METHOD FOR POSITIONING TARGET TERMINAL WHILE PROTECTING PRIVACY OF USER THEREOF

• US 20070286212A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Wuk, Jun, Hae-Young, Kim, Joo-Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/398
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method for positioning a target terminal while protecting the privacy of a user of the target terminal is provided. To this end, the real Identification (ID) of the target terminal is managed only by a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Center (SLC) with which the target terminal make a contract for positioning thereof, so that the real ID is prevented from being exposed to the outside. In this way, even when a plurality of SLCs that can be managed by different network operator performs positioning of a target terminal by using an SUPL Positioning Center (SPC) existing in an external network, the real ID of the target terminal is not transferred to the SPC, and thus the privacy of a user of the target terminal can be protected.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET) while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of creating a virtual ID of the target SET by a Home-SUPL Location Center (H-SLC), and transmitting a Positioning Request (PREQ) message including the virtual ID from the H-SLC to a Home-SUPL Positioning Center (H-SPC);

a second step of including the virtual ID in an SUPL Initiation (SUPL INIT) message for location session initiation by the H-SLC, and transmitting the SUPL INIT message from the H-SLC to the target SET;

a third step of transmitting an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating positioning of the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID instead of a real ID of the target SET, from the target SET to the H-SLC;

a fourth step of transmitting the SUPL POS INIT message including the virtual ID from the H-SLC to the H-SPC;

a fifth step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and performing the positioning of the target SET to thereby obtain a positioning result by the target SET, the H-SLC and the H-SPC; and

a sixth step of transmitting the positioning result from the H-SLC to a requester requesting the positioning of the target SET.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the first step of creating a virtual ID, the H-SLC acquires the virtual ID through a Privacy Control Entity (PCE) by using the real ID of the target SET.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the real ID is used pursuant to details of an SET session-ID defined in an OMA TS ULP V2.0 standard, and the virtual ID is used pursuant to details thereof defined in an OMA PCP V1.0 standard.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the second step of including the virtual ID, the H-SLC inserts the virtual ID into an SET session-ID part of a session-ID included in the SUPL INIT message.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the SUPL INIT message comprises an ID mode indicating whether the target SET is to use the virtual ID or the real ID of the target SET.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the SUPL INIT message comprises an SLP mode indicating whether the positioning of the target SET is performed in a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the real ID comprises at least one of a Mobile Station International Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN), an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and an IP Address.

8. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET) while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of creating a virtual ID of the target SET by a Home-SUPL Location Center (H-SLC), and transmitting a Positioning Request (PREQ) message including the virtual ID from the H-SLC to a Home-SUPL Positioning Center (H-SPC);

a second step of including the virtual ID in a SUPL Initiation (SUPL INIT) message for location session initiation by the H-SLC, and transmitting the SUPL INIT message from the H-SLC to the target SET;

a third step of, when a non-proxy mode is perceived from the SUPL INIT message, transmitting an SUPL Authentication Request (SUPL AUTH REQ) message from the target SET to the H-SLC by using the virtual ID;

a fourth step of transmitting an SUPL Authentication (SUPL AUTH) message from the H-SLC to the H-SPC by using the virtual ID;

a fifth step of transmitting an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating positioning of the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID instead of a real ID of the target SET, from the target SET to the H-SPC;

a sixth step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and performing the positioning of the target SET to thereby obtain a positioning result by the target SET and the H-SPC; and

a seventh step of receiving the positioning result from the H-SPC, and providing a requestor requesting the positioning of the target SET with the positioning result by the H-SLC.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fourth step of transmitting an SUPL AUTH further comprises:

an eighth step of transmitting an SET authentication key for authenticating the target SET from the H-SLC to the H-SPC; and

a ninth step of transmitting an H-SPC authentication key for authenticating the H-SPC from the H-SLC to the target SET.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the real ID comprises at least one of a Mobile Station International Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN), an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and an IP Address.

11. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET) while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of transmitting an SUPL START message for requesting positioning of the target SET from the target SET to a Home-SUPL Location Center (H-SLC), the SUPL START message including a Location ID (LID), that is, information on a network in which the target SET is currently located;

a second step of creating a virtual ID, which enables the H-SLC and a Home-SUPL Positioning Center (H-SPC) to identify the target SET in the positioning of the target SET, by the H-SLC;

a third step of transmitting the virtual ID, a posmethod, that is, a positioning method selected by the H-SLC, and the LID from the H-SLC to the H-SPC;

a fourth step of transmitting the virtual ID from the H-SLC to the target SET;

a fifth step of transmitting an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating the positioning of the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID instead of a real ID of the target SET, from the target SET to the H-SLC;

a sixth step of transmitting the SUPL POS INIT message from the H-SLC to the H-SPC;

a seventh step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and performing the positioning of the target SET to thereby obtain a positioning result by the target SET, the H-SLC and the H-SPC; and

an eighth step of providing the target SET with the positioning result by the H-SLC.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the SUPL START message comprises a session-ID containing the real ID of the target SET.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in the second step of creating a virtual ID, the H-SLC acquires the virtual ID through a Privacy Control Entity (PCE) by using the real ID of the target SET.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fourth step of transmitting the virtual ID further comprises a step of further transmitting an ID mode, which instructs the target SET to use the virtual ID in a session-ID, from the H-SLC to the target SET.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the fifth step of transmitting an SUPL POS INIT comprises a step of confirming the ID mode and including the virtual ID, instead of the real ID of the target SET, in the SUPL POS INIT message by the target SET, and then transmitting the DUPL POS INIT message from the target SET to the H-SLC.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seventh step of identifying the target SET is performed in a proxy mode in which the H-SLC acts as a proxy.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seventh step of identifying the target SET is performed in a non-proxy mode in which the H-SPC is connected directly with the target SET.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the real ID comprises at least one of a Mobile Station International Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN), an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and an IP Address.

19. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET), which is roaming in an external network, while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of requesting a Home-SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP) to initiate a location service for the target SET by a location service requestor;

a second step of determining if the target SET is roaming out of a home network by the H-SLP;

a third step of, when the H-SLP determines that the target SET is roaming, creating a virtual ID of the target SET;

a fourth step of transmitting a message for requesting the location service for the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID of the target SET, from the H-SLP to a Visited-SLP (V-SLP) existing in the external network in which the target SET is currently located;

a fifth step of receiving a response message to the message for requesting the location service from the V-SLP by the H-SLP, and transmitting an SUPL Initiation (SUPL INIT) message for initiating an SUPL location session, which comprises the virtual ID and information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID, from the H-SLP to the target SET;

a sixth step of inserting the virtual ID, instead of a real ID of the target SET, into a specific region of an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating positioning of the target SET according to the information for determining a use of the virtual ID by the target SET, and transmitting the SULP POS INIT message from the target SET to the H-SLP;

a seventh step of transmitting the SUPL POS INIT message including the virtual ID from the H-SLP to the V-SLP;

an eighth step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and exchanging messages necessary for the positioning of the target SET with the target SET via the H-SLP, which performs a mapping operation of the virtual ID and the real ID, by the V-SLP;

a ninth step of, upon completing the positioning of the target SET, transmitting a positioning result of the target SET from the V-SLP to the H-SLP; and

a tenth step of transmitting the positioning result from the H-SLP to the location service requestor.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first step of requesting an H-SLP comprises:

an eleventh step of transmitting a request for the location service from the location service requestor to a Request-SLP (R-SLP);

a twelfth step of determining if the location service requestor has authority to request the location service by the R-SLP; and

a thirteenth step of, when the requestor has the authority to request the location service, transmitting the request of the location service requester from the R-SLP to the H-SLP.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the tenth step of transmitting the positioning result comprises:

a fourteenth step of receiving the positioning result from the V-SLP by the H-SLP, and transmitting the positioning result from the H-SLP to the R-SLP; and

a fifteenth step of providing the location service requestor with the positioning result by the R-SLP.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the third step of creating a virtual ID comprises:

a sixteenth step of creating the virtual ID of the target SET by the H-SLP; and

a seventeenth step of storing mapping information for the virtual ID and the real ID of the target SET in the H-SLP.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, in the fifth step of receiving a response message, the H-SLP inserts the information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID into the SUPL INIT message, inserts the virtual ID into an SET session-ID part of the SUPL INIT message or adds the virtual ID in a separate region of the SUPL INIT message, and then transmits the SUPL INIT message to the target SET.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the H-SLP comprises an SLP mode, which indicates whether an SLP for performing the positioning of the target SET corresponds to a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode, in the SUPL INIT message, and then transmits the SUPL INIT message to the target SET.

25. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET), which is roaming in an external network, while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of requesting a Home-SUPL Location Center (H-SLC) to initiate a location service for the target SET by a location service requester, and determining if the target SET is roaming out of a home network by the H-SLC;

a second step of informing a Home-SUPL Positioning Center (H-SPC) of a request for initiating the location service by the H-SLC;

a third step of, when the H-SLC determines that the target SET is roaming, creating a virtual ID of the target SET, and transmitting a message for informing the target SET of initiating the location service and information for indicating whether or not to use the virtual ID, from the H-SLC to the target SET;

a fourth step of determining if the target SET approves of the location service and uses the virtual ID;

a fifth step of, when the target SET accepts the location service and a use of the virtual ID, storing the virtual ID, inserting the virtual ID, instead of a real ID thereof, into a specific region of a message for starting positioning of the target SET, including information on the external network, in which the target SET is currently located, in the message for starting the positioning of the target SET, and then transmitting the message to the H-SLC;

a sixth step of transmitting a response message to the message for starting the positioning of the target SET from the H-SLC to the target SET, and searching for a location server existing in the external network according to the information on the external network by the H-SLC;

a seventh step of transmitting a message for initiating the positioning of the target SET from the H-SLC to the target SET;

an eighth step of, in response to the message for initiating the positioning of the target SET, transmitting a response message including the virtual ID, instead of the real ID of the target SET, and the information on the external network from the target SET to the H-SPC;

a ninth step of identifying the target SET through the virtual ID, extracting the information on the external network from the response message, transmitting a request for coarse position information according to the information on the external network to the location server existing on the external network by the H-SPC;

a tenth step of transmitting the coarse position information according to the information on the external network from the location server to the H-SPC;

an eleventh step of positioning the target SET according to the coarse position information by the H-SPC;

a twelfth step of determining if conditions for providing the location information of the target SET are satisfied by using a positioning result by the H-SLC; and

a thirteenth step of, when the H-SLC determines that the conditions for providing the location information of the target SET are satisfied, providing the location service requestor with the positioning result by the H-SLC.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the location service comprises a triggered service in which the positioning of the target SET is performed several times according to conditions presented by location service requestor.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the triggered service corresponds to a location service in which an event is considered to occur when the target SET enters or leaves a specific place appointed by the location service requestor or when a predetermined period expires, according to which the positioning of the target SET is performed and the positioning result is provided to the location service requestor.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein, in the third step of creating a virtual ID, the H-SLC inserts the information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID into the message for informing the target SET of initiating the location service, inserts the virtual ID into an SET session-ID part of the message or adds the virtual ID in a separate region of the message, and then transmits the message to the target SET.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the H-SLC comprises an SLP mode, which indicates whether an SLP for performing the positioning of the target SET corresponds to a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode, in the message for informing the target SET of initiating the location service, and then transmits the message to the target SET.

30. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the third step of creating a virtual ID comprise a step of, when the H-SLC determines that the target SET is roaming, transmitting the message for informing the target SET of initiating the location service to the target SET, the fifth step of storing the virtual ID comprises a step of determining if the target SET approves of the location service, including the information on the external network, in which the target SET is currently located, in the message for starting the positioning of the target SET when the target SET accepts the location service, and then transmitting the message to the H-SLC, and the sixth step of transmitting a response message comprises a step of creating the virtual ID of the target SET by the H-SLC, transmitting the response message to the message for starting the positioning of the target SET from the H-SLC to the target SET, the response message including the information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID, and searching for the location server existing in the external network according to the information on the external network by the H-SLC.

31. The method as claimed in claim 25 or 30, wherein the sixth step of transmitting a response message further comprises a fourteenth step of transmitting a message for informing the location service requestor of initiating a triggered service requested by the location service requestor from the H-SLC to the location service requestor.

32. The method as claimed in claim 25 or 31, wherein the eleventh step of positioning the target SET comprises:

a fifteenth step of positioning the target SET according to the coarse position information by the H-SPC; and

a sixteenth step of providing the target SET with the positioning result by the H-SPC.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the twelfth step of determining comprises:

a seventeenth step of determining if the conditions for providing the location information of the target SET are satisfied by using the positioning result by the target SET;

an eighteenth step of, when the conditions for providing the location information of the target SET are satisfied, transmitting a message for informing the H-SLC that the conditions are satisfied from the target SET to the H-SLC; and

a nineteenth step of determining if the conditions for providing the location information of the target SET are satisfied according to whether or not the H-SLC receives the message from the target SET.

