Location-based addressing

• US 20070077942A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kapsch Carriercom France S.A.S. (Stille AB)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Currie, Darin, Altwein, Thomas, Kania, Jason, Heaven, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/239,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20070077942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

A system and method for performing location dependent addressing is provided suitable for use in GSM-R systems. A quadtree is used to store jurisdiction information as a function of location, for example GPS location. When a call is received that contains location information, it is processed by looking up the jurisdiction using the quadtree, and by then establishing a connection to the appropriate destination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

for a first location dependent information element, storing a hierarchical spatial representation defining a value of the location dependent information element for locations within a geographical coverage area;

for a particular location within the geographical coverage area, looking up the value of the location dependent information element using the hierarchical spatial representation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchical spatial representation is a quadtree.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein for a first location dependent information element, storing a quadtree defining a value of the location dependent information element for geographical coverage area comprises:

storing a graphic using the quadtree, the graphic comprising a plurality of polygons each having a respective colour or other graphic display characteristic that is associated with a respective value of the location dependent information element, the quadtree comprising nodes defining the colour or graphic display characteristic of each pixel of the graphic.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein for a particular location within the geographical coverage area, looking up the value of the location dependent element using the quadtree comprises:

converting the particular location into coordinates of a pixel within the graphic;

determining a colour or graphic display characteristic of the pixel using the quadtree;

mapping the colour or graphic display characteristic to the value of the location dependent information element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each location dependent information element comprises a respective functional entity having geographically defined jurisdictions, and the value comprises connection information for connecting to a particular instance of the functional entity for each geographically defined jurisdiction.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each jurisdiction can be disjoint or contiguous.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a query comprising information identifying the particular location, the particular location being a location of a sending or receiving party.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first location dependent information element is a location dependent functional entity, the method further comprising:

receiving a call setup request requesting a connection between a calling device and a location dependent functional entity;

looking up connection information of the location dependent functional entity as a function of location of the calling device;

using the connection information, initiating the establishment of a connection between the calling device and an instance of the location dependent functional entity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein storing and looking up comprises:

storing a respective quadtree for a plurality of different location dependent information elements one of which is said first location dependent information element;

for a particular location within the geographical coverage area and for a particular location dependent information element, looking up the value of the location dependent element using the quadtree stored for that location dependent information element.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein information identifying the particular location dependent information element comprises a GSM-R short code.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information identifying the particular location comprises latitude and longitude information.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using coarse location information to determine which of a plurality of quadtrees to use.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the coarse location information comprises a cell identifier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the quadtree comprises storing higher resolution nodes in the quadtree for areas where a higher resolution location-based lookup is to be provided.

15. The method of claim 1 implemented in a service control point.

16. A GSM-R system adapted to implement the method of claim 1.

20. One or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions for executing the method of claim 1.

17. A system comprising:

a wireless access network serving a coverage area;

a hierarchical spatial representation-based lookup function;

wherein a request for a location dependent communication received from within the coverage area is processed by looking up connection information as a function of a location associated with the request using the hierarchical spatial representation-based lookup function and by initiating or otherwise enabling the communication.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the hierarchical spatial representation-based lookup function comprises a quadtree-based lookup function.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the hierarchical spatial representation-based lookup function comprises a service control point.