METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING LOCATION SERVICES WITH ROAMING

• US 20070149213A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Du, Zhimin, Burroughs, Kirk, Khushu, Sanjeev, Lamba, Gaurav, Lin, Ie-Hong, Wang, Yufei
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,128 B2
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

Techniques for supporting location services with roaming are described. A mobile station interacts with a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network for location services even when roaming. The mobile station communicates with a visited network for a data session and receives a request for its location. The mobile station sends first information (e.g., SID and NID) indicative of its current network location to the H-MPC. The H-MPC determines a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the first information. The S-MPC determines a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network based on the first information. Depending on the selected positioning method, the H-MPC may receive an S-PDE address or a position estimate of the mobile station from the S-MPC and may forward this information to mobile station. The mobile station may communicate with the S-PDE for positioning using the S-PDE address.

Claims

1. An apparatus supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, comprising:

at least one processor to receive a location request for location of the mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in the home network, to receive first information from the mobile station, to determine a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the first information, to receive second information from the S-MPC, and to send the second information to the mobile station; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor determines that the mobile station is roaming outside coverage of the H-MPC based on the first information and selects the S-MPC that covers current network location of the mobile station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) in the first information from the mobile station and determines the S-MPC based on the SID and NID.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives a sector identifier (SectorID) in the first information from the mobile station and determines the S-MPC based on the SectorID.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives at least one of a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a cell identity (CI), and a UTRAN cell identity (UC-ID) in the first information from the mobile station and determines the S-MPC based on the at least one of the MCC, MNC, LAC, CI and UC-ID.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives location coordinates of a base station or an access point in the first information from the mobile station and determines the S-MPC based on the location coordinates.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the second information from the S-MPC and sends the address of the S-PDE to the mobile station.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives a position estimate of the mobile station in the second information from the S-MPC and sends the position estimate to an entity originating the location request.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives the location request from an entity and determines whether the entity is authorized to obtain the location of the mobile station, the entity being an LCS client or the mobile station.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives the location request from an LCS client, sends a positioning request to the mobile station, and receives the first information from the mobile station in response to the positioning request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor receives a position estimate of the mobile station in the second information from the S-MPC and sends the position estimate to the LCS client.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor receives the location request from the mobile station and having included therein the first information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location request is for a plurality of position fixes for the mobile station.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives the location request from an LCS client and, for each position fix, obtains a position estimate of the mobile station, and sends the position estimate to the LCS client.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein for each position fix the at least one processor obtains the position estimate from the mobile station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein for each position fix the at least one processor sends a request for location of the mobile station to the S-MPC and obtains the position estimate from the S-MPC.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives from the LCS client an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station and sends notification to the mobile station to cancel location reporting.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives from the mobile station an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station and sends notification to the LCS client.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives the location request from the mobile station.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives an address of a first serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the second information from the S-MPC, sends the address of the first S-PDE to the mobile station, receives an indication that the mobile station is outside a serving area of the first S-PDE, receives an address of a second S-PDE from the S-MPC, and sends the address of the second S-PDE to the mobile station.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor receives a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) from the mobile station after receiving the indication that the mobile station is outside the serving area of the first S-PDE, and sends the SID and NID to the S-MPC, and wherein the second S-PDE is determined based on the SID and NID.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor receives an address of a first serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the second information from the S-MPC, sends the address of the first S-PDE to the mobile station, receives an indication that the mobile station is outside a serving area of the first S-PDE, determines a second S-MPC based on third information received from the mobile station after the indication that the mobile station is outside the serving area of the first S-PDE, receives an address of a second S-PDE from the second S-MPC, and sends the address of the second S-PDE to the mobile station.

23. A method of supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, comprising:

receiving a location request for location of the mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in the home network;

receiving first information from the mobile station;

determining a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the first information;

receiving second information from the S-MPC; and

sending the second information to the mobile station.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the receiving the first information comprises receiving a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) from the mobile station, and wherein the determining the S-MPC comprises determining the S-MPC based on the SID and NID.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the receiving the second information comprises receiving an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) from the S-MPC, and wherein the sending the second information comprises sending the address of the S-PDE to the mobile station.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the mobile station is outside a serving area of the S-PDE;

receiving an address of a second S-PDE from the S-MPC; and

sending the address of the second S-PDE to the mobile station.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the mobile station is outside a serving area of the S-PDE;

receiving third information from the mobile station after the indication that the mobile station is outside the serving area of the first S-PDE;

determining a second S-MPC based on the third information;

receiving an address of a second S-PDE from the second S-MPC; and

sending the address of the second S-PDE to the mobile station.

