METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INTERNET SERVICE BASED ON USER'S LOCATION INFORMATION IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080080442A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Joon-Ho, Lee, Sung-Won, Kim, Young-Ky, Moon, Sang-Jun, Kim, Dae-Seok, Kang, Hyeon-Jin, Ha, Ji-Hye, Kong, Dong-Keon, Min, Poong-Ki
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for providing an Internet service based on location information of a subscriber station in a communication system. The Internet service method includes, upon receipt of a search request from a subscriber station, determining whether a network accessed by the subscriber station can support a Universal Service Interface (USI), acquiring location information of the subscriber station if the network accessed by the subscriber station can support the USI, and providing an Internet service based on the acquired location information of the subscriber station to the subscriber station.

Claims

1. A method for providing an Internet service based on location information of a subscriber station in a communication system, the method comprising:

determining, upon receipt of a search request from a subscriber station, whether a network accessed by the subscriber station can support a Universal Service Interface (USI);

acquiring location information of the subscriber station if the network accessed by the subscriber station can support the USI; and

providing to the subscriber station an Internet service based on the acquired location information of the subscriber station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring further comprises:

when the network accessed by the subscriber station includes a location information server, acquiring location information of the subscriber station, stored in the location information server; and

when the network has no location information server, sending a paging request to the subscriber station, and receiving from the subscriber station a first cell IDentifier (ID) accessed during paging of the subscriber station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring further comprises:

comparing the location information of the subscriber station, acquired from the location information server, with the first cell ID, and determining a more correct value as location information of the subscriber station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of a first cell ID further comprises:

when a reference time has elapsed after the receipt of the first cell ID passes, re-sending a paging request to the subscriber station, and using as the location information of the subscriber station a second cell ID accessed during re-paging of the subscriber station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet service is a push-type service in which a free event or an advertisement happening in a place corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station is provided.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the subscriber station a user interface with an option for selecting whether to provide the Internet service based on the location information of the subscriber station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining whether the network accessed by the subscriber station can support the USI, using an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the subscriber station.

8. A method for providing an Internet service based on location information of a subscriber station in a communication system supporting a Universal Service Interface (USI), the method comprising:

receiving a request for location information of the subscriber station from a search server that has received a search request from the subscriber station;

acquiring location information of the subscriber station, stored in a location information server, and sending the acquired location information to the search server; and

sending, upon receipt of a billing information update request for the location information of the subscriber station from the search server, billing information corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station to the search server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sending of the location information further comprises:

sending, when the location information server is not provided, a paging request to the subscriber station;

receiving from the subscriber station a first cell IDentifier (ID) accessed during paging of the subscriber station; and

determining the first cell ID as location information of the subscriber station, and sending the first cell ID to the search server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending of the location information further comprises:

comparing the location information of the subscriber station, acquired from the location information server, with the first cell ID, and determining a more correct value as location information of the subscriber station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending of the location information further comprises:

re-sending, when a reference time has elapsed after the receipt of the first cell ID passes, a paging request to the subscriber station, and receiving from the subscriber station a second cell ID accessed during re-paging of the subscriber station; and

sending the second cell ID as location information of the subscriber station.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the Internet service is a push-type service in which a free event or an advertisement happening in a place corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station is provided.

13. An apparatus for providing an Internet service based on location information of a subscriber station in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a search server for, upon receipt of a search request from a subscriber station, determining whether a network accessed by the subscriber station can support a Universal Service Interface (USI), acquiring location information of the subscriber station if the network can support the USI, and providing an Internet service based on the acquired location information of the subscriber station to the subscriber station.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the search server further:

acquires location information of the subscriber station, stored in a location information server, when a communication system accessed by the subscriber station includes the location information server; and

sends a paging request to the subscriber station, and receives from the subscriber station a first cell IDentifier (ID) accessed during paging of the subscriber station, when the communication system has no location information server.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the search server further compares the location information of the subscriber station, acquired from the location information server, with the first cell ID, and determines a more correct value as location information of the subscriber station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein when a reference time has elapsed after the receipt of the first cell ID passes, the search server re-sends a paging request to the subscriber station, and uses as the location information of the subscriber station a second cell ID accessed during re-paging of the subscriber station.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Internet service is a push-type service in which a free event or an advertisement happening in a place corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station is provided.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the search server provides to the subscriber station a user interface with an option for selecting whether to provide the Internet service based on the location information of the subscriber station.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the search server determines whether the network accessed by the subscriber station can support the USI, using an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the subscriber station.

20. An apparatus for providing an Internet service based on location information of a subscriber station in a communication system supporting a Universal Service Interface (USI), the apparatus comprising:

a USI server for receiving a request for location information of the subscriber station from a search server that has received a search request from the subscriber station;

a location information server for searching for location information of the subscriber station, stored therein, and sending the searched location information to the USI server, upon receipt of a request for location information of the subscriber station from the USI server; and

a billing server for sending billing information corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the USI server forwards the location information of the subscriber station, received from the location information server, to the search server.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the USI server further:

sends a paging request to the subscriber station when the location information server is not provided,;

receives from the subscriber station a first cell IDentifier (ID) accessed during paging of the subscriber station; and

determines the first cell ID as location information of the subscriber station, and sends the first cell ID to the search server.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the USI server further compares the location information of the subscriber station, acquired from the location information server, with the first cell ID, and determines a more correct value as location information of the subscriber station.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the USI server further:

re-sends a paging request to the subscriber station, and receives from the subscriber station a second cell ID accessed during re-paging of the subscriber station when a reference time has elapsed after the receipt of the first cell ID passes; and

sends the second cell ID as location information of the subscriber station.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the Internet service is a push-type service in which a free event or an advertisement happening in a place corresponding to the location information of the subscriber station is provided.