Method and apparatus for location determination in fixed communication access networks

• US 20070218920A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bolin, Johan
• Application Number:
  US11/376,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for obtaining the position of a calling subscriber terminal (400) connected to a fixed IP access network (402) at an end point. A Location Information Component LIC (404) including a radio receiver (404a) is placed in the vicinity of the end point to represent the position of the terminal. Broadcasted mobile network signals or satellite navigation signals are received, and position-related information is derived from the signals and added to a data stream (A₁) from the terminal, before sending the stream over the IP access network. A centrally arranged Location Information Aggregator LIA (408) then receives the modified data stream (A₂), extracts the position-related information, and associates location information on the terminal with a network address of the end point or an identity of the terminal. Thereby, reliable location information can be obtained for calling terminals to be available to a called party or used application.

Claims

1. A method of providing the location of a subscriber terminal connected to a fixed IP access network at an end point, as executed in a Location Information Component LIC placed basically in the vicinity of said terminal and said end point in order to represent the position of said terminal, comprising the following steps:

deriving position-related information from broadcast signals received from one or more base stations in a mobile network, or from signals received from a satellite based navigation system,

receiving a data stream from the terminal sent from said end point,

adding said derived position-related information to the data stream, and

sending the thus modified data stream over the IP access network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position-related information is added to the data stream by attaching a separate bit section containing the position-related information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position-related information is added to the data stream by modulating the position-related information upon at least a part of the data stream.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position-related information is derived from broadcast signals received from one or more base stations in a mobile network by measuring the received signals with respect to a received signal strength and/or time alignment, and/or by reading cell information contained in the signals such as a cell identity or location area identity.

5. An arrangement for providing the location of a subscriber terminal connected to a fixed IP access network at an end point, in a Location Information Component LIC placed basically in the vicinity of said terminal and said end point in order to represent the position of said terminal, comprising:

means for deriving position-related information from broadcast signals received from one or more base stations in a mobile network, or from signals received from a satellite based navigation system,

means for receiving a data stream from the terminal sent from said end point,

means for adding said derived position-related information to the data stream, and

means for sending the thus modified data stream over the IP access network.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said adding means is adapted to add the position-related information to the data stream by attaching a separate bit section containing the position-related information.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said adding means is adapted to add the position-related information to the data stream by modulating the position-related information upon at least a part of the data stream.

8. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said deriving means is adapted to derive the position-related information from broadcast signals received from one or more base stations in a mobile network, by measuring the received signals with respect to a received signal strength and/or time alignment, and/or by reading cell information contained in the signals such as a cell identity or location area identity.

9. A method of providing location information for a subscriber terminal connected to a fixed IP access network at an end point, as executed in a Location Information Aggregator LIA arranged centrally to receive data streams from end points in the IP access network, comprising the following steps:

receiving a data stream originally sent from said terminal and modified to contain position-related information,

extracting the position-related information from the data stream, and

associating location information, based on the extracted position-related information, with a network address of the end point, or with an identity of the sending terminal or of a modem, if used.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein a geographic position is retrieved from a mobile positioning system based on the extracted position-related information, to constitute explicit location information in said associating step.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the extracted position-related information constitute implicit location information in said associating step.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the position-related information is extracted by taking an attached separate bit section containing the position-related information from the data stream.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the position-related information is extracted by de-modulating at least a part of the data stream.

14. An arrangement for providing location information for subscribers connected to an IP access network at an end point, in a Location Information Aggregator LIA arranged centrally to receive data streams from end points in the IP access network, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream modified to contain position-related information,

means for extracting the position-related information from the data stream, and

means for associating location information, based on the extracted position-related information, with a network address of the end point, or with an identity of the sending terminal or of a modem, if used.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, further comprising means for retrieving a geographic position from a mobile positioning system based on the extracted position-related information, to constitute explicit location information in said associating means.

16. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the extracted position-related information constitute implicit location information in said associating means.

17. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the extracting means is adapted to extract the position-related information by taking an attached separate bit section containing the position-related information from the data stream.

18. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the extracting means is adapted to extract the position-related information by de-modulating at least a part of the data stream.