Using MAC address of a WLAN access point as location information

• US 20060252408A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Faccin, Stefano, Kall, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for handling services requiring location information of a user terminal, wherein the user terminal is connected to a local network, a connection to an external network is provided via a network access means, and the network access means is identified by an identity, the method comprising the steps of extracting location information of the network access means based on the identity of the network access means, and determining the location of the user terminal based on the location information of the network access means. The invention also suggests a corresponding network control element.

Claims

1. A method for handling services requiring location information of a user terminal,

wherein the user terminal is connected to a local network, a connection to an external network is provided via a network access means, and the network access means is identified by an identity, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting location information of the network access means based on an identity of the network access means; and

determining a location of the user terminal based on the location information of the network access means.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracting step comprises a step of:

using a mapping between the identity of the network access means and the location information of the network access means.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mapping is stored in a database, and the extracting step comprises a step of accessing the database.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

routing a session to a second terminal based on the location information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the session comprises an emergency session, and the second terminal comprises a terminal of an emergency center.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identity of the network access means is a Media Access Control (MAC) address and the extracting step uses the MAC address of the network access means.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local network comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and the network access means comprises an Access Point (AP) and the extracting step uses the identity of the Access Point.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network access means comprises a broadband line and the extracting step uses the identity of the broadband line.

9. A network control element, wherein a network is connected to a local network via a network access means, and a user terminal in the local network is connected to the network access means, and the network access means is identified by an identity,

wherein the network control element comprises means for extracting location information of the network access means based on the identity of the network access means, and for determining a location of the user terminal based on the location information of the network access means.

10. The network control element according to claim 9, wherein the network control element comprises means for using a mapping between the identity of the network access means and the location information of the network access entity.

11. The network control element according to claim 10, wherein the mapping is stored in a database, and the network control element comprises means for accessing the database.

12. The network control element according to claim 9, further comprising means for routing a session to a second terminal based on the location information.

13. The network control element according to claim 12, wherein the session comprises an emergency session, and the second terminal comprises a terminal of an emergency center.

14. The network control element according to claim 9, wherein the identity of the network access means comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

15. The network control element according to claim 9, wherein the local network comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and the network access means comprises an Access Point (AP).

16. The network control element according to claim 9, wherein the network access means comprises a broadband line.

17. A method for handling services requiring location information of a user terminal,

wherein the user terminal is connected to a network element providing a connection to an external network, and the network element is identified by an identity, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting location information of a network element based on an identity of the network element; and

determining a location of a user terminal based on the location information of the network element.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network element comprises a network access means, the user terminal is connected to a local network, and a connection to an external network is provided via the network access means.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network element comprises an Access Point and the extracting step uses the identity of the Access Point.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network element comprises a broadband line and the extracting step uses the identity of the broadband line.

21. A computer program product for a computer, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of:

extracting location information of a network element based on an identity of the network element; and

determining a location of a user terminal based on the location information of the network element,

wherein the user terminal is connected to the network element providing a connection to an external network, and the network element is identified by the identity.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer-readable medium on which the software code portions are stored.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer is arranged in a network control element.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the network element comprises an Access Point.

25. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the network element comprises a broadband line.

26. A computer program product for a computer, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of:

extracting location information of a network element based on an identity of the network element; and

determining a location of a user terminal based on the location information of the network element,

wherein the user terminal is connected to a network element providing a connection to an external network, and the network element is identified by an identity.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer-readable medium on which the software code portions are stored.

28. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer is arranged in a network control element.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28, wherein the network element comprises an Access Point.

30. The computer program product according to claim 28, wherein the network element comprises a broadband line.