Treatment of a location request by a first location request treatment device (a gateway mobile location centre) in a home register (HLR) for retransmission to a second location request treatment device

• US 7,668,543 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HMD Global Oy
• Original Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Muller, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US10/524,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,750 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/402, 455/404, 455/433, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/433
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

The invention relates to the efficient treatment of location requests by a home register and GMLCs of various versions by means of a method for treating a location request relating to a subscriber in a mobile radio network. Once a request (SRI) from a first location request treatment device (GMLC-R5) arrives in a subscriber data bank (HLR) in a mobile radio network, relating to switching device address data (MAP (MSC/SGSN)) in a switching device (MSC/SGSN) or location request treatment device (V-GMLC), enabling (MSC/SGSN/V-GMLC) a subscriber (MS) to be currently reached, the subscriber data bank (HLR) indicates the address (MAP (H-GMLC) of another location request treatment device (H-GMLC-R6) instead of a switching device address (MAP (MSC/SGSN)) in an answer (Ack (MSC(SGSN)) if the request is a request from a version (R5) of a location request treatment device wherein said version (R5) includes provision such that the location request treatment device (GMLC-R5) receives switching device data (MAP(MSC/SGSN) from the subscriber data base (HLR) as an answer.

Claims

1. A method for handling a location data request or location request relating to a subscriber in a mobile radio network, comprising:

receiving a request from a first location request handling device at a subscriber database of a mobile radio network, for switching device address data of a switching device, via which the subscriber can currently be reached, the subscriber database being capable of receiving requests from a first version of a location request handling device for which there is provision to receive switching device address data from the subscriber database as a response and from a second version of a location request handling device for which there is provision to receive location request handling device address data representing an address of a further location request handling device; and

determining whether the request is from a location request handling device of the first version or of the second version, wherein

in the event that the request is from a location request handling device of the first version, specifying, via the subscriber database, to the first location request handling device, in a response, location request handling device address data representing an address of a further location request handling device instead of the switching device address data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the further location request handling device is a location request handling device in a home network of the subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the further location request handling device stores profile data of the subscriber, which specifies whether and under what conditions the location request relating to the subscriber should be processed and/or responded to.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first older version location request handling device sends the request to the subscriber database after receiving a request from an LCS client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first location request handling device sends the location request to the address of the further location request handling device, which it is forwarded to the address of a switching device, which was specified thereto by the subscriber database in response to a request to the subscriber database.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the request includes data of the subscriber to be located identifying the subscriber.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location request handling device address data has a same format as switching device address data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the version of the location request handling device is identified by the subscriber database from the non-extended format of the request.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the version of the location request handling device is identified from a Lh interface used.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the further location request handling device profile data of the subscriber, in respect of whom a location request is to be implemented, is verified and the further location request handling device contacts the switching device specified to it, if the profile data of the subscriber shows that the location request relating to the subscriber should be carried out.

11. A device for handling a location data request or location request relating to a subscriber in a mobile radio network, comprising:

a register of subscriber location information capable of receiving a request from a first location request handling device for switching device address data of a switching device, via which the subscriber can be reached, the register of subscriber location information being capable of receiving requests from a first version of a location request handling device for which there is provision to receive switching device address data from the subscriber database as a response and from a second version of a location request handling device for which there is provision to receive location request handling device address data representing an address of a further location request handling device;

wherein the register of subscriber location information is capable of determining whether the request is from a location request handling device of the first version or of the second version, and in the event that the request is from a location request handling device of the first version, the register of subscriber location information is capable of specifying, via the register of subscriber location information, to the first location request handling device, in a response, location request handling device address data representing an address of a further location request handling device instead of the switching device address data.