device and transmit geo-fence data to the wireless device;

wherein the geo-fence data includes a location delta threshold defined in accordance with subscription information associated with the wireless device.

19. The wireless network of claim 18 further comprising:

a presence server adapted to receive a location-based presence information from the location server, the presence server receiving location updates for enabled wireless devices in accordance with the geo-fence data.

20. The wireless network of claim 18 further comprising an over the air provisioning function, wherein the geo-fence data is provided to the wireless device via the over the air provisioning function.