Secure location session manager

• US 7,974,235 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MDSP Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Ung, Dara, Ghozati, Kambiz, Thomas, Tojo, Greenwell, Kyle, Wells, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jayanti K
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/709,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A Secure Location Session Manager (SLSM) is an intelligent router for open mobile alliance (OMA) Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Version 1.0 (and later) messages best implemented when multiple, geo-diverse SUPL servers are deployed in a distributed environment, such as an active-active redundant configuration within a wireless carrier'"'"'s network. In a standalone option, the SLSM acts as a “middleman” for all SUPL positioning messages between a mobile device and a responsible SUPL server. In an embedded option, the SLSM resides within an existing server. The SLSM manages and stores session information for all pending and ongoing SUPL positioning sessions in internal tables for routing and load balancing purposes. The external interfaces of the SLSM consist of OMA ULP messages.

Claims

1. A location session manager, comprising:

a secure user plane location (SUPL) session router; and

a session record manager to create a SUPL session record upon receipt of a SUPL location request, from a network SUPL agent, for a mobile device, to retrieve said SUPL session record upon receipt of subsequent SUPL location request messaging, and to delete said SUPL session record, said SUPL session record providing routing information to route said subsequent SUPL location request messaging to a selected one of a plurality of SUPL servers;

wherein, for a single SUPL session, said SUPL session record is created, said SUPL session record is retrieved upon receipt of said subsequent SUPL location request messaging, and said SUPL session record is deleted upon completion of said single SUPL session.

2. The location session manager according to claim 1, wherein:

said SUPL session router is a standalone session router separate from an initiating SUPL agent.

3. The location session manager according to claim 1, wherein:

said SUPL session router is embedded within an initiating SUPL agent.

4. The location session manager according to claim 1, wherein:

said SUPL session router stores session information for pending and ongoing SUPL positioning sessions in an internal table, for routing purposes.

5. The location session manager according to claim 4, wherein:

said storage of said session information is for both routing and load balancing purposes.

6. A method of managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers, comprising:

capturing a network initiated SUPL location request in a SUPL session router;

creating a SUPL session record upon receipt of said SUPL location request;

retrieving a SUPL session record upon receipt of subsequent SUPL location request messaging;

passing said subsequent SUPL location request messaging between a mobile device and a selected one of said plurality of SUPL servers assigned to handle said SUPL location request, through said SUPL session router; and

routing said subsequent SUPL location request messaging to said selected one of said plurality of SUPL servers handling said SUPL location request according to routing information stored in said SUPL session record;

wherein, for a single SUPL session, said SUPL session record is created, said SUPL session record is retrieved upon receipt of said subsequent SUPL location request messaging, and said SUPL session record is deleted upon completion of said single SUPL session.

7. The method of managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 6, wherein:

said SUPL session router is a standalone session router separate from an initiating SUPL agent.

8. The method of managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 6, wherein:

said SUPL session router is embedded within an initiating SUPL agent.

9. The method of managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing session information for pending and ongoing SUPL positioning sessions in an internal table, for routing purposes.

10. The method of managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 9, wherein:

said storage of said session information is for both routing and load balancing purposes.

11. Apparatus for managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers, comprising:

means for capturing a network initiated SUPL location request in a SUPL session router;

means for creating a SUPL session record upon receipt of said SUPL location request;

means for retrieving a SUPL session record upon receipt of subsequent SUPL location request messaging;

means for passing said subsequent SUPL location request messaging between a mobile device and a selected one of said plurality of SUPL servers assigned to handle said SUPL location request, through said SUPL session router; and

means for routing said subsequent SUPL location request messaging to said selected one of said plurality of SUPL servers handling said SUPL location request according to routing information stored in said SUPL session record;

wherein, for a single SUPL session, said SUPL session record is created, said SUPL session record is retrieved upon receipt of said subsequent SUPL location request messaging, and said SUPL session record is deleted upon completion of said single SUPL session.

12. The apparatus for managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 11, wherein:

said SUPL session router is a standalone session router separate from an initiating SUPL agent.

13. The apparatus for managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 11, wherein:

said SUPL session router is embedded within an initiating SUPL agent.

14. The apparatus for managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing session information for pending and ongoing SUPL positioning sessions in an internal table, for routing purposes.

15. The apparatus for managing a network initiated SUPL location request in a network comprising a plurality of SUPL servers according to claim 14, wherein:

said storage of said session information is for both routing and load balancing purposes.