Providing location information in a visited network

• US 20070184854A1
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Niemenmaa, Jarko, Ruutu, Ville
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,249 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method for establishing a media for communications in association with a location information service provided in association with a communication system is disclosed. In the method a user equipment is provided with information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with at least one location service entity when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than a home network of the user equipment. This information may then be used for establishment of a user plane connection in the visited communication network between the user equipment and a location service entity.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a media for communications in association with a location information service provided in association with a communication system, the method comprising:

providing user equipment with information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with at least one location service entity, when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than a home network of the user equipment; and

establishing the user plane connection in the visited communication network between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the providing user equipment with information enabling the user equipment to communicate with at least one location service entity comprises storing the information in the user equipment.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storing comprises storing a plurality of user plane addresses for location service entities associated with a plurality of communication networks.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storing comprises storing the information in a subscriber identity module of the user equipment.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the providing user equipment with information enabling the user equipment to communicate with at least one location service entity comprises sending to the user equipment information about an address of a location service entity associated with the visited communication network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sending comprises sending information about the address from a location service entity of the home network.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, comprising establishing a connection between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity of the home network, receiving a user plane address of a location service entity associated with the visited network in the user equipment, and using the received user plane address for establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the providing user equipment with information enabling the user equipment to communicate with at least one location service entity comprises providing the user equipment with an address of the at least one location service entity of the home network, wherein the method comprises establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and a location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, comprising establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network, establishing a connection between the location service entity of the home network and the location service entity of the visited network, and routing user plane communication between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the establishing a user plane connection comprises initiating establishment of a user plane connection by the user equipment based on said information provided for the user equipment.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the establishing a user plane connection comprises initiating, by a location service entity of the visited network, establishment of a user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the user equipment.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, comprising authorizing the location service entity of the visited network based on said information provided for the user equipment.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising sending an enquiry for an identity of the visited network.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising detecting whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the user equipment.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, comprising detecting that the call is an emergency call.

17. A location service arrangement for providing location information regarding user equipment in communication with a communication system, the communication system comprising a plurality of networks, one of the networks being a home network of the user equipment and at least one other network being a network the user equipment is allowed to visit, the location service arrangement comprising a home location service entity of the user equipment, and at least one further location service entity associated with the at least one other network, wherein the user equipment is configured to use information regarding at least one user plane address of at least one location service entity and to communicate location service information on a user plane when visiting a network other than the home network.

18. A user equipment configured for communication with at least two networks, one of the networks being a home network of user equipment and at least one other network being a visited network, the user equipment being configured to use information regarding at least one user plane address of at least one location service entity and to communicate location service information on a user plane when visiting a network other than the home network.

19. A user equipment as claimed in claim 18, comprising a memory for storing information regarding a plurality of user plane addresses for a plurality of location service entities.

20. A user equipment as claimed in claim 19, wherein the memory is provided by means of a user identity module of the user equipment.

21. A location service arrangement for establishing a media for communications in association with a location information service provided in association with a communication system, comprising:

providing means for providing user equipment with information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with at least one location service entity, when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than a home network of the user equipment; and

establishing means for establishing the user plane connection in the visited communication network between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity.

22. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the providing means comprises storing means for storing the information in the user equipment.

23. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 22, wherein the storing means comprises means for storing a plurality of user plane addresses for location service entities associated with a plurality of communication networks.

24. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 22, wherein the storing means comprises means for storing the information in a subscriber identity module of the user equipment.

25. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the providing means comprises sending means for sending to the user equipment information about an address of a location service entity associated with the visited communication network.

26. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 25, wherein the sending means comprises second sending means for sending information about the address from a location service entity of the home network.

27. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 26, further comprising second establishing means for establishing a connection between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity of the home network;

receiving means for receiving a user plane address of a location service entity associated with the visited network in the user equipment; and

third establishing means for using the received user plane address to establish a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network.

28. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the providing means comprises second providing means for providing the user equipment with an address of the at least one location service entity of the home network, and further comprising second establishing means for establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and a location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

29. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the establishing means comprises initiating means for initiating establishment of a user plane connection by the user equipment based on said information provided for the user equipment.

30. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the establishing means comprises initiating means for initiating, by a location service entity of the visited network, establishment of a user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the user equipment.

31. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 30, further comprising means for authorizing the location service entity of the visited network based on said information provided for the user equipment.

32. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, further comprising means for sending an enquiry for an identity of the visited network.

33. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

34. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 21, further comprising means for detecting whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the user equipment.

35. A location service arrangement as claimed in claim 34, further comprising means for detecting that the call is an emergency call.