System and method for providing location based services (LBS) to roaming subscribers in a wireless access network

• US 8,064,928 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebassi; Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US12/201,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

Embodiments of a wireless access network and method for providing a location based service (LBS) to a visiting mobile station are disclosed. In some embodiments, a location data request forwarded by a home location server (HLS) is received at a visited location server (VLS). A subscriber profile and security query is generated for forwarding from a visitor authentication server to a home authentication server. When the home authentication server authenticates the request, location information for the visiting mobile station is obtained and a location data response message that includes the location information from the VLS is sent to the HLS for forwarding to the location client for use by the location client in performing a requested LBS.

Claims

1. A method of providing a location based service (LBS) in a wireless access network to a visiting mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving at a visited location server (VLS) a location data request forwarded by a home location server (HLS), the location data request originating from a location client; and

generating a subscriber profile and security query for forwarding from a visitor authentication server to a home authentication server at a beginning of a roaming session,

when the home authentication server authenticates the location data request, the method includes obtaining location information for the visiting mobile station and sending a location data response message that includes the location information from the VLS to the HLS for forwarding to the location client for use by the location client in performing a requested LBS, and

wherein in response to the subscriber profile and security query, security policy information for the visiting mobile station is provided to the visitor authentication server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscriber profile and security query is generated by the VLS at the beginning of the roaming session.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein in response to receipt of the subscriber profile and security query from the visitor authentication server, the home authentication server is configured to authenticate the request and provide the security policy information for the visiting mobile station to the visitor authentication server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the HLS and the home authentication server operate in a home core-service network (H-CSN),

wherein the VLS and the visitor authentication server operate in a visitor core-service network (V-CSN),

wherein the H-CSN is a home network for the visiting mobile station, and

wherein the visiting mobile station is roaming in a service area served by an access service network (ASN) of the V-CSN.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing an accounting update message from the VLS to an accounting server operating in the V-CSN when the location data response message is sent to the HLS.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein when the location data request is received at the HLS, the HLS identifies the VLS from subscriber identification information provided by the location client, and

wherein the HLS forwards the location data request to the identified VLS.

7. The method of claim 1 when the home authentication server authenticates the request, the method includes determining by the VLS whether or not the visiting mobile station has a standalone location capability,

wherein when the VLS determines that the visiting mobile station does not have standalone location capability, the method includes:

identifying a location controller (LC) within one of a plurality of access service networks (ASNs) for the visiting mobile station;

sending a location report request message to the identified LC to request the location information; and

generating the location data response message that includes the location information and sending the location data response message to the HLS for forwarding to the location client.

wherein the location data response message is sent in response to receipt of a location report response from the LC.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein in response to receipt of the location report request message, the LC generates the location information from location measurements performed by base stations of one of the ASNs.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein when the VLS determines that the visiting mobile station includes standalone location capability, the method includes:

performing by the VLS, an application level retrieval of location information with the visiting mobile station;

generating the location data response message that includes the location information and sending the location data response message to the HLS for forwarding to the location client.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the visiting mobile station operating within an access service network requests a location-based service through an internet application service provider (iASP),

wherein the iASP, operating as the location client, generates the location data request and sends the location data request to the HLS associated with the visiting mobile station.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the ASN is a broadband wireless access network that comprises two or more base stations for communicating with the visiting mobile station using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a public-safety answering point (PSAP) generates the location data request in response to a request from the visiting mobile station operating in an access service network (ASN), and

wherein the PSAP sends the location data request to the HLS associated with the visiting mobile station.

13. A location server configured to operate in a core service network as a visiting location server (VLS) for a visiting mobile station, the location server comprising:

an interface configured to receive a location data request forwarded by a home location server (HLS) for the mobile station; and

software-configured circuitry to generate a subscriber profile and security query for forwarding from a visitor authentication server to a home authentication server at a beginning of a roaming session in response to the location data request,

wherein the software-configured circuitry is further configured to obtain location information for the visiting mobile station when the home authentication server authenticates the request and to send a location data response message that includes the location information to the HLS for forwarding to a location client for use in performing a requested LBS, and

wherein in response to the subscriber profile and security query, security policy information for the visiting mobile station is provided to the visitor authentication server.

14. The location server of claim 13 wherein in response to receipt of the subscriber profile and security query from the visitor authentication server, the home authentication server is configured to authenticate the request and provide the security policy information for the visiting mobile station to the visitor authentication server.

15. The location server of claim 13 wherein the subscriber profile and security query is generated at the beginning of the roaming session.

16. The location server of claim 15 wherein the software-configured circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the visiting mobile station has a standalone location capability,

wherein when the visiting mobile station does not have standalone location capability, the software-configured circuitry of the location server is configured to:

identify a location controller (LC) within one of a plurality of access service networks (ASNs) for the visiting mobile station;

send a location report request message to the identified LC to request the location information; and

generate the location data response message that includes the location information and sending the location data response message to the HLS for forwarding to the location client,

wherein the location data response message is sent in response to receipt of a location report response from the LC.

17. The location server of claim 16 wherein when the VLS determines that the visiting mobile station includes standalone location capability, the software-configured circuitry of the location server is configured to:

perform an application level retrieval of location information with the visiting mobile station;

generate the location data response message that includes the location information and sending the location data response message to the HLS for forwarding to the location client.

18. A method to configure a location server to operate in a core service network as a visiting location server (VLS) for a visiting mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving a location data request forwarded by a home location server (HLS) for the mobile station at a beginning of a roaming session; and

generating a subscriber profile and security query for forwarding from a visitor authentication server to a home authentication server in response to the location data request;

obtaining location information for the visiting mobile station when the home authentication server authenticates the request; and

sending a location data response message that includes the location information to the HLS for forwarding to a location client for use in performing a requested LBS,

wherein in response to the subscriber profile and security query, security policy information for the visiting mobile station is provided to the visitor authentication server.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the subscriber profile and security query is generated at the beginning of the roaming session.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein in response to receipt of the subscriber profile and security query from the visitor authentication server, the home authentication server is configured to authenticate the request and provide the security policy information for the visiting mobile station to the visitor authentication server.