Location system and method for client terminals which provide location-based service to mobile terminals
First Claim
1. A location system for a client terminal which provides a location-based service over a coverage area, comprising:
- at least one mobile communication network for storing information indicating an area in which a mobile terminal is located and determining location of said mobile terminal in response to a location request message;
first means, responsive to a location request message from said client terminal requesting location information of a target mobile terminal, for retrieving area indicating information from said network corresponding to identity of said target mobile terminal to determine the area in which said target mobile terminal is located; and
second means for forwarding the location request message to said network to determine the location of said target mobile terminal if said determined area is within said coverage area and transmitting an error message to said client terminal if said determined area is outside of said coverage area.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one of multiple mobile communication networks, a serving node responsible for locating mobile terminals is responsive to a registration request from a mobile terminal for storing the serving node identity in a home location database to which the mobile terminal is subscribed. In response to a location request message from a client terminal requesting the location of a target mobile terminal, a serving node identity is retrieved from the home location database of the target mobile terminal. The serving node identity represents the current location of the target mobile terminal. If the current location area is within the coverage area of location-based service provided by the client terminal, the location request message is forwarded to a serving node identified by the retrieved serving node identity. Otherwise, an error message is transmitted to the client terminal to indicate that the target mobile terminal is roaming outside of the coverage area.
153 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A location system for a client terminal which provides a location-based service over a coverage area, comprising:
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at least one mobile communication network for storing information indicating an area in which a mobile terminal is located and determining location of said mobile terminal in response to a location request message; first means, responsive to a location request message from said client terminal requesting location information of a target mobile terminal, for retrieving area indicating information from said network corresponding to identity of said target mobile terminal to determine the area in which said target mobile terminal is located; and second means for forwarding the location request message to said network to determine the location of said target mobile terminal if said determined area is within said coverage area and transmitting an error message to said client terminal if said determined area is outside of said coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A gateway for serving a client terminal which provides a location-based service to mobile terminals over a coverage area through at least one mobile communication network which stores information indicating an area in which a mobile terminal is located and determines the location of said mobile terminal in response to a location request message, comprising:
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first means, responsive to a location request message from said client terminal requesting location information of a target mobile terminal, for retrieving area indicating information from said network corresponding to identity of said target mobile terminal to determine the area in which said target mobile terminal is located; and second means for forwarding the location request message to said at least one network to determine the location of said target mobile terminal if said determined area of the target mobile terminal is within said coverage area and transmitting an error message to said client terminal if said determined area of the target mobile terminal is outside of said coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of locating a mobile terminal when a location request message is received from a client terminal which provides location-based service to said mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is located within the coverage area of said service, comprising:
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a) responsive to a location request message from said client terminal requesting location information of a target mobile terminal, determining an area in which said target mobile terminal is located; and b) determining location of said target mobile terminal if said determined area is within said coverage area and transmitting an error message to said client terminal if said determined area is outside of said coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for locating a mobile terminal when a location request message is received from a client terminal which provides location-based service to said mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is located within the coverage area of said service, said program comprising code means adapted to perform, when said program is run on a data processing system, the steps of:
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a) responsive to a location request message from said client terminal requesting location information of a target mobile terminal, determining an area in which said target mobile terminal is located; and b) determining location of said target mobile terminal if said determined area is within said coverage area and transmitting an error message to said client terminal if said determined area is outside of said coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification