SECURE USER PLANE LOCATION SESSION INITIATION IMPROVEMENT

• US 20080254809A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Niemenmaa, Jarko, Ruutu, Ville, Kraufvelin, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• 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 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

Systems and methods of sending a secure user plane location (SUPL) session initiation message from a location platform to a SUPL-enabled terminal are provided. When a network-based application has an internet protocol (IP) connection with the SUPL-enabled terminal using general packet radio service (GPRS) and needs location information regarding the SUPL-enabled terminal, the network-based application indicates an available GPRS session in mobile location protocol standard location immediate request. The location platform uses an application server hosting the network-based application to request starting a SUPL-enabled terminal-initiated location procedure. Alternatively, the location platform can determine whether a SUPL-enabled terminal has an active IP connection from an authentication, authorization, and accounting server. The IP address of the SUPL-enabled terminal is returned to the location platform, upon which a SUPL session initiation message is sent to an associated GPRS Gateway Support Node. User Datagram Protocol is utilized instead of Wireless Datagram Protocol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising one of:

receiving a first request including an indication of an available general packet radio service session, transmitting a second request to start a secure user plane location-enabled terminal initiated location procedure, and determining a position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal; and

receiving an internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal and transmitting the second request utilizing a user datagram protocol to start the secure user plane location-enabled terminal initiated location procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, establishing an internet protocol connection utilizing general packet radio services with the secure user plane location-enabled terminal prior to at least one of the receiving of the first request and the receiving of the internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is configured to inform a location platform of the available general packet radio service session between a location services application and the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises a mobile location protocol standard location immediate request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second request comprises a secure user plane location initiation message.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving at least one of a hypertext transfer request and a wireless application protocol request including the position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal and completing a location service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second request includes a request to deliver the position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal to a third party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third party comprises an application server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the application server is used as a proxy for the sending of the second request.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining from an authentication, authorization, and accounting server whether the secure user plane location-enabled terminal has an active internet protocol connection prior to the receiving of the internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining is performed by a location platform.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location platform performs the transmitting of the secure user plane location request utilizing a user datagram protocol to a gateway general packet radio service support node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein any messages from the location platform to the secure user plane location-enabled terminal are allowed by any firewall on a communications path located therebetween.

14. A computer program product, embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising computer code configured to perform the processes of claim 1.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor and including;

computer code configured to perform one of;

receive a first request including an indication of an available general packet radio service session, transmit a second request to start a secure user plane location-enabled terminal initiated location procedure, and determine a position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal; and

receive an internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal and transmit the second request utilizing a user datagram protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code configured to establish an internet protocol connection using general packet radio services with the secure user plane location-enabled terminal prior to at least one of receiving the first request and receiving the internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication is configured to inform a location platform of the available general packet radio service session between a location services application and the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first request comprises a mobile location protocol standard location immediate request.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second request comprises a secure user plane location initiation message.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code configured to receive at least one of a hypertext transfer request and a wireless application protocol request including the position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal and complete a location service.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second request includes a request to deliver the position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal to an application server, where the application server is used as a proxy for the sending of the second request.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code configured to determine from an authentication, authorization, and accounting server whether the secure user plane location-enabled terminal has an active internet protocol connection prior to receiving the internet protocol address of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the determining is performed by a location platform.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the location platform comprises computer code configured to transmit the secure user plane location request utilizing a user datagram protocol to a gateway general packet radio service support node.

25. A system, comprising:

a location platform;

an application server operatively connected to the location platform, the application server configured to transmit a first request including an indication of an available general packet radio service session to the location platform; and

a secure user plane location-enabled terminal configured to receive a second request from the location platform to start a secure user plane location-enabled terminal initiated location procedure, wherein a position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal is determined by the location platform.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein an internet protocol connection is established between the secure user plane location-enabled terminal and the application server prior to the receiving of the first request.

27. A system, comprising:

a location platform;

an authentication, authorization, and accounting server configured to transmit an internet protocol address of a secure user plane location-enabled terminal to the location platform;

a gateway general packet radio service support node configured to receive a request and transmit the request utilizing a user datagram protocol to the secure user plane location-enabled terminal to determine a position of the secure user plane location-enabled terminal; and

an application server communicatively connected to the secure user plane location-enabled terminal via an internet protocol connection.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein any messages from the location platform to the secure user plane location-enabled terminal are allowed by any firewall on a communications path located therebetween