Method for obtaining location information for emergency services in wireless multimedia networks

• US 20070066277A1
• Filed: 10/11/2004
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bharatia, Jayshree, Deol, Amarjit, Garapaty, Sonia
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method and apparatus for obtaining end-user location information for emergency services within a multimedia network is presented. The multimedia network may include a network implementing the Session Initiation Protocol, H.323, etc. In one embodiment, a Location Application Server (LAS) in the multimedia network and an interface between the LAS and a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) is defined.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining location information for emergency services comprising the steps of:

receiving a first request message from a multimedia server;

communicating a location request in response to receiving the first request message;

receiving a location response in response to communicating the location request; and

communicating a second request message to the multimedia server in response to receiving the location response.

2. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the multimedia server is a serving control session control function server.

3. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the multimedia server is a Session Initiation Protocol enabled server.

4. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method is performed at session initiation.

5. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first request is a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE request message.

6. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location request is a mobile terminal location request.

7. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location response further comprises location information.

8. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second request is a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE request message.

9. A communication system comprising:

a multimedia server generating and receiving request information;

a gateway server capable of receiving a location request and generating a location response; and

a location application server providing an interface between the multimedia server and the gateway server in response to the request information generated and received by the multimedia server and in response to the location request and the response generated and received by the gateway server.

10. A communication system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the multimedia server is a session initiation protocol enabled server.

11. A communication system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the multimedia server is an H.323 enabled server.

12. A method of obtaining location information for emergency services comprising the steps of:

receiving a first request message from a multimedia server;

communicating a request for routing information in response to receiving the first request message;

receiving a request for routing information acknowledgement in response to communicating the request for routing information; and

communicating a second request message to the multimedia server in response to receiving the request for routing information acknowledgement.

13. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the multimedia server is a serving control session control function server.

14. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the multimedia server is a Session Initiation Protocol enabled server.

15. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first request is a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE request message.

16. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the routing request is a Request for Routing Information.

19. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the response to the request for routing information is a Request for Routing Information Acknowledgement

20. A method of obtaining location information as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second request is an INVITE request message.