METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING LOCATION-BASED SERVICES BY A REMOVABLE MODULE

• US 20100004003A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gurganus, Bryan C., Cook, Bryan R., Qu, Carl, Burroughs, Kirk Allan, Duggal, Nakul
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Techniques for supporting location-based services (LBS) by a removable module are described. A set of messages (e.g., commands and events) may be defined to support location-based services by the removable module. In one design, the removable module may send a first message (e.g., a Get Position—Request message) to a terminal to request for location information. The first message may be sent for an LBS application running on the removable module. The removable module may thereafter receive a second message (e.g., a Get Position—Response message) with the requested location information from the terminal. The removable module may execute a task for the LBS application based on the location information. The task may include reporting the location of the terminal, initiating a voice call, sending an SMS message, displaying a menu on the terminal, sending a report for tracking of the terminal, etc.

Claims

1. A method of supporting location-based services (LBS), comprising:

sending a first message from a removable module to a terminal to request for location information; and

receiving a second message with the requested location information from the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third message with positioning capabilities of the terminal;

selecting a positioning mode based on the positioning capabilities of the terminal; and

generating the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third message with available positioning modes for the terminal;

selecting one of the available positioning modes; and

generating the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises a location estimate for the terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first message includes a positioning mode to use to obtain the location estimate, a target accuracy for the location estimate, a target time to fix, or a combination thereof for the location estimate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises altitude, horizontal speed, vertical speed, orientation, or a combination thereof of the terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is sent for an LBS application running on the removable module, the method further comprising:

executing a task for the LBS application based on the location information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the executing a task comprises initiating a voice call, sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message, displaying a menu on the terminal, sending a report for tracking of the terminal, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the executing a task comprises reporting location of the terminal based on the location information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the executing a task comprises

determining whether a trigger has occurred based on the location information, and

reporting location of the terminal if the trigger has occurred.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second messages comprise CDMA Card Application Toolkit (CCAT) proactive commands.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable module comprises a User Identity Module (UIM), a Removable UIM (R-UIM), a CDMA Subscriber Identity Module (CSIM), a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), or a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for sending a first message from a removable module to a terminal to request for location information; and

means for receiving a second message with the requested location information from the terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving a third message with positioning capabilities of the terminal;

means for selecting a positioning mode based on the positioning capabilities of the terminal; and

means for generating the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving a third message with available positioning modes for the terminal;

means for selecting one of the available positioning modes; and

means for generating the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first message is sent for a location-based services (LBS) application running on the removable module, the apparatus further comprising:

means for executing a task for the LBS application based on the location information.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send a first message from a removable module to a terminal to request for location information, and to receive a second message with the requested location information from the terminal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a third message with positioning capabilities of the terminal, to select a positioning mode based on the positioning capabilities of the terminal, and to generate the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a third message with available positioning modes for the terminal, to select one of the available positioning modes, and to generate the first message to include the selected positioning mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first message for a location-based services (LBS) application running on the removable module, and to execute a task for the LBS application based on the location information.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to send a first message from a removable module to a terminal to request for location information, and

code for causing the at least one computer to receive a second message with the requested location information from the terminal.

22. A method of supporting location-based services, comprising:

receiving a first message sent by a removable module to a terminal to request for location information; and

sending a second message with the requested location information from the terminal to the removable module.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

sending a third message with positioning capabilities of the terminal;

obtaining from the first message a positioning mode selected by the removable module based on the positioning capabilities of the terminal; and

obtaining the location information in accordance with the selected positioning mode.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

sending a third message with available positioning modes for the terminal;

obtaining from the first message a positioning mode selected by the removable module from among the available positioning modes; and

obtaining the location information in accordance with the selected positioning mode.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a location estimate for the terminal in response to the first message, and wherein the location information comprises the location estimate.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

obtaining a target accuracy, or a target time to fix, or both for the location estimate from the first message, and wherein the location estimate is determined in accordance with the target accuracy, or the target time to fix, or both.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining altitude, horizontal speed, vertical speed, orientation, or a combination thereof of the terminal for the location information.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second messages comprise CDMA Card Application Toolkit (CCAT) proactive commands.

29. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first message sent by a removable module to a terminal to request for location information; and

means for sending a second message with the requested location information from the terminal to the removable module.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for sending a third message with positioning capabilities of the terminal;

means for obtaining from the first message a positioning mode selected by the removable module based on the positioning capabilities of the terminal; and

means for obtaining the location information in accordance with the selected positioning mode.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for sending a third message with available positioning modes for the terminal;

means for obtaining from the first message a positioning mode selected by the removable module from among the available positioning modes; and

means for obtaining the location information in accordance with the selected positioning mode.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for determining a location estimate for the terminal in response to the first message, and wherein the location information comprises the location estimate.