Correlation mechanism to communicate in a dual-plane architecture

• US 20070298793A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dawson, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/06 between gateways and public network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed that correlates the MSISDN of a target mobile by performing an out of band request using a IMSI. The correlation between the MSISDN and the IMSI of IMEI is cashed at a database for retrieval. The correlation of the MSISDN allows the position of a mobile device to be determined using a CoPL and/or SUPL location determination sessions.

Claims

1. A method for determining at a first node a first identifier for a mobile device in a multi-plane wireless communications network, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining at the first node via a first plane of the network a second identifier for the mobile device;

(b) receiving at a second node via a second plane of the network a first signal transmitted from the first node;

(c) determining at the second node the first identifier as a function of the first signal; and

(d) receiving at the first node a second signal transmitted from the second node to thereby determine the first identifier at the first node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first identifier is selected from at least one of a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (“

MSISDN”

) and an IP address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second identifier is an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“

IMSI”

).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first node is an Serving Mobile Location Center (“

SMLC”

).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second node is a Gateway Mobile Location Center (“

GMLC”

).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plane is a control plane.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second plane is a user plane.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes information relating to the second identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second identifier is an IMSI.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second signal includes information relating to the first identifier.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first identifier is selected from at least one of an MSISDN and an IP address.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second signal is transmitted over the first plane.

13. A method for requesting from a first node the location of a mobile device in a multi-plane wireless communications network, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining at the first node via a first plane of the network a second identifier for the mobile device;

(b) receiving at a second node via a second plane of the network a first signal transmitted from the first node;

(c) determining at the second node the first identifier as a function of the first signal;

(d) receiving at the first node a second signal transmitted from the second node to thereby determine the first identifier at the first node; and

(e) transmitting from the first node a request to locate the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first identifier is selected from at least one of a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (“

MSISDN”

) and an IP address.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the second identifier is an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“

IMSI”

).

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the first node is an Serving Mobile Location Center (“

SMLC”

).

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the second node is a Gateway Mobile Location Center (“

GMLC”

).

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the first plane is a control plane.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the second plane is a user plane.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the first signal includes information relating to the second identifier.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the second identifier is an IMSI.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the second signal includes information relating to the first identifier.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first identifier is selected from at least one of an MSISDN and an IP address.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the second signal is transmitted over the first plane.

25. A method for resolving subscriber identification information in a multi-plane wireless communications network including a gateway mobile location center (GMLC/SLM), a home location register (HLR), a mobile switching center (MSC), and a SUPL enabled terminal (SET), comprising steps of:

(a) initiating a location request through a control plane;

(b) transmitting a first identifier from the GMLC/SLM to the HLR;

(c) receiving a second identifier at the GMLC/SLM from the HLR, the second identifier corresponding to the first identifier;

(d) storing the first and second identifiers and correspondence information there between at the GMLC/SLM;

(e) transmitting the second identifier to one of a serving mobile location center and a SUPL positioning center (SMLC/SPC);

(f) selecting user plane positioning for the location request;

(g) transmitting the second identifier from the SMLC/SPC to the GMLC/SLM;

(h) resolving the first identifier corresponding to second identifier;

(i) returning to the SMLC/SPC the corresponding second identifier; and

(j) invoking SUPL signaling to the SET based on the first identifier and corresponding second identifier.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first identifier is a MSISDN.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first identifier is an IP address.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the second identifier is an IMSI.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein steps (g) and (j) include signals across a non-standard control plane interface.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

(m) deleting the first and second identifiers and correspondence information there between from the GMLC upon expiration of the location request.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein step (e) includes a PerformLocationRequest (PLR) message providing an IMSI.