Method for tracking location of subscribers in dual stack mobile communication network

• US 7,260,406 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Yun, Hahm, Hee Hyeok, Kim, Ki Mun, Joo, Young Ho, Ryu, Young Ahn, Ju, Jae Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US10/456,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for tracking location of synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscribers by using a dual stack home location register and a dual stack mobile positioning center. When the dual stack mobile positioning center externally receives a location tracking request for a subscriber, it requests reception subscriber information to the dual stack home location register, confirms whether the terminal is located in a synchronous or asynchronous mobile communication network by referring to the reception subscriber information from the dual stack home location register and network information, and requests location tracking for the terminal to the corresponding mobile communication network. Accordingly, location of the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscribers can be tracked in the network in which mobile communication networks using different protocols coexist.

Claims

1. A method for tracking location of subscribers in a dual stack mobile communication network which a synchronous mobile communication network and an asynchronous mobile communication network coexist in, and which includes a dual stack home location register connected to a SS7 network for storing and collectively managing synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscriber information, and a dual stack mobile positioning center connected to the dual stack home location register through the SS7 network for receiving a location tracking request for a synchronous or asynchronous mobile communication terminal from a location tracking request system, searching roaming information for the terminal from dual stack home location register, requesting location tracking for the terminal to a mobile switching center which the terminal roams, and transmitting the location information of the terminal to the location tracking request system, the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication networks respectively including a position determination entity, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that the location tracking request system requests the dual stack mobile positioning center to track the location of the asynchronous mobile communication terminal by using a GPS satellite and receiver by transmitting a number of the terminal, confirming a dialing number of the terminal at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and requesting location information of the terminal to the dual stack home location register;

extracting the location information of the terminal at the dual stack home location register, and transmitting the information to the dual stack mobile positioning center, wherein the location information of the terminal extracted at the dual stack home location register comprises a subscriber identifier, subscriber number information, and a node number of a network which the terminal belongs to;

when the dual stack mobile positioning center confirms the mobile switching center which the terminal roams and thus confirms that the terminal belongs to the asynchronous mobile communication network mobile switching center, requesting location tracking for the subscriber to the corresponding asynchronous mobile switching center;

requesting the location information of the terminal to a serving mobile location center at the asynchronous mobile switching center;

when a GPS receiver has been mounted on the terminal, at the serving mobile location center determining location tracking values of the terminal by interworking with the terminal;

receiving the location information of the terminal at the mobile switching center from the serving mobile location center, and transmitting the location information to the dual stack mobile positioning center; and

transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for requesting and receiving the location information of the terminal from the serving mobile location center by the mobile switching center further comprises a step for authenticating the terminal at the mobile switching center.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step for authenticating the terminal further comprises a step for confirming whether the location tracking request is allowed by a public land mobile network or country in which the terminal is located.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for requesting and receiving the location information of the terminal from the serving mobile location center at the mobile switching center further comprises a step for notifying location tracking to the terminal, when the mobile switching center confirms a profile of the subscriber using the terminal, and when the terminal has designated notification of the personal information-related services.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step for recording location tracking details of the terminal after the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and transmits the information to the location tracking request system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the location tracking request system receiving the location tracking values.

8. A method for tracking location of subscribers in a dual stack mobile communication network which a synchronous mobile communication network and an asynchronous mobile communication network coexist in, and which includes a dual stack home location register connected to a SS7 network for storing and collectively managing synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscriber information, and a dual stack mobile positioning center connected to the dual stack home location register through the SS7 network for receiving a location tracking request for a synchronous or asynchronous mobile communication terminal from a location tracking request system, searching roaming information for the terminal from dual stack home location register, requesting location tracking for the terminal to a mobile switching center which the terminal roams, and transmitting the location information of the terminal to the location tracking request system, the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication networks respectively including a position determination entity, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that the location tracking request system requests the dual stack mobile positioning center to track the location of the asynchronous mobile communication terminal by using a GPS satellite and receiver by transmitting a number of the terminal, confirming a dialing number of the terminal at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and requesting location information of the terminal to the dual stack home location register;

extracting the location information of the terminal at the dual stack home location register, and transmitting the information to the dual stack mobile positioning center, wherein the location information of the terminal extracted from the dual stack home location register comprises a subscriber identifier, subscriber number information, and a node number of a network which the terminal belongs to;

when the dual stack mobile positioning center confirms the mobile switching center which the terminal roams and thus confirms that the terminal belongs to the synchronous mobile communication network mobile switching center, and when a GPS receiver has been mounted on the terminal, requesting location tracking for the subscriber to the corresponding position determination entity;

in accordance with that the position determination entity requests location tracking for the terminal to the mobile switching center, allocating resources and channels to the terminal at the mobile switching center;

interworking the position determination entity with the terminal, and tracking location of the terminal;

correcting the location, information of the terminal by the position determination entity, and transmitting the information to the dual stack mobile positioning center; and

transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step for allocating resources and channels to the terminal at the mobile switching center uses SMS delivery point to point and data burst messages.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step for recording location tracking details of the terminal after the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and transmits the information to the location tracking request system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the location tracking request system receiving the location tracking values.

