Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) Location

• US 20160255465A1
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: ZHU, YINJUN
• Application Number:
  US15/148,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/654 International mobile subscriber identity [IMSI] numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A mobile IP location server that retrieves the location of a mobile device based on the public IP address that a mobile device is using. A mobile IP location server comprises a mobile location protocol interface, an identifier resolver, and a location manager. The mobile location protocol interface interacts with location applications and receives and responds to location requests. The identifier resolver converts a device'"'"'s public IP address to a real mobile identifier (e.g. MSISDN) and performs address conversion by either interacting with an HTTP proxy server or querying a network address translation (NAT) table. The location manager retrieves the location of a mobile device given the device'"'"'s real mobile identifier (e.g. MSISDN). A web application requests mobile IP location services by transmitting an IP request to the mobile IP location server. An IP location request contains a mobile device'"'"'s public IP address, port number, and any application specific information.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A mobile Internet Protocol (IP) location server, comprising:

a mobile location protocol interface configured to receive a request for location information for a mobile device;

an identifier resolver configured to query a given network node operating on a given network for a mobile identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device based on a public IP address included in the location request; and

a location manager configured to query another network node operating on another network for location information for the mobile device based on the mobile identifier of the mobile device.

3. The mobile IP location server of claim 2, wherein the mobile identifier comprises at least one of an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN).

4. The mobile IP location server of claim 2, wherein the given network node operating on the given network comprises a network address translation (NAT) gateway.

5. The mobile IP location server of claim 4, wherein the given network comprises a WiFi network.

6. The mobile IP location server of claim 5, wherein the other network comprises a wireless carrier network.

7. The mobile IP location server of claim 4, wherein the other network comprises at least one of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and a 4G network.

8. The mobile IP location server of claim 2, wherein the location information characterizes a municipal area in which the mobile device is located.

9. The mobile IP location server of claim 2, wherein the given network node operating on the given network comprises a proxy server for the mobile device.

10. The mobile IP location server of claim 9, wherein the other network comprises a wireless carrier network.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) location request for geographic location information associated with a mobile device;

querying a given network node for a real mobile identifier corresponding to a public IP address assigned to the mobile device in response to the IP location request; and

querying another network node operating on a long term evolution (LTE) network for geographic location information associated with the mobile device based on the real mobile identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic location information characterizes a municipal area in which the mobile device is located.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the real mobile identifier comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the real mobile identifier comprises Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN).

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the given network node comprises a network address translation (NAT) gateway operating on a Wifi network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the given network node operates on the LTE network.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the given network node comprises a proxy server for the mobile device operating on a Wifi network.

18. A mobile Internet Protocol (IP) location server comprising one or more computers having machine readable instructions, the location server being configured to:

provide a request to a given network node operating on a given network for a mobile identifier that uniquely identifies a mobile device based on an IP address of the mobile device in response to a location request for the mobile device; and

provide a request for location information for the mobile device based on the real mobile identifier for the mobile device to another network node operating on another network.

19. The location service of claim 18, wherein the given network comprises a Wifi network.

20. The location service of claim 19, wherein the other network comprises a wireless carrier network.

21. The location service of claim 20, wherein the other network comprises at least one of a 3G and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.