METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF AN UNLICENSED MOBILE ACCESS SUBSCRIBER

• US 20080108319A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and system for locating an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) subscriber. The method enables a user of a mobile station comprising a hand-set or the like that supports voice and data access via both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrums to be located. Accordingly, services requiring location information, such as 911 services, may be accessed when operating the mobile station under both UMA and licensed wireless network (e.g., cellular) sessions.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for locating a telecommunication device operating in a communication session in a first communication network, said method comprising:

a) identifying an access point used to provide a wireless link to host the communication session;

b) determining if location information is available for the access point; and

c) when location information is not available for the access point, initiating a hand-over of the communication session to a licensed wireless second communication session in order to use a licensed wireless network technique to identify the location of the telecommunication device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining is performed by a network controller of the first communication network that communicatively couples a set of service regions of the first communication network to the licensed wireless second communication network.

22. A method for locating a caller, said method comprising:

a) establishing a communication session with a service provider of a first communication network;

b) identifying an access point used to provide a wireless link to host the communication session;

c) determining if location information is available for the access point; and

d) when the location information is not available, employing a licensed wireless second communication network-based location service to identify the location of the telecommunication device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the determining is performed by a network controller of the first communication network that communicatively couples a set of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of geographic longitude, geographic latitude, and street address.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising storing the location information for the telecommunication device obtained via the licensed wireless second communication network-based location service as the location information of the service region.

26. A method for locating a telecommunication device in a communication session of with a first communication network, said method comprising:

a) receiving information about the service region;

b) based on the information, determining if location information is available for the service region; and

c) when the location information is not available for the service region, initiating a hand-over of the communication session from the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network to identify the location of the telecommunication device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining is performed by a network controller of the first communication network that communicatively couples a set of service regions of the first communication network to the licensed wireless second communication network.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of a geographic latitude, a geographic longitude, and a street address.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the location information is for locating a caller using the telecommunication device in an emergency call.

30. A method of locating a caller using a telecommunication device in a service region of a first communication network, said method comprising:

a) receiving information about the service region;

b) based on the information, determining if location information is available for the service region; and

c) when the location information is not available for the service region, employing a second communication network-based location service to identify the location of the caller.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the location information is for estimating the location of the caller in an emergency call.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the second communication network-based location service is a licensed-based location service of a licensed wireless second communication network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the determining is performed by a network controller of the first communication network that communicatively couples a set of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising storing the location information for the telecommunication device obtained via the second communication network-based location service as the location information of the service region.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the information about the service region comprises information about an access point operating in the service region, wherein the determining comprises determining if the location information is available for the access point.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the service region comprises a Wi-Fi based access point for hosting a communication session.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the service region comprises Bluetooth based access point for hosting a communication session.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein said location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of geographic longitude, geographic latitude, and street address.

39. A method of locating a caller using a telecommunication device in a service region of a first communication network, said method comprising:

a) receiving information about the service region via the first communication network;

b) based on the information, determining if location information is available for the service region; and

c) when the location information is not available for the service region, employing a location-identifying technique of a second communication network to determine the location information.