Reverse lookup of mobile location
First Claim
1. A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving requests to initiate location-based services for respective ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network wherein each of said requests would ordinarily require delivery of at least one location query to a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile user devices;
prior to delivering the location queries to the plurality of mobile user devices, identifying a subset of the plurality of mobile user devices, the subset containing particular ones of the plurality of mobile user devices for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said particular devices can be inferred without delivering the corresponding location queries to said particular devices; and
preventing delivery of the location queries to said particular mobile user devices in the identified subset;
wherein a number of location queries required for provision of the requested location-based services is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the identifying and preventing steps; and
wherein the step of preventing delivery of location queries comprises preventing delivery of forward lookup location requests.
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Abstract
Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, particular ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network are identified for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said devices can be inferred without performing actual location measurements for said devices. The delivery of location queries to the identified mobile user devices is prevented, such that a number of location queries required for provision of a given location-based service is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the delivery prevention.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving requests to initiate location-based services for respective ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network wherein each of said requests would ordinarily require delivery of at least one location query to a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile user devices; prior to delivering the location queries to the plurality of mobile user devices, identifying a subset of the plurality of mobile user devices, the subset containing particular ones of the plurality of mobile user devices for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said particular devices can be inferred without delivering the corresponding location queries to said particular devices; and preventing delivery of the location queries to said particular mobile user devices in the identified subset; wherein a number of location queries required for provision of the requested location-based services is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the identifying and preventing steps; and wherein the step of preventing delivery of location queries comprises preventing delivery of forward lookup location requests. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for use in providing location-based services, the apparatus comprising:
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a location-based services system comprising at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory; wherein the location-based services system is adapted to receive requests to initiate location-based services for respective ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network wherein each of said requests would ordinarily require delivery of at least one location query to a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile user devices, and prior to delivery of the location queries to the plurality of mobile user devices, to identify a subset of the plurality of mobile user devices, the subset containing particular ones of the plurality of mobile user devices for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said particular devices can be inferred without delivering the corresponding location queries to said particular devices; wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to prevent delivery of the location queries to said particular mobile user devices in the identified subset; wherein a number of location queries required for provision of the requested location-based services is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the subset identification and delivery prevention; and wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to prevent delivery of location queries to the mobile user devices in the identified subset by preventing delivery of forward lookup location requests to said devices. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for use in providing location-based services, the apparatus comprising:
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a location-based services system comprising at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory; wherein the location-based services system is adapted to receive requests to initiate location-based services for respective ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network wherein each of said requests would ordinarily require delivery of at least one location query to a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile user devices, and prior to delivery of the location queries to the plurality of mobile user devices, to identify a subset of the plurality of mobile user devices, the subset containing particular ones of the plurality of mobile user devices for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said particular devices can be inferred without delivering the corresponding location queries to said particular devices; wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to prevent delivery of the location queries to said particular mobile user devices in the identified subset; wherein a number of location queries required for provision of the requested location-based services is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the subset identification and delivery prevention; wherein the location-based services system is implemented using a layered architecture comprising at least an application support layer, an application enabling layer, a location-based service enabling layer and a network connectivity layer; and wherein the location-based service enabling layer comprises a location server adapted to limit location-related communications between the mobile user devices and base stations of the wireless network by at least one of eliminating duplicate location queries and prioritizing location queries.
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15. An apparatus comprising:
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a mobile user device associated with a wireless network, the mobile user device being configured for operation as one of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with the wireless network, requests to initiate location-based services being received for respective ones of the plurality of mobile user devices wherein each of said requests would ordinarily require the delivery of at least one location query to a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile user devices, the mobile user device being one of a subset of particular ones of said plurality of mobile user devices that are identified as having sufficient location-indicative information available from which a general location of said particular devices can be inferred without delivering the corresponding location queries to said particular devices; wherein delivery of location queries to said identified mobile user devices of said subset is prevented; wherein a number of location queries required for provision of the requested location-based services is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the subset identification and delivery prevention; and wherein said preventing delivery of location queries comprises preventing delivery of forward lookup location requests. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification