Location information server system and wireless communication system using the same

• US 7,930,387 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Inoue, Masugi, Hasegawa, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US11/885,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/217, 709/207, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/439, 455/560
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• 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 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A location information server system for acquiring the status of a user terminal in wireless communication network, comprising: a plurality of sensor means capable of communicating through a network; a priority database to location information from each sensor means; location information selecting means for selecting a location information having a high priority from overlapping location information with reference to the database; and a sensor information integration processing means which integrates acquisition information from at least two sensor means of the sensor means for acquiring the location information and the sensor means for acquiring identification information of a user terminal, and acquires the user terminal position wherein information from each means is accumulated in the location information server as terminal location information database and the location information server means includes a location information providing means capable of providing the sensor information to a predetermined network server which switches communication in the user terminal.

Claims

1. A location information server system for acquiring the status of, and activating, a user terminal in wireless communication network, comprising:

a plurality of sensor means capable of communicating through a network;

a priority database to location information from each sensor means;

location information selecting means for selecting a location information having a high priority from overlapping location information with reference to the database;

a sensor information integration processing means which integrates acquisition information from at least two sensor means of the sensor means, including acquired location information acquired identification information of a user terminal, wherein information from each sensor means is accumulated in the location information server as terminal location information database and the location information server means includes a location information providing means capable of providing the sensor information to a predetermined network server corresponding to the user terminal; and

a service mobility processing function provided for by one of a service startup terminal and a service relay terminal, which actives service of a user terminal on one of a plurality of wireless networks selected by the service mobility processing function,

wherein the location information server system changes over communications between different ones of the plurality of wireless networks by selecting appropriate ones of said wireless networks without interrupting a user'"'"'s continuing communication or making the user conscious of the changes between wireless networks.

2. The location information server system according to claim 1 which uses at least any of receiving means for floor sensor information which detects RFID tag information, wireless LAN access point identification information, ultrasonic wave sensing information and a position on floor of user, as the sensor means.

3. The location information server system according to claim 1, further including a communicating means capable of receiving location information from user terminal so as to receive measuring information of GPS receiver, direction sensor and acceleration sensor disposed at the user terminal.

4. A wireless communication system capable of establishing connection of basic access network capable of signaling communication concerned with continuous communication switch control and access network for carrying out other data communication than the signaling communication at the same time using at least two or more kinds of communication networks including wireless communication network, the wireless communication system including wireless communication terminal, basic access network terminal, network server and location information server system, wherein

the wireless communication terminal includes:

an access communication processing unit capable of communicating with at least two or more kinds of communication networks including the wireless communication network;

each network device corresponding to each communication network;

a passage and device for communicating with the basic access network terminal; and

a basic access network client processing unit having client function in signaling communication concerned with connection/disconnection processing request with at least an access network acquired through the communication pathway,

the network server includes;

management information database having user information and device information concerned with the basic access network terminal; and

a basic access network server processing unit which controls signaling communication concerned with communication control containing registration/updating processing of at least the basic access network terminal with the basic access network terminal when switching communication with an access network continuously,

the basic access network terminal includes;

basic access network signaling processing unit which carries out signaling communication with the basic access network server processing unit of the network server and with the basic access network client processing unit of the wireless communication terminal; and

a device control unit which at least controls the communication device, and

the position information server system includes at least a plurality of sensor devices capable of communicating through communication network or basic access network and location information server, the location information server having a location information acquisition processing unit for acquiring the basic access network terminal position and wireless communication terminal position with the sensor device, a terminal position information database storage unit which accumulates and stores the acquired information, a location information communication processing unit which communicates the content of the terminal position information database with the basic access network signaling processing unit of the network server and a service mobility processing function provided for by one of a service startup terminal and a service relay terminal, which actives service of a user terminal on one of a plurality of wireless networks selected by the service mobility processing function,

wherein the wireless communication system changes over communications between different ones of a plurality of wireless networks by selecting appropriate ones of said wireless networks without interrupting a user'"'"'s continuing communication or making the user conscious of the changes between wireless networks.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the location information server comprises:

a priority database relative to location information from each sensor means;

location information selecting means for selecting a location information having a high priority from overlapping location information with reference to the database; and

a sensor information integration processing means which integrates acquisition information from at least two sensor means, including acquired location information and acquired identification information of the basic access network so as to acquire the basic access network terminal position or wireless communication terminal position, wherein information from each sensor means is accumulated in the location information server as terminal location information database.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the basic access network terminal includes an application database having an application available at the time of startup of a service at the wireless communication terminal or the basic access network terminal and information of available applications corresponding to presence information concerning with the position and status of user is registered in the application database so that the information is capable of being transmitted to a communication mate through the basic access network.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the basic access network terminal and the wireless communication terminal are constructed integrally while the communication pathway is connected directly inside.