Terminal-based server for location tracking

• US 7,660,590 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Timiri, Shailender, Sather, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/950,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/3, 455/5, 4554141-4143, 455517-519, 455/466, 455/41.2, 4554041-4042, 455/561, 342/457, 340/988, 701/207, 370351-356, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A mobile terminal device that facilitates location services (LCS) in a cellular network. The system, as embodied in a mobile terminal device, comprises a mobile communications component that communicates wireless signals, and a location services component embodied in the mobile communication component to provide positioning information. A location request is received by the mobile terminal device and processed using the LCS server to activate trigger events. A location-tracking report is autonomously generated for each event and transmitted to the requesting client via MLP or the wireless network signaling protocol.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates determining location-tracking information in a cellular network, comprising:

a mobile communications component that communicates wireless signals through a mobile terminal; and

a location services component included within the mobile terminal that facilitates the determination of positioning information, the location services component comprises a LCS (LoCation Services) server that directly receives a location request from a remote mobile client, authenticates the remote mobile client and transmits at least a location report to the remote client, bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server for the transmission and the reception of the location report and location request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications component includes assisted global positioning system (A-GPS) technology.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications component returns a location report to the remote mobile client in the form of a single or deferred multiple report.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications component communicates using an OMA/LIF MLP (Open Mobile Alliance/Location Interoperability Forum Mobile Location Protocol).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component facilitates autonomous generation and reporting of a deferred location report.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component facilitates timer-triggered reporting.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component facilitates the determination of velocity via an on-board location receiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component facilitates the use of at least one of a mobile-originated location request or a mobile-terminated location request to report location information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component obtains relevant assistance data from a core wireless network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component activates one or more triggers in a location request message.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component facilitates the generation of a location report at each trigger event of a location request message.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the location services component uses A-GPS data over a validity period.

13. A multimode cellular telephone that comprises the system of claim 1.

14. A mobile terminal that facilitates determining location-tracking information, comprising:

a communications component that communicates wireless signals; and

an LCS server that provides location information directly to a mobile remote location services (LCS) client by processing a location request message received directly from the remote location services (LCS) client, bypassing a Radio Access Network (RAN) and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server for receiving the location request message and for transmitting the location information.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the LCS server generates a location report to a remote client in the form of a single or deferred multiple report.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the mobile terminal receives the location request message directly from a remote wireless client and authenticates the remote wireless client.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the LCS server facilitates autonomous generation and reporting of a deferred location report.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein at least one of the location request message or the location information is transmitted via a user plane.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein at least one of the location request message or the location information is transmitted via a control plane.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the LCS server activates one or more triggers in the location request message.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the one or more triggers are based on at least one of a timer, an absolute area, a relative location, an emergency call, a velocity, a manual signal, or a report that is with or without a user alert.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the LCS server facilitates the generation of a location report at each of the one or more triggers of the location request message.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein a wireless client communicates the location request message indirectly through a server to the LCS server to receive the location information.

24. A method of providing location-tracking information, comprising:

employing in a mobile terminal device a location services application that includes a LCS server;

bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server to directly receive one or more location requests from a requesting mobile client remote from the terminal; and

bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server to directly provide the location-tracking information to the requesting mobile client remote from the terminal.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising autonomously generating a location-tracking report for communication from the mobile terminal device to the requesting mobile client remote from the terminal.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising requesting assistance data from a mobile communications network.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the assistance data is compatible with an A-GPS technology.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting the location-tracking information from the mobile terminal device as a location-tracking report in the form of a single or deferred multiple report.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising communicating the location-tracking information using an OMA/LIF MLP (Open Mobile Alliance/Location Interoperability Forum Mobile Location Protocol).

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising authenticating a remote wireless device that communicates with the mobile terminal device using the location services application.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a location request message that includes an event; and

processing the event to generate the location-tracking information.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising processing a location request message using the location services application to determine a velocity.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a location request message that includes one or more trigger events; and

activating the one or more trigger events at the mobile terminal device to provide the location-tracking information.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising communicating the location-tracking information via at least one of a user plane or a control plane.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving a location request message via at least one of a user plane or a control plane.

36. A method of providing location-tracking information, comprising:

including an LCS server in a mobile terminal device;

receiving a location request message directly from a remote mobile client bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server;

processing the location request message with the LCS server to autonomously generate a location-tracking report; and

communicating the location-tracking report directly to the remote client bypassing a core network and the GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

activating one or more trigger events in the location request message; and

generating a location-tracking report at each of the one or more triggers.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising transmitting the location-tracking report to the remote mobile terminal device via at least one of a user plane or a control plane.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

requesting and obtaining assistance information, and using the assistance information for the duration of its validity period.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising processing one or more event triggers of the location request message based upon at least one of location or speed of the mobile terminal device.

41. A system that facilitates the generation of location-tracking information in a mobile terminal device, comprising:

means for bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server to receive location request directly with a requesting mobile client remote from the mobile terminal device;

means for processing the location request message to activate a trigger event contained therein;

means for obtaining assistance data from a wireless network;

means for autonomously generating a location-tracking report based on the trigger event; and

means for communicating the location-tracking report to the requesting client bypassing a core network and a GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) server.