USING MOBILE MESSAGING SERVICE MESSAGE(S) AS BEARER FOR LOCATION RELATED COMMUNICATIONS DURING VOICE CALL

• US 20130122932A1
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PATEL, Biren, ZHANG, Shilei
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

In a mobile communication network that does not support simultaneous data communication during an active voice call of a mobile station, location information of the mobile station is obtained from a positioning server on the mobile communication network using mobile messaging service type messages as a transport bearer between the mobile station and the mobile communication network. A mobile messaging service message from the mobile station includes information regarding one or more nearby WiFi access points and/or cellular base stations detected by the mobile station. The location of the mobile station is determined by the positioning server, and the results are sent to the mobile station via a responsive mobile messaging service message including the determined location, during the active voice call, for use by an application program running on the mobile station.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a wireless transceiver for wireless mobile communication through a mobile communication network in which simultaneous voice and data communications are not supported;

at least one audio user interface device, configured to receive audio input and to output audio during a voice call of the mobile station through the mobile communication network via the wireless transceiver;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one audio user interface device;

a memory accessible by the processor;

an application program in the memory for the processor, wherein execution of the application program by the processor configures the mobile station to perform at least one function based on location information of the mobile station; and

programming in the memory for the processor, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the mobile station to perform functions, including functions to;

in response to a query for the location information of the mobile station by the application program, during the voice call, resulting from execution of the application program during the voice call, generate a request for the location information of the mobile station, the request including at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station;

cause the wireless transceiver to transmit the request as a mobile messaging service type message through the mobile communication network during the voice call;

receive a responsive mobile messaging service type message through the mobile communication network during the voice call, the responsive mobile messaging service type message including the requested location information of the mobile station; and

process the received location information of the mobile station for further execution of the application program.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station includes information regarding at least one of a WiFi access point or a cellular base station detected by the mobile station.

3. The mobile station of claim 2, wherein the information regarding the cellular base station detected by the mobile station is used for coarse estimation of the location of the mobile station.

4. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein the information regarding the cellular base station detected by the mobile station comprises system identification (SID), network identification (NID), and base station identification (BID).

5. The mobile station of claim 2, wherein the information regarding the WiFi access point detected by the mobile station is used for fine estimation of the location of the mobile station.

6. The mobile station of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the WiFi access point detected by the mobile station comprises media access control (MAC) address of the WiFi access point and signal strength of the WiFi access point at the mobile station.

7. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein each mobile messaging service type message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

8. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication network is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) type network.

9. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile station is configured to obtain its location information with assistance from the mobile communication network, for use by the application program; and

the mobile station is not capable of obtaining its location using an installed Global Positioning System (GPS).

10. A method comprising steps of:

at a messaging service server, receiving from a mobile station, through a mobile communication network in which simultaneous voice and data communications with the mobile station are not supported, a mobile messaging service type message including a request for location of the mobile station for use by an application program running on the mobile station and at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station, during a voice call of the mobile station through the mobile communication network;

sending information contained in the mobile messaging service type message to a positioning server;

at the positioning server, determining the location of the mobile station based on in part the at least some information received from the mobile station;

sending identification of the determined location of the mobile station to the messaging service server, for transmission of a responsive mobile messaging service type message to the mobile station; and

sending to the mobile station the responsive mobile messaging service type message through the mobile communication network, during the voice call, wherein the responsive mobile messaging service type message includes the identification of the determined location of the mobile station as the requested location information of the mobile station, for the use during the voice call by the application program running on the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station includes information regarding at least one of a WiFi access point or a cellular base station detected by the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the determining step of the location of the mobile station by the positioning server, the information regarding the cellular base station detected by the mobile station is used by the positioning server for coarse estimation of the location of the mobile station.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein in the determining step of the location of the mobile station by the positioning server, the information regarding the WiFi access point detected by the mobile station is used by the positioning server for fine estimation of the location of the mobile station.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile communication network is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) type network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile messaging service type message is a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the responsive mobile messaging service type message further includes error radius information.

17. A system comprising:

a mobile communication network in which simultaneous voice and data communications with a mobile station are not supported;

a messaging service server for receiving and sending mobile messaging service type messages to and from the mobile station through the mobile communication network; and

a positioning server for determining location of the mobile station based on information received from the mobile station, via the mobile messaging service type messages,

wherein;

in response to a query for location information of the mobile station by an application program running on the mobile station, during a voice call of the mobile station through the mobile communication network, resulting from execution of the application program during the voice call, the mobile station is configured to send a request for the location information of the mobile station to the messaging service server using a mobile messaging service type message, the request including at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station;

the mobile messaging service type message is used during the voice call as a transport bearer between the mobile station and the mobile communication network for determining location of the mobile station by the positioning server; and

the mobile station is configured to receive during the voice call a responsive mobile messaging service type message including information identifying the determined location of the mobile station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least some information obtained from the air by wireless reception of radio frequency signals by the mobile station includes information regarding at least one of a WiFi access point or a cellular base station detected by the mobile station.