Location services

• US 20070015522A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Muhonen, Janne, Niemenmaa, Jarko, Ruutu, Ville, Kraufvelin, Sebastian, Hemmi, Heikki
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A wireless communications network for providing location services comprising: a network element comprising storage means for storing network information of mobile stations, said network information including location information relating to the location of a mobile station and a subscriber identity; a passive location data storage entity for storing passive location data and subscriber identities; and means for transferring the location information and subscriber identity from the network element to the passive location data storage entity whereby the location information constitutes said passive location data for providing location services to a location services client.

Claims

1. A wireless communications network for providing location services comprising:

a network element comprising storage means for storing network information of mobile stations, said network information including location information relating to a location of a mobile station and a subscriber identity;

a passive location data storage entity for storing passive location data and subscriber identities; and

means for transferring the location information and subscriber identity from the network element to the passive location data storage entity whereby the location information comprises said passive location data for providing location services to a location services client.

2. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a location node, wherein said location node comprises the passive location data storage entity.

3. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a location node, wherein the passive location data storage entity is connected to said location node.

4. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a mobile switching center and a visitor location register.

5. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element is a serving GPRS support node.

6. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 4, wherein the location information is an identity of the mobile switching center.

7. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 5, wherein the location information is an identity of the serving GPRS support node.

8. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location information is a cell identity associated with the mobile station.

9. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location information is a location area identity associated with the mobile station.

10. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element comprises filter means for extracting the location information from the network information.

11. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 10, wherein the filter means is operable to extract the location information related to all subscribers from the network information.

12. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 10, wherein the filter means is operable to extract the location information related to particular subscribers from the network information.

13. A wireless communications network as claimed in claim 10, wherein the filter means is operable to extract the location information related to a particular location from the network information.

14. A method of providing location services in a wireless communications network comprising the steps of:

storing at a network element network information of mobile stations, said network information including location information relating to the location of a mobile station and a subscriber identity; and

transferring the location information and subscriber identity from the network element to a passive location data storage entity whereby the location information is held as passive location data for providing location services to a location services client.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network element comprises a mobile switching center and a visitor location register.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network element is a serving GPRS support node.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the location information is an identity of the mobile switching center.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the location information is an identity of the serving GPRS support node.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the location information is a cell identity associated with the mobile station.

20. A method claimed in claim 14, wherein the location information is a location area identity associated with the mobile station.

21. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of filtering the network information to extract the location information.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of filtering comprises extracting the location information related to all subscribers from the network information.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of filtering comprises extracting the location information related to particular subscribers from the network information.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of filtering comprises extracting the location information related to a particular location from the network information.

25. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a location request from the location services client;

determining the identity of the mobile switching center from the passive location data;

requesting the location of the mobile station from the determined mobile switching center; and

providing the location of the mobile station to the location services client.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the location services client is an emergency callcenter, and the location request is an emergency call location request.

27. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a geographical location request from the location services client;

determining whether the passive location data can satisfy the geographical location request; and

,

when the passive location data can satisfy the request, translating the passive location data to the geographical location and sending the geographical location to the location services client.

28. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for geographical location when an event occurs from the location services client;

monitoring the passive location data for the event;

when the event occurs, determining whether the passive location data can satisfy the geographical location request; and

,

when the passive location data can satisfy the request, translating the passive location data to the geographical location and sending the geographical location to the location services client.

32. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a location request from the location services client;

determining the identity of the serving GPRS support node from the passive location data;

requesting the location of the mobile station from the serving GPRS support node; and

providing the location of the mobile station to the location services client.

29. A wireless communications system for providing location services comprising:

a network element comprising storage means for storing network information of mobile stations, said network information including location information relating to the location of a mobile station and a subscriber identity;

a passive location data storage entity for storing passive location data and subscriber identities; and

means for transferring the location information and subscriber identity from the network element to the passive location data storage entity whereby the location information comprises said passive location data; and

a location services client operable to request a location service, wherein a location service is delivered to the client based on the passive location data.

30. A network entity comprising:

means for receiving location information and a subscriber identity from an element in a network;

means for storing the location information and the subscriber identity, whereby the location information comprises passive location data for providing location services to a location services client.

31. A network entity according to claim 30, wherein the network entity is a gateway mobile locationcenter.