System and method for locating a mobile terminal using secure user plane location

• US 20070037586A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Wuk, Kim, Joo-Young, Lee, Eun-O
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for determining the location of a targeted mobile set using SUPL (Secure User Plane Location) in a wireless communications network, including sending a target set location initiation message to the targeted mobile set in response to a request message, causing a home positioning server to exchange the capacities of positioning methods with the targeted mobile set to select and store a suitable positioning method, and determining the location of the targeted mobile set by using the selected positioning method previously stored whenever the location is requested. Accordingly it is unnecessary for the targeted set to resend the target set location initiation message to the positioning server whenever repeating the location calculation for the repeated deferred service.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location using SUPL (Secure User Plane Location), comprising:

a home location server for transmitting a request message for location service of a target mobile set in response to a request message from an SUPL agent for requesting the location service of the target mobile set; and

a target mobile set for selecting a positioning method for determining the location of said target mobile set by exchanging location capacities of the positioning method with said home location server in response to the request message from the SUPL agent, and performing a positioning procedure according to the selected positioning method.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a home SUPL location platform (H-SLP) for sending a targeted set location initiation message (SUPL INIT) including service type information, to said target mobile set in response to the request message from the SUPL agent.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said target mobile set recognizes the requested service type from said service type information included in said SUPL INIT.

4. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said service type information included in said SUPL INIT represents one of immediate location, deferred location and periodic location service.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein if the requested service type is said deferred location service, said H-SLP and targeted mobile set perform one exchange of the capacities of the positioning methods to select a suitable positioning method for storage, said suitable positioning method being used for determining the location of said targeted mobile set until the request for said deferred location service has been terminated.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said targeted mobile set sends network information required for calculating its location to said H-LP to determine its location.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said targeted mobile set determines its location based on orbital information received from said H-SLP of a satellite capable of being contacted.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein if said targeted mobile set detects an event occurrence according to event occurrence criteria included in the request message from an SUPL agent for requesting the location information of said targeted mobile set, it sends a request message without a capability of positioning method (SET_CAPABILITY) for said H-SLP to determine the location of said targeted mobile set.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said H-SLP determines the location of said targeted mobile set according to the positioning method previously stored upon receiving the request message without the SET_CAPABILITY for requesting the location information of said targeted mobile set according to said event occurrence.

10. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein said H-SLP and targeted mobile set release the radio resources having been used for providing said deferred location service and delete the positioning method stored for determining the location of said targeted mobile set if said deferred location service is terminated.

11. A method for determining a location of a targeted mobile set using Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) in a wireless communications network, comprising the steps of:

sending a targeted set location initiation message (SUPL INIT) to said targeted mobile set in response to a request message from an SUPL agent for requesting the location information of said targeted mobile set;

causing a home-SUPL location platform (H-SLP) to exchange capacities of positioning methods with said targeted mobile set to select a positioning method for determining the location of said targeted mobile; and

determining the location of said targeted mobile set by using the selected positioning method whenever the location is requested.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said H-SLP sends said SUPL INIT including service type information.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said target mobile set recognizes the requested service type from said service type information included in said SUPL INIT.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said service type information included in said SUPL INIT represents one of immediate location, deferred location and periodic location service.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein if the requested service type is said deferred location service, said H-SLP and targeted mobile perform one exchange of the capacities of the positioning methods to select a suitable stored positioning method.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said suitable positioning method is used for determining the location of said targeted mobile set until the request for said deferred location service has been terminated.

17. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said targeted mobile set sends the network information required for calculating its location to said H-SLP to determine its location.

18. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said targeted mobile set determines its location based on orbital information received from said H-SLP of a satellite capable of being contacted.

19. A method as defined in claim 11, further including:

releasing radio resources having been used for providing said deferred location service; and

deleting the positioning method for determining the location of said targeted mobile set, if said deferred location service is terminated.

20. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein determining the location of said targeted mobile set by using the selected positioning method whenever the location is requested farther includes:

causing said targeted mobile set to detect an event occurrence according to event occurrence criteria included in the SUPL INIT;

causing said targeted mobile set to send a request message without SET_CAPABILITY for said H-SLP to determine the location of said targeted mobile set; and

causing said H-SLP to determine the location of said targeted mobile set according to the positioning method.