Method for providing a location information service in mobile communications system

• US 7,937,092 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shim, Dong-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lim; Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/376,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

In a method for providing a location information service based upon a user'"'"'s location, when a user is currently located within a preferred location or preferred area set by the user to apply privacy with respect to a transmission of location information thereto, a procedure for requesting the user'"'"'s authorization is performed before transmitting the user'"'"'s location information, namely, a location server checks a location information request for the user located within the preferred location or preferred area according to a privacy profile within the corresponding location or area and performs a user notification and verification process according to the privacy profile, to thereafter determine whether to forward the location information according to the result of the verification.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information of a target terminal in a network system including a Home GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center) and a Visited GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Center), the method comprising:

receiving, by the Home GMLC, a first LCS (LoCation Services) service request message for the location information of the target terminal from a LCS client;

performing, by the Home GMLC, a first privacy check for a positioning of the target terminal;

sending, by the Home GMLC, a second LCS service request message to the Visited GMLC;

receiving, by the Home GMLC, a first LCS service response message including a current location information of the target terminal;

performing, by the Home GMLC, a second privacy check in order to decide whether the Home GMLC can forward the current location information of the target terminal to the LCS client or send a third LCS service request message if the result of the second privacy check requires a notification and a verification depending on the current location information of the target terminal, wherein the second privacy check is performed after receiving the first LCS service response message including the current location information of the target terminal;

after performing the second privacy check, sending, by the Home GMLC, the third LCS service request message if the result of the second privacy check is to request the notification and verification depending on the current location information of the target terminal;

after performing the second privacy check, receiving, by the Home GMLC, a second LCS service response message in response to the third LCS service request message, wherein the second LCS service response message is received with an indication of the result of the notification and verification depending on the current location information of the target terminal by the target terminal; and

sending, by the Home GMLC, a third LCS service response message including the current location information of the target terminal if the indication of the result indicates that a report of the current location information of the target terminal is allowed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LCS service request message is received via a Request GMLC.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Request GMLC sends a routing information request to a Home Location Register (HLR)/Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to request an address of a Home GMLC and receives a result of the routing information request indicating whether the LCS client is authorized to request the location information of the target terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LCS service request message is authorized according to the first privacy check on the basis of a target terminal'"'"'s privacy profile stored in the Home GMLC or a Privacy Profile Register (PPR).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the Home GMLC, a routing information request message to a Home Location Register (HLR)/Home Subscriber Service (HSS) of the target terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the Home GMLC, a routing information response message in response to the routing information request message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the routing information response message includes at least one of addresses of a Serving GPRS Supported Node (SGSN) and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)/Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location information of the target terminal is calculated by performing a positioning between a Radio Access Network (RAN) and the target terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the result is to indicate whether a report of the current location information is allowed or not allowed by the target terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a Visited Mobile Switching Center (VMSC), a subscriber location message from a Visited GMLC.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

performing, by the VMSC, an authentication process with the target terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, by the VMSC, a location notification message to the target terminal in order to notify the target terminal that the user verification is required.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a Serving GPRS Supported Node (SGSN), a subscriber location message from a Visited GMLC.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending, by the SGSN, a location notification message to the target terminal in order to notify the target terminal that the user verification is required.