Terminal, system and method for providing location information service by interworking between WLAN and mobile communication network

• US 7,613,155 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shim, Dong-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/410,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/085 involving different upper layer protocol versions, e.g. LCS - SUPL or WSN-SOA-WSDP
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A WLAN terminal, system and method for providing a SUPL service, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the WLAN terminal includes a controller to establish an IP connection with a mobile communication network through interworking between the mobile communication network and a WLAN, and selectively perform a SUPL procedure with a location server of the mobile communication network through the IP connection in response to a request for location information of the WLAN terminal from the location server.

Claims

1. A method of providing a SUPL (Secure User Plane Location) service by interworking between a mobile communication network and a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:

receiving a location service request from a client;

requesting routing information to a HSS/HLR (Home Subscriber Server/Home Location Register);

receiving a routing information confirmation including the routing information from the HSS/HLR;

sending a WLAN UE (user equipment) routing information inquiry to an AAA (Authentication/Authorization/Accounting) server;

receiving a WLAN UE routing information response from the AAA server, wherein the WLAN UE routing information response includes WLAN UE address information;

sending a SUPL initiation message to a WLAN UE through a WLAN AN (access network) using the WLAN UE address information received from the AAA server;

receiving a SUPL positioning initiation message from the WLAN UE in order to start a SUPL positioning session with the WLAN UE;

exchanging SUPL positioning messages with the WLAN UE for performing the SUPL positioning session to calculate a location of the WLAN UE; and

sending a location service response that includes the calculated location of the WLAN UE to the client,

wherein the WLAN UE is roaming with the WLAN via the mobile communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information further comprises at least one of information related to WLAN UE capability, information for selecting a WLAN UE tracking method, information about whether the WLAN UE supports SUPL, and information about whether the WLAN UE supports a location tracking procedure defined in the mobile communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the WLAN UE address information received from the AAA server for later use.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication network is a 3GPP network having a WAG (WLAN Access Gateway) connected to an access point of the WLAN.

5. A method of receiving a secure user plane location (SUPL) service through interworking between a mobile communication network and a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method performed by a WLAN UE (user equipment) and comprising:

performing a connection setup procedure with an access point of the wireless local area network (WLAN);

performing an authentication procedure with an AAA (Authentication/Authorization/Accounting) server of the mobile communication network;

performing tunnel establishment with a packet data gateway (PDG) of the mobile communication network; and

performing positioning procedures with a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) of the mobile communication network,

the positioning procedures being performed via at least one secure user plane location (SUPL) positioning session comprising the steps of,

receiving, through the access point of the WLAN, a SUPL initiation message from the GMLC that used WLAN UE address information received from the AAA server,

sending a SUPL positioning initiation message to the GMLC in order to start a SUPL positioning session with the GMLC, and

exchanging SUPL positioning messages with the GMLC for performing the SUPL positioning session to calculate a location of the WLAN UE,

wherein the WLAN UE is roaming with the WLAN via the mobile communication network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received SUPL initiation message contains information about at least one of a mobile terminal SMS, WAP PUSH, TCP/IP connection and UDP/IP connection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the tunnel establishment is performed before or after the GMLC receives the WLAN UE address information from the AAA server.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile communication network is a 3GPP network having a WAG (WLAN Access Gateway) connected to the access point of the WLAN.