System and method for providing restricting positioning of a target mobile station based on the calculated location estimate

• US 6,463,289 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Havinis, Theodore, Boltz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US09/370,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 342/457, 455/456, 455/422, 455/428, 455/433-435, 455/457, 455/461, 455/421, 455/560, 455/561, 455/466, 340/989, 340/434
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• 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 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for defining restricted positioning areas by geographical location. The restricted area information can be established by the cellular network or the mobile subscriber, and can be stored in a database, such as an Intelligent Network (IN) node. An IN trigger can be included in the subscriber information provided to the serving Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) or the IN trigger can be stored in specific MSC/VLR'"'"'s that have restricted positioning areas for all mobile subscribers. Upon receiving the calculated location estimate, the IN trigger is activated, and the MSC/VLR transmits the calculated location estimate to the IN node to determine whether the calculated location estimate can be provided to the requesting Location Services (LCS) client based upon the defined restricted positioning area information.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for restricting positioning of a mobile station within a cellular network, comprising:

a database for storing restricted area information associated with a geographical area unrelated to any network area defined by said cellular network; and

a mobile switching center in wireless communication with said mobile station for receiving a positioning request for said mobile station, determining a location estimate for said mobile station and accessing said database to determine whether said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information, said mobile switching center rejecting said positioning request in response to a determination that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said database is within said mobile switching center.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said database is an Intelligent Network node.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein said Intelligent Network node includes a database accessible by a Service Control Point.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein said mobile switching center has an Intelligent Network Location Services category stored therein, said Intelligent Network Location Services category triggering a query to said Intelligent Network node upon determination of said location estimate.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein said query includes said location estimate.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said Intelligent Network node compares said location estimate with said restricted area information to determine if said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 7, wherein said Intelligent Network node transmits a query response to said mobile switching center, said query response including an indication of whether or not said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein said mobile switching center rejects said positioning request when said indication indicates that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile station.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile switching center.

12. A telecommunications system for restricting positioning of a mobile station within a cellular network, comprising:

an Intelligent Network node for storing restricted area information associated with a geographical area unrelated to any network area defined by said cellular network, said Intelligent Network node further for receiving a query including a location estimate for said mobile station, determining whether said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information and transmitting a query response including an indication of whether or not said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information; and

a mobile switching center in wireless communication with said mobile station for receiving a positioning request for said mobile station, determining said location estimate for said mobile station, sending said query including said location estimate to said Intelligent Network node and receiving said query response from said Intelligent Network node, said mobile switching center rejecting said positioning request when said indication indicates that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 12, wherein said Intelligent Network node includes a database accessible by a Service Control Point.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 12, wherein said mobile switching center has an Intelligent Network Location Services category stored therein, said Intelligent Network Location Services category triggering said query to said Intelligent Network node upon determination of said location estimate.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 14, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile station.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 14, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile switching center.

17. A method for restricting positioning of a mobile station within a cellular network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a positioning request for said mobile station at a mobile switching center in wireless communication with said mobile station;

determining a location estimate for said mobile station;

comparing said location estimate with restricted area information associated with a geographical area unrelated to any network area defined by said cellular network; and

in response to a determination that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information, rejecting said positioning request by said mobile switching center.

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

in response to said step of determining, sending a query including said location estimate from said mobile switching center to an Intelligent Network node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of comparing is performed by said Intelligent Network node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a query response from said Intelligent Network node to said mobile switching center, said query response including an indication of whether or not said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said restricted area information is associated with said mobile station.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said restricted area information is associated with said mobile switching center.

23. A method for a mobile switching center to restrict positioning of a mobile station in wireless communication with said mobile switching center within a cellular network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a positioning request for said mobile station at said mobile switching center;

determining a location estimate for said mobile station;

in response to said step of determining, sending a query including said location estimate to an Intelligent Network node;

receiving a query response from said Intelligent Network node, said query response indicating whether said location estimate is within a geographical area encompassed by restricted area information, said restricted area information being unrelated to any network area defined by said cellular network; and

if said query response indicates that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information, rejecting said positioning request by said mobile switching center.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of sending further comprises the step of:

triggering an Intelligent Network Location Services category stored within said mobile switching center to send said query in response to said step of determining.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile station.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile switching center.

27. A method for restricting positioning of a mobile station within a cellular network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a positioning request for said mobile station at said mobile switching center;

determining a location estimate for said mobile station;

in response to said step of determining, sending a query including said location estimate to an Intelligent Network node;

comparing said location estimate with restricted area information stored within said Intelligent Network node, said restricted area information being associated with a geographical area unrelated to any network area defined by said cellular network;

determining whether said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information;

transmitting a query response from said Intelligent Network node to said mobile switching center, said query response indicating whether said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by restricted area information; and

if said query response indicates that said location estimate is within said geographical area encompassed by said restricted area information, rejecting said positioning request by said mobile switching center.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of sending further comprises the step of:

triggering an Intelligent Network Location Services category stored within said mobile switching center to send said query in response to said step of determining said location estimate.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile station.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said Intelligent Network Location Services category is associated with said mobile switching center.