28. An apparatus supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, comprising:

means for receiving a location request for location of the mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in the home network;

means for receiving first information from the mobile station;

means for determining a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the first information;

means for receiving second information from the S-MPC; and

means for sending the second information to the mobile station.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for receiving the first information comprises means for receiving a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) from the mobile station, and wherein the means for determining the S-MPC comprises means for determining the S-MPC based on the SID and NID.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for receiving the second information comprises means for receiving an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) from the S-MPC, and wherein the means for sending the second information comprises means for sending the address of the S-PDE to the mobile station.

31. A processor readable media for storing instructions operable to:

receive a location request for location of a mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network;

receive first information from the mobile station;

determine a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in a visited network based on the first information;

receive second information from the S-MPC; and

send the second information to the mobile station.

32. The processor readable media of claim 31, and further for storing instructions operable to:

receive a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) from the mobile station;

determine the S-MPC based on the SID and NID;

receive an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) from the S-MPC; and

send the address of the S-PDE to the mobile station.

33. An apparatus supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, comprising:

at least one processor to receive a roaming request with first information indicative of current network location of the mobile station, the roaming request received at a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network from a home MPC (H-MPC) in the home network, to determine a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) for the mobile station based on the first information, and to send an address of the S-PDE or a position estimate of the mobile station to the H-MPC; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein request is for a plurality of position fixes, and wherein the at least one processor receives from the S-PDE an indication that the mobile station is outside a serving area of the S-PDE, informs the H-MPC that the mobile station is outside the serving area of the S-PDE, receives from the H-MPC a second roaming request with second information, determines a second S-PDE based on the second information, and sends an address of the second S-PDE or a second position estimate of the mobile station to the H-MPC.

35. A mobile station comprising:

at least one processor to communicate with a visited network for a data session, to receive a request for location of the mobile station, and to send first information to a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

36. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor receives the request for location of the mobile station from the H-MPC, a location services (LCS) client, or an application resident on the mobile station and sends the first information to the H-MPC in response to the request.

37. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor receives from the H-MPC an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network, the S-MPC being determined based on the first information, and communicates with the S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

38. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the at least one processor receives the request for location of the mobile station from an application resident on the mobile station or a location services (LCS) client, sends the first information to the H-MPC in response to the request, receives a position estimate of the mobile station from the H-MPC, and sends the position estimate to the application or the LCS client.

39. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the request is for a plurality of position fixes, and wherein for each position fix the at least one processor provides a position estimate to an entity originating the request.

40. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the request is for a plurality of position fixes, and wherein for each position fix the at least one processor sends to the H-MPC information used to derive a position estimate of the mobile station.

41. The mobile station of claim 35, wherein the request is for a plurality of position fixes, and wherein the at least one processor receives from the H-MPC an address of a first serving position determining entity (S-PDE) determined based on the first information, communicates with the first S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station, sends second information to the H-MPC, receives from the H-MPC an address of a second S-PDE determined based on the second information, and communicates with the second S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

42. A method comprising:

communicating with a visited network for a data session;

receiving a request for location of a mobile station; and

sending first information to a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

receiving from the H-MPC an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network, the S-PDE being determined based on the first information; and

communicating with the S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

receiving a position estimate of the mobile station from the H-MPC; and

sending the position estimate to an application or a LCS client originating the request for the location of the mobile station.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

receiving from the H-MPC an address of a first serving position determining entity (S-PDE) determined based on the first information;

communicating with the first S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station;

sending second information to the H-MPC;

receiving from the H-MPC an address of a second S-PDE determined based on the second information; and

communicating with the second S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

46. An apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a visited network for a data session;

means for receiving a request for location of a mobile station; and

means for sending first information to a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

means for receiving from the H-MPC an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network, the S-PDE being determined based on the first information; and

means for communicating with the S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

means for receiving a position estimate of the mobile station from the H-MPC; and

means for sending the position estimate to an application or a LCS client originating the request for the location of the mobile station.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

means for receiving from the H-MPC an address of a first serving position determining entity (S-PDE) determined based on the first information;

means for communicating with the first S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station;

means for sending second information to the H-MPC;

means for receiving from the H-MPC an address of a second S-PDE determined based on the second information; and

means for communicating with the second S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station.

50. A mobile station comprising:

at least one processor to receive a request for location of the mobile station, to send a query for an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) to a domain name system (DNS) server, to receive the address of the S-PDE from the DNS server, and to communicate with the S-PDE for positioning of the mobile station; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

51. The mobile station of claim 50, wherein the at least one processor determines a domain name based on a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) of a wireless network received by the mobile station and sends the domain name in the query to the DNS server.

52. The mobile station of claim 50, wherein the at least one processor communicates with a visited network and sends the query to the DNS server in the visited network or a home network.