Location services for mobile communication system
First Claim
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1. A method in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for a current location of a mobile station in a mobile communication system, the request being received from an application configured to provide location dependent services;
determining an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined;
comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; and
in response to the comparing;
a) if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit, providing to the application, as the current location, the last known location, without contacting the mobile station; and
b) if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, determining a current location of the mobile station and providing to the application, as the current location, the obtained current location,wherein the comparing is performed responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station,wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparing is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, andwherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparing is enabled.
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Abstract
There is disclosed a method of providing location information in a mobile communication system, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for a current location of a mobile station; determining a time at which a last known location of the mobile station was determined; comparing the time to a threshold time limit; and providing, as the current location, the last known location if the time is within the threshold time limit.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving a request for a current location of a mobile station in a mobile communication system, the request being received from an application configured to provide location dependent services; determining an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined; comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; and in response to the comparing; a) if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit, providing to the application, as the current location, the last known location, without contacting the mobile station; and b) if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, determining a current location of the mobile station and providing to the application, as the current location, the obtained current location, wherein the comparing is performed responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station, wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparing is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, and wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparing is enabled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving at a network element a request from an application for a current location of a mobile station, the request being received from an application configured to provide location dependent services; determining, at the network element, an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined; comparing, at the network element, the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; and
,in response to the comparing; a) if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit, providing to the application, as the current location, the last known location, without contacting the mobile station; and b) if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, determining a current location of the mobile station and providing to the application, as the current location, the obtained current location, wherein the comparing is performed responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station, wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparing is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, and wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparing is enabled.
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14. An apparatus in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving a request for a current location of a mobile station in a mobile communication system, the request being received from an application configured to provide location dependent services; determining means for determining an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined; comparing means for comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; providing means for providing to the application, as the current location, the last known location, if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit without contacting the mobile station; and means for determining a current location of the mobile station and means for providing to the application, as the current location, the obtained current location, if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, wherein the comparing means is responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station, wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparing means is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, and wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparing means is enabled. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 37)
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25. A mobile communication system comprising:
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an application configured to provide location dependent services and to generate a location request for a user equipment; a network element configured to receive the request for a current location of a mobile station; a network element configured to determine an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined and to compare the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; a network element configured to provide, as the current location, in response to said comparing, the last known location, without contacting the said mobile station, if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit; and a network element configured to determine a current location of the mobile station and to provide to the application, as the current location, in response to said comparing, the obtained current location, if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, wherein the comparing is performed responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station, wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparing is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, and wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparing is enabled. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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29. An apparatus in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive a request for a current location of a mobile station in a mobile communication system, the request being received from an application configured to provide location dependent services; a calculator configured to determine an elapsed time since a last known location of the mobile station was determined; a comparator configured to compare the elapsed time to a threshold time limit; a register configured to provide to the application, as the current location, in response to the comparing, the last known location if the elapsed time is within the threshold time limit, without contacting the mobile station; and a determining unit configured to determine a current location of the mobile station and a providing unit configured to provide to the application, as the current location, in response to the comparing, the obtained current location, if the elapsed time is not within the threshold time limit, wherein the comparator is responsive to a signal indicating the status of the mobile station, wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is active, the comparator is disabled and a current location is determined for the mobile station, and wherein, responsive to said signal indicating that the mobile station is idle, the comparator is enabled. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification