Provision of location information

• US 8,019,361 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ignatius, Jan, Kokkonen, Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US12/003,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• 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 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing subscriber identity and location information within a mobile telecommunication network. Transmission of location data to a third party over a communication network is initiated, the location data being indicative of a geographical location of an apparatus. Transmission of an access request to a networking node including a destination application is initiated, the access request including a unique identifier of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

initiate transmission of location data over a communications network to a party external to the network, the location data being indicative of a geographical location of the apparatus, and

initiate transmission of an access request to a networking node including a destination application, the access request including a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier is replaced with an alias prior to being received at the networking node.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access request is received at a proxy server prior to being received at the networking node, the proxy server being configured to replace the unique identifier with the alias and to forward the access request including the alias to the networking node.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate access to a middleware application identified by a uniform resource locator, the middleware application being configured to provide the alias, wherein the unique identifier is the alias.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communications network is a general packet radio service (GPRS) or a time division multiple access (TDMA) network and the processor is further configured to initiate transmission of the access request over the communications network via a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN).

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communications network is a third generation (3G) network and the processor is further configured to initiate transmission of the access request over a packet switched data network (PSDN).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the destination application is a location service (LCS) client.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is of the apparatus.

9. An apparatus comprising:

processing means configured to initiate transmission of location data over a communications network to a party external to the network, the location data being indicative of a geographic location of the apparatus,

wherein the processing means is further configured to initiate transmission of an access request to a networking node including a destination application, the access request including a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier is replaced with an alias prior to being received at the networking node.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the unique identifier is of the apparatus.

11. A method comprising:

initiating transmission of location data over a communications network to a party external to the network, the location data being indicative of a geographical location of an apparatus; and

initiating transmission of an access request to a networking node including a destination application, the access request including a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier is replaced with an alias prior to being received at the networking node.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the unique identifier is a mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN).

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the access request is received at a proxy server prior to being received at the networking node, the proxy server being configured to replace the unique identifier with the alias and to forward the access request including the alias to the networking node.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

initiating access to a middleware application identified by a uniform resource locator, the middleware application being configured to provide the alias, wherein the unique identifier is the alias.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the destination application is a location service (LCS) client.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the unique identifier is of the apparatus.