System and method for defining a subscriber location privacy profile

• US 6,360,102 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1998
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Boltz, David, Havinis, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/151,050
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/456, 455/457, 455/440, 455/404, 455/435, 455/411, 727/15, 701/208
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for allowing each mobile subscriber that has subscribed to location services to define a Subscriber Location Privacy Profile (SLPP) containing a list of preferred subscribers that have permission to position the mobile subscriber. The SLPP can also define the conditions under which each of the preferred subscribers can position the mobile subscriber. The SLPP is preferably connected to the mobile subscriber'"'"'s main subscription record in the Home Location Register and can be downloaded to the Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register together the rest of the subscription information when the mobile subscriber is roaming.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for allowing a mobile subscriber to selectively permit certain location applications to perform positioning of a mobile terminal associated with said mobile subscriber, each of said location applications having a separate identity associated therewith, said telecommunications system comprising:

a node for responding to a positioning request for said mobile terminal, said positioning request being initiated by a requesting location application, said positioning request including said identity of said requesting location application; and

a Subscriber Location Privacy Profile (SLPP) within said node, said SLPP being defined by said mobile subscriber and containing a list of location application identities allowed to position said mobile terminal, said SLPP enabling authorization of said positioning request when said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising a gateway mobile location center for receiving said positioning request, said gateway mobile location center being in communication with said node.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein said node is a home location register operatively connected with said gateway mobile location center, said home location register storing a subscriber profile for said mobile subscriber.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein said SLPP is connected with said subscriber profile, said home location register sending said SLPP to said gateway mobile location center.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 4, further comprising a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) in wireless communication with said mobile terminal and connected to said gateway mobile location center, said SLPP being sent from said home location register to said MSC/VLR, said gateway mobile location center forwarding said positioning request to said MSC/VLR, said MSC/VLR determining whether said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein said node is a memory within said mobile terminal, said SLPP being sent from said mobile terminal to said gateway mobile location center when said positioning request is received.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein said node is an Intelligent Network node, said SLPP being sent from said mobile terminal to said gateway mobile location center when said positioning request is received.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said list of location identities comprises a list of Location Application Identifier Numbers.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said list of location application identities comprises a list of Mobile Station Integrated Service Digital Network numbers.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein each said location application identity within said list of location application identities has conditions associated therewith, said SLPP enabling authorization of said positioning request when said conditions associated with said identity of said requesting location application have been satisfied.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said conditions comprise at least one of allowable times for said requesting location application to send said positioning request and restrictions on the number of previous positioning requests allowed to be sent by said requesting location application within said allowable times.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein each said location application identity within said list of location application identities has a Positioning Allowed Indicator (PAI) associated therewith, said SLPP enabling authorization of said positioning request when said PAI associated with said identity of said requesting location application is active.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said SLPP has a Positioning Allowed Indicator (PAI) associated therewith, said SLPP enabling authorization of said positioning request when said PAI is active and said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said requesting location application has a privacy override key associated therewith, said SLPP enabling authorization of said positioning request when said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities and when said privacy override key is set to “

not override.”

15. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said mobile subscriber can define, activate, deactivate or delete said SLPP using said mobile terminal.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said mobile subscriber can remove one or more identities of one or more respective ones of said location applications from said list of location application identities to prevent said respective location applications from positioning said mobile terminal without affecting the ability of remaining ones of said location applications remaining within said list of location application identities to position said mobile terminal.

17. A method for allowing a mobile subscriber to selectively permit certain location applications to perform positioning of a mobile terminal associated with said mobile subscriber, each of said location applications having a separate identity associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

defining, by said mobile subscriber, a Subscriber Location Privacy Profile (SLPP), said SLPP containing a list of location application identities allowed to position said mobile terminal;

receiving a positioning request for said mobile terminal from a requesting location application, said positioning request including said identity of said requesting location application; and

enabling authorization of said positioning request, by said SLPP, when said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said SLPP is stored within a home location register connected to a gateway mobile location center, said gateway mobile location center receiving said positioning request, said home location register storing a subscriber profile connected with said SLPP, and further comprising the step of:

sending said SLPP from said home location register to said gateway mobile location center.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of enabling further includes the step of determining whether conditions associated with said identity of said requesting location application stored within said list of location application identities have been satisfied.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of determining at least one of allowable times for said requesting location application to send said positioning request and restrictions on the number of previous positioning requests allowed to be sent by said requesting location application within said allowable times.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein each said location application identity within said list of location application identities has a Positioning Allowed Indicator (PAI) associated therewith, said step of enabling further comprising the step of enabling authorization of said positioning request when said PAI associated with said requesting location application is active.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said SLPP has a Positioning Allowed Indicator (PAI) associated therewith, said step of enabling further comprising the step of enabling authorization of said positioning request when said PAI is active and said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

sending said SLPP to said MSC/VLR;

forwarding said positioning request from said gateway mobile location center to a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) in wireless communication with said mobile terminal; and

determining, by said MSC/VLR, whether said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said requesting location application has a privacy override key associated therewith, said step of enabling further comprising the step of enabling authorization of said positioning request when said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities and said privacy override key is set to “

not override.”

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

removing one or more identities of one or more respective ones of said location applications from said list of location application identities to prevent said respective location applications from positioning said mobile terminal without affecting the ability of remaining ones of said location applications remaining within said list of location application identities to position said mobile terminal.

26. A telecommunications system for allowing a mobile subscriber to selectively permit certain location applications to perform positioning of a mobile terminal associated with said mobile subscriber, each of said location applications having a separate identity associated therewith, said telecommunications system comprising:

means for defining, by said mobile subscriber, a Subscriber Location Privacy Profile (SLPP), said SLPP containing a list of location application identities allowed to position said mobile terminal;

means for receiving a positioning request for said mobile terminal from a requesting location application, said positioning request including said identity of said requesting location application; and

means for enabling authorization of said positioning request, by said SLPP, when said identity of said requesting location application is within said list of location application identities.