34. A method of providing location information of a target SET Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET), which is roaming in an external network, while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of transmitting a message requesting for initiating a location service for the target SET, which comprises a real ID of the target SET, from the target SET to a Home-SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP);

a second step of determining if the target SET is roaming out of a home network by the H-SLP;

a third step of, when the H-SLP determines that the target SET is roaming, creating a virtual ID of the target SET, and storing mapping information for the virtual ID and the real ID of the target SET;

a fourth step of transmitting a message for requesting the location service for the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID of the target SET, from the H-SLP to a Visited-SLP (V-SLP) existing in the external network in which the target SET is currently located;

a fifth step of receiving a response message to the message for requesting the location service from the V-SLP by the H-SLP, and transmitting a message for starting positioning of the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID and information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID, from the H-SLP to the target SET;

a sixth step of inserting the virtual ID, instead of a real ID of the target SET, into a specific region of an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating the positioning of the target SET according to the information for determining a use of the virtual ID by the target SET, including information on the external network, in which the target SET is currently located, in the SUPL POS INIT message, and then transmitting the SULP POS INIT message from the target SET to the H-SLP;

a seventh step of transmitting the SUPL POS INIT message including the virtual ID from the H-SLP to the V-SLP;

an eighth step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and exchanging messages necessary for the positioning of the target SET with the target SET via the H-SLP, which performs a mapping operation of the virtual ID and the real ID, by the V-SLP;

a ninth step of, upon completing the positioning of the target SET, transmitting a positioning result of the target SET from the V-SLP to the H-SLP; and

a tenth step of transmitting the positioning result from the H-SLP to the target SET.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein, in the fifth step of receiving a response message, the H-SLP inserts the information for determining if the target SET uses the virtual ID into the message for starting the positioning of the target SET, inserts the virtual ID into an SET session-ID part of the message or adds the virtual ID in a separate region of the message, and then transmits the message to the target SET.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the H-SLP comprises an SLP mode, which indicates whether an SLP for performing the positioning of the target SET corresponds to a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode, in the message for starting the positioning of the target SET, and then transmits the message to the target SET.

37. A method of providing location information of a target Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (target SET), which is roaming in an external network, while protecting privacy of a user of the target SET in a system providing the location information of the target SET, the method comprising:

a first step of creating a virtual ID for use by the target SET, and transmitting a message requesting for initiating a location service for the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID and a real ID of the target SET, to a Home-SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP) by the target SET;

a second step of determining if the target SET is roaming out of a home network by the H-SLP;

a third step of, when the H-SLP determines that the target SET is roaming, retrieving the virtual ID of the target SET, and storing mapping information for the virtual ID and the real ID of the target SET;

a fourth step of transmitting a message for requesting the location service for the target SET, in which the real ID of the target SET id deleted and only the virtual ID is included, from the H-SLP to a Visited-SLP (V-SLP) existing in the external network in which the target SET is currently located;

a fifth step of receiving a response message to the message for requesting the location service from the V-SLP by the H-SLP, and transmitting a message for starting positioning of the target SET, which comprises the virtual ID and information for instructing the target SET to use the virtual ID, from the H-SLP to the target SET;

a sixth step of inserting the virtual ID, instead of a real ID of the target SET, into a specific region of an SUPL Positioning Initiation (SUPL POS INIT) message for initiating the positioning of the target SET, including information on the external network, in which the target SET is currently located, in the SUPL POS INIT message, and then transmitting the SULP POS INIT message from the target SET to the H-SLP;

a seventh step of transmitting the SUPL POS INIT message including the virtual ID from the H-SLP to the V-SLP;

an eighth step of identifying the target SET by using the virtual ID, and exchanging messages necessary for the positioning of the target SET with the target SET via the H-SLP, which performs a mapping operation of the virtual ID and the real ID, by the V-SLP;

a ninth step of, upon completing the positioning of the target SET, transmitting a positioning result of the target SET from the V-SLP to the H-SLP; and

a tenth step of transmitting the positioning result from the H-SLP to the target SET.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein, in the first step of creating a virtual ID, the target SET inserts the virtual ID, instead of the real ID thereof, into a specific region of the message requesting for initiating a location service for the target SET, including the information on the external network, information on positioning methods supportable by the target SET, and information indicating whether or not to use the virtual ID in the message, and then transmitting the message to the H-SLP.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the third step of retrieving the virtual ID comprises a step of, when the H-SLP determines that the target SET is roaming, confirming the information indicating whether or not to use the virtual ID, and according to the information storing the virtual ID of the target SET and the mapping information for the virtual ID and the real ID of the target SET.