Short messaging system (SMS) proxy communications to enable location based services in wireless devices

• US 20080014971A1
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drew Morin, Mark Titus, Walter Weichselbaumer
• Original Assignee: Drew Morin, Mark Titus, Walter Weichselbaumer
• Inventors: Weichselbaumer, Walter, Morin, Drew, Titus, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Wireless devices communicate (using SMS messaging) with a proxy server (e.g., a wireless messaging gateway) to generate network initiated requests. In this way, a wireless device which might not otherwise be able to, can now participate in advanced applications such as location based services (LBS) communities, thus extending LBS presence type information to non-programmable wireless devices. Short messaging system (SMS) functionality is implemented as a least-common-denominator means enabling standardized communication between a wireless device and a wireless device application. Wireless devices use SMS messaging as a proxy communications means to communicate with a proxy server (e.g., a wireless messaging gateway) to generate network initiated requests. The network initiated requests are packaged within SMS messages, allowing wireless devices a simple mechanism for participating in, e.g., location based services (LBS) communities, and for generally extending LBS presence type information to non-programmable handset devices.

Claims

1. A method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging, comprising:

receiving a location based services (LBS) query encapsulated within an SMS proxy message;

extracting said LBS query from said SMS proxy message; and

transmitting said LBS query using an Internet Protocol (IP).

2. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said LBS query is initiated by a wireless device.

3. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said LBS query is initiated by a fixed device.

4. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 2, wherein:

said wireless device is a mobile phone.

5. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 2, wherein:

said wireless device is a pager.

6. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting location information from one of a mobile positioning center (MPC) and a gateway mobile location centre (GMLC) relating to an initiator of said LBS query.

7. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS text message.

8. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS multimedia message.

9. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS enhanced messaging service (EMS) message.

10. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS multimedia message service (MMS) message.

11. The method of allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

12. Apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging, comprising:

means for receiving a location based services (LBS) query encapsulated within an SMS proxy message;

means for extracting said LBS query from said SMS proxy message; and

means for transmitting said LBS query using an HTTP protocol.

13. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by a wireless device.

14. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by a fixed device.

15. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 13, wherein:

said wireless device is a mobile phone.

16. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 13, wherein:

said wireless device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for requesting location information from one of a mobile positioning center (MPC) and a gateway mobile location centre (GMLC) relating to an initiator of said LBS query.

18. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS text message.

19. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS multimedia message.

20. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

21. The apparatus for allowing location based services communication using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by a wireless tag.

22. A method of initiating a location based service using SMS messaging, comprising:

encapsulating a location based services (LBS) query within an SMS proxy message;

transmitting said SMS proxy message including said LBS query from a wireless device to an operator'"'"'s network using SMS protocols.

23. The method of initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 22, wherein:

said wireless device is a mobile phone.

24. The method of initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 22, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS text message.

25. The method of initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 22, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS multimedia message.

26. The method of initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 22, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

27. Apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging, comprising:

means for encapsulating a location based services (LBS) query within an SMS proxy message;

means for transmitting said SMS proxy message including said LBS query from a wireless device to an operator'"'"'s network using SMS protocols.

28. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said wireless device is a mobile phone.

29. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said wireless device is a fixed phone.

30. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS text message.

31. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said SMS proxy message is an SMS multimedia message.

32. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

33. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said LBS query is an alphanumeric string.

34. The apparatus for initiating a location based service using SMS messaging according to claim 27, wherein:

said LBS query is a binary string.