Mobile Activity Status Tracker

• US 20160112862A1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Wallace, Erik, Weichselbaumer, Walter, Hronek, Daniel J., Titus, Mark, Ung, Dara
• Application Number:
  US14/976,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A technique and apparatus to provide status tracking of presence and/or location of a mobile, wireless device to a requesting entity even outside of a particular wireless system. This allows wireless service providers the ability to monitor and log changes in the status of mobile stations within and/or outside their networks. Embodiments are disclosed wherein presence and/or location information is provided to entities outside of a particular servicing wireless network using the mechanisms of call processing components of a mobile network (e.g., call setup procedures), and using standard mechanisms currently available to any appropriately conforming Mobile Switching Center (MSC) element. A mobile activity status tracker (MAST) is disclosed which contains a database of information similar to the information contained in the Home Location Register. The MAST tracks and reports status and activity of mobile wireless devices in a wireless network using mobile registration message, mobile inactivity message forwarding, and/or mobile automatic notification of subscriber status to TCP/IP entities (e.g., application servers on the Internet or Intranet). The MAST system duplicates the same or similar information contained in a corresponding HLR, but is available as an external database entity which is not restricted by SS7 standards. The tracking need not track call-specific information, e.g., called telephone numbers or information regarding conversations sustained by the tracked wireless subscribers.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device, comprising:

monitoring, from a server outside a servicing network to a given mobile device, a duplicate of a status change mechanism of call processing initiated by said mobile device, said status change mechanism being independent of a home location register; and

logging, at said server outside said servicing network, a presence of said mobile device based on a change in said mechanism of call processing of said mobile device.

30. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 29, wherein:

said carrier'"'"'s network is a wireless network.

31. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 29, wherein:

said mechanism of call processing comprises call setup messaging.

32. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 29, wherein:

said mechanism of call processing comprises a mobile registration message.

33. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 29, wherein:

said mechanism of call processing comprises a forwarded mobile inactivity message.

34. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 29, wherein:

said mechanism of call processing comprises a mobile automatic notification of subscriber status to a TCP/IP entity.

35. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 34, wherein:

said TCP/IP entity is an application server on an Internet.

36. A method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device, comprising:

monitoring, from a server outside a servicing network to a given mobile device, a duplicate of a status change mechanism generated by a mobile switching center (MSC), said status change message being independent of a home location register; and

logging, at said server outside said servicing network, a presence of said mobile device based on a change in said status change mechanism generated by said mobile switching center (MSC).

37. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 36, wherein:

said carrier'"'"'s network is a wireless network.

38. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 36, wherein:

said status change mechanism comprises call setup messaging.

39. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 36, wherein:

said status change mechanism comprises a mobile registration message.

40. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 36, wherein:

said status change mechanism comprises a forwarded mobile inactivity message.

41. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 36, wherein:

said status change mechanism comprises a mobile automatic notification of subscriber status to a TCP/IP entity.

42. The method of obtaining presence of a mobile device outside a carrier'"'"'s network supplying service to said mobile device according to claim 41, wherein:

said TCP/IP entity is an application server on an Internet.