13. A method for tracking location of subscribers in a dual stack mobile communication network which a synchronous mobile communication network and an asynchronous mobile communication network coexist in, and which includes a dual stack home location register connected to a SS7 network for storing and collectively managing synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscriber information, and a dual stack mobile positioning center connected to the dual stack home location register through the SS7 network for receiving a location tracking request for a synchronous or asynchronous mobile communication terminal from a location tracking request system, searching roaming information for the terminal from dual stack home location register, requesting location tracking for the terminal to a mobile switching center which the terminal roams, and transmitting the location information of the terminal to the location tracking request system, the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication networks respectively including a position determination entity, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that the location tracking request system requests the dual stack mobile positioning center to track the location, of the asynchronous mobile communication terminal based on a cell by transmitting a number of the terminal, confirming a dialing number of the terminal at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and requesting location information of the terminal to the dual stack home location register;

confirming the mobile switching center which the terminal roams at the dual stack home location register, and requesting location information of the subscriber to the mobile switching center, wherein the step for requesting the location information of the subscriber to the mobile switching center from the dual stack home location register transmits subscriber state and current location information with the location information request for the terminal;

in accordance with that a base station tracks the location of the terminal according to paging between the terminal and the base station, and transmits the location information of the terminal to the mobile switching center, transmitting the location information of the terminal from the mobile switching center to the dual stack home location register, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the mobile switching center to the dual stack home location register further transmits the subscriber information and subscriber state information; and

transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack home location register to the dual stack mobile positioning center.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the base station confirms the location of the terminal by using one of an angle of arrival, a time of arrival, and a time difference of arrival.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack home location register to the dual stack mobile positioning center transmits the location information with an ID of the mobile switching center which the terminal belongs to and an area ID.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack home location register to the dual stack mobile positioning center transmits the location information with location tracking failure reasons, when the location of the terminal is not tracked.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step for recording location tracking details of the terminal after the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and transmits the information to the location tracking request system.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the location tracking request system receiving the location tracking values.

20. A method for tracking location of subscribers in a dual stack mobile communication network which a synchronous mobile communication network and an asynchronous mobile communication network coexist in, and which includes a dual stack home location register connected to a SS7 network for storing and collectively managing synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network subscriber information, and a dual stack mobile positioning center connected to the dual stack home location register through the SS7 network for receiving a location tracking request for a synchronous or asynchronous mobile communication terminal from a location tracking request system, searching roaming information for the terminal from dual stack home location register, requesting location tracking for the terminal to a mobile switching center which the terminal roams, and transmitting the location information of the terminal to the location tracking request system, the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication networks respectively including a position determination entity, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that the location, tracking request system requests the dual stack mobile positioning center to track the location of the synchronous mobile communication terminal based on a cell by transmitting a number of the terminal, confirming a dialing number of the terminal at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and requesting location information of the terminal to the dual stack home location register;

confirming the mobile switching center which the terminal roams at the dual stack home location register, and requesting location information of the subscriber to the mobile switching center;

in accordance with that a base station tracks the location of the terminal according to paging between the terminal and the base station and transmits the location information of the terminal to the mobile switching center, transmitting the location information of the terminal from the mobile switching center to the dual stack home location register, wherein the step of transmitting the location information of the terminal from the mobile switching center to the dual stack home location register transmits the location information with an ID of the mobile switching center which the terminal belongs to and an area ID; and

transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack home location register to the dual stack mobile positioning center.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step for requesting the mobile switching center to track location of the terminal at the dual stack home location register transmits a dialing number and an apparatus number of the terminal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the base station confirms the location of the terminal by using one of an angle of arrival, a time of arrival, and a time difference of arrival.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the mobile switching center to the dual stack home location register transmits the location information with location tracking failure reasons, when the location of the terminal is not tracked.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the dual stack mobile positioning center, and transmits the information to the location tracking request system.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the step for transmitting the location information of the terminal from the dual stack mobile positioning center to the location tracking request system converts the location tracking values into real geographical name information at the location tracking request system receiving the location tracking values.