Network Elements, Cellular Communication System and Methods Therefor

• US 20130316708A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir IPA UK Limited
• Original Assignee: Ipaccess Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: MacPherson, Ian Ross
• Granted Patent: US 9,271,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Location presence information is provided to advertising services by a femto-cell management system in a femto/pico-cell environment. On registration of a user equipment with a pico-cell which has been previously identified as a designated zone, the management system sends an alert to the advertising services. A SMS controller permits the advertising services to send a welcome text message including advertising content to the user equipment. The management system can also act as a centralized GSMA one API application gateway for location presence.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location presence service in a cellular communication system, the method comprising the steps of;

at an access point located in a designated geographical zone, sending an access point registration message to an access controller,

at the access controller, forwarding the received access point registration message to an access point management system,

in the access point management system, in response to the received access point registration message, sending a flagged acknowledgement message to the access controller,

at the access controller, subsequent to receiving the flagged acknowledgement message, forwarding a wireless communication unit registration message received from an access point located in the designated geographical zone to the access point management system,

and in the access point management system on receiving the wireless communication unit registration message, generating a location presence notification message in respect of said wireless communication unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the access point registration message comprises a HNBAP (Home Node B Application Part) register request message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication unit registration message comprises a HNBAP UE register request message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a zonal flag in respect of the access point.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the flagged acknowledgement message includes an access control list (ACL).

6. A network element for providing a location presence service in a cellular communication system, the network element being adapted to,

receive an access point registration message via an access controller from an access point located in a designated geographical zone,

in response to receiving the access point registration message, generate a flagged acknowledgement message,

receive a wireless communication unit registration request message via the access controller from the access point,

and in response to receiving the wireless communication unit registration message, generate a location presence notification message in respect of said wireless communication unit.

7. The network element of claim 6 wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a registration request acknowledgement message with a zonal flag attached thereto.

8. An Access Controller for controlling access to a cellular communication system of a wireless communication unit via an access point, the access controller adapted to receive a wireless communication registration request via an access point and wherein the access controller further comprises a signal processing module for facilitating provision of a location presence service, wherein the signal processing module is adapted to determine whether said registration request has been sent via an access point which is located in a designated geographical zone and if so, to notify an access point management system.

9. The access controller of claim 8 wherein the signal processing module is adapted to determine whether the wireless communication request has been received from an access point which has a zonal flag activated against it.

10. The access controller of claim 8 wherein the signal processing module for facilitating provision of a location presence service is implemented in an integrated circuit.