System for identifying the location of selected mobile stations

• US 7,613,447 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Boland, Richard Robert, McCormick, Mark Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/385,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20070224968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/433, 4554561- 3, 455/404.2, 455/403, 34235706- 9, 342/357.12
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

The present system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations includes two components: a first component that authenticates an authorized party who logs into the Mobile Switching Center, and a second component that is responsive to the entry of a system activation command by the authorized party for locating selected mobile stations and providing mobile station location information to the authorized party. The present system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations enables a service provider to track a mobile station through the use of Autonomous Registrations or the polling of a selected mobile station or a set of mobile stations. Once communication with the selected mobile station is established, the GPS coordinates of the selected mobile station are retrieved and provided to an authorized party to enable them to locate the subscriber and their mobile station.

Claims

1. A system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations connected to a cellular communication network, comprising:

authentication means for determining authorization of an accessing party to request mobile station location determination, comprising;

password access means for providing password protection of said system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations, and

mobile station exemption determining means, responsive to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, for determining whether said selected mobile station is exempt from location determination;

mobile station query means, responsive to identification of a selected mobile station by said authorized accessing party, for determining a serving cell site of said selected mobile station via execution of a mobile station registration process in said cellular communication network; and

mobile station location means for determining a present geographic location of said selected mobile station by the exchange of location request messages and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data on the paging channel which serves said selected mobile station and absent identification of the executing location tracking process to a user of said selected mobile station.

2. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 1 wherein said mobile station query means comprises:

mobile station paging means for transmitting a message to said selected mobile station to activate said mobile station to return the last determined GPS data from the mobile station.

3. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 1 wherein said mobile station query means comprises:

mobile station registration means, responsive to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, for activating the base station subsystem to request said selected mobile station to register.

4. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 1 wherein said mobile station query means comprises:

mobile station registration means, responsive to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, for activating the base station subsystem to store location information when said selected mobile station executes an autonomous registration process.

5. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 1 wherein said mobile station query means comprises:

GPS means for retrieving GPS data, indicative of a present geographic location of said selected mobile station, from said selected mobile station.

6. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 1 further comprising:

location response means for delivering geographic location data relating to said selected mobile station to said accessing party.

7. The method for identifying the location of selected mobile stations connected to a cellular communication network, comprising:

determining authorization of an accessing party to request mobile station location determination, comprising;

providing password protection of said system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations, and

determining, in response to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, whether said selected mobile station is exempt from location determination;

determining, in response to identification of a selected mobile station by said authorized accessing party, for determining a serving cell site of said selected mobile station via execution of a mobile station registration process in said cellular communication network; and

determining a present geographic location of said selected mobile station by the exchange of location request messages and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data on the paging channel which serves said selected mobile station and absent identification of the executing location tracking process to a user of said selected mobile station.

8. The method for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 7 wherein said step of determining a present geographic location comprises:

transmitting a message to said selected mobile station to activate said mobile station to return the last determined GPS data from the mobile station.

9. The method for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 7 wherein said step of determining a present geographic location comprises:

activating, in response to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, the base station subsystem to request said selected mobile station to register.

10. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 7 wherein said step of determining a present geographic location comprises:

activating, in response to identification of a selected mobile station by said accessing party, the base station subsystem to storing location information when said selected mobile station executes an autonomous registration process.

11. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 7 wherein said step of determining a present geographic location comprises:

retrieving GPS data, indicative of a present geographic location of said selected mobile station, from said selected mobile station.

12. The system for identifying the location of selected mobile stations of claim 7 further comprising:

delivering geographic location data relating to said selected mobile station to said accessing party.