Method and apparatus for supporting location services with roaming

• US 8,185,128 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lamba, Gaurav, Burroughs, Kirk Allan, Lin, Ie-Hong, Khushu, Sanjeev, Du, Zhimin, Wang, Yufei
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US11/564,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20070149213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/440, 455/435.1, 455/404.2, 455/418, 455/411, 455/433, 701/207
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

Techniques for supporting location services with roaming are described. A mobile station interacts with a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network for location services even when roaming. The mobile station communicates with a visited network for a data session and receives a request for its location. The mobile station sends first information (e.g., SID and NID) indicative of its current network location to the H-MPC. The H-MPC determines a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the first information. The S-MPC determines a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network based on the first information. Depending on the selected positioning method, the H-MPC may receive an S-PDE address or a position estimate of the mobile station from the S-MPC and may forward this information to mobile station. The mobile station may communicate with the S-PDE for positioning using the S-PDE address.

Claims

1. An apparatus supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor to;

receive a location request for a location of the mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in the home network, wherein the location request is received from an entity;

determine that the entity is authorized to obtain the location of the mobile station before the location of the mobile station is determined;

receive first information from the mobile station, wherein the first information comprises an indication of a current network location of the mobile station;

determine a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the indication of the current network location of the mobile station;

request a location of the mobile station from the S-MPC;

receive second information comprising the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC; and

send the location of the mobile station received from the S-MPC to the entity as the location of the mobile station when the entity is authorized to receive the location of the mobile station; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

determine that the mobile station is roaming outside a coverage of the H-MPC based on the first information; and

select the S-MPC that covers the current network location of the mobile station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises at least one of a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a cell identity (CI), and a UTRAN cell identity (UC-ID).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises an identification of an access point.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further to send the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC to an entity originating the location request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the entity comprises one of an LCS client and the mobile station.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive the location request from an LCS client;

send a positioning request to the mobile station; and

receive the first information from the mobile station in response to the positioning request.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further to send the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC to an LCS client.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location request comprises the first information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location request comprises a location request for a plurality of position fixes for the mobile station.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive the location request from an LCS client;

for each of the plurality of position fixes, obtain a position estimate of the mobile station; and

send the position estimate to the LCS client.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive from the LCS client an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station; and

send notification to the mobile station to cancel location reporting.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive from the mobile station an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station; and

send notification to the LCS client.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to receive the location request from the mobile station.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

receive a second indication of a second current network location of the mobile station, wherein the second current network location of the mobile station is outside a serving area of the S-MPC; and

request a second location based on the second indication of the second current network location of the mobile station from a second S-MPC.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current network location of the MS comprises a sector identifier (SectorID).

18. An apparatus supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a location request for a location of the mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in the home network, wherein the location request is received from an entity;

means for determining that the entity is authorized to obtain the location of the mobile station before the location of the mobile station is determined;

means for receiving first information from the mobile station, wherein the first information comprises an indication of a current network location of the mobile station;

means for determining a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in the visited network based on the indication of the current network location of the mobile station;

means for requesting a location of the mobile station from the S-MPC;

means for receiving second information comprising the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC; and

means for sending the location of the mobile station received from the S-MPC to the entity as the location of the mobile station when the entity is authorized to receive the location of the mobile station.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID).

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises at least one of a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a cell identity (CI), and a UTRAN cell identity (UC-ID).

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises an identification of an access point.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the entity comprises one of an LCS client and the mobile station.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location request comprises the first information.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location request comprises a location request for a plurality of position fixes for the mobile station.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises a sector identifier (SectorID).

26. A non-transitory processor readable media for storing instructions operable to:

receive a location request for a location of a mobile station at a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC) in a home network, wherein the location request is received from an entity;

determine that the entity is authorized to obtain the location of the mobile station before the location of the mobile station is determined;

receive first information from the mobile station, wherein the first information comprises an indication of a current network location of the mobile station;

determine a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC) in a visited network based on the indication of the current network location of the mobile station;

request a location of the mobile station from the S-MPC;

receive second information comprising the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC; and

send the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC to the entity as the location of the mobile station when the entity is authorized to receive the location of the mobile station.

27. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, further comprising instructions to:

determine that the mobile station is roaming outside a coverage of the H-MPC based on the first information; and

select the S-MPC that covers the current network location of the mobile station.

28. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID).

29. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises at least one of a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), a location area code (LAC), a cell identity (CI), and a UTRAN cell identity (UC-ID).

30. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises an identification of an access point.

31. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, further comprising instructions to send the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC to an entity originating the location request.

32. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the entity comprises one of an LCS client and the mobile station.

33. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, further comprising instructions to:

receive the location request from an LCS client;

send a positioning request to the mobile station; and

receive the first information from the mobile station in response to the positioning request.

34. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, further comprising instructions to send the location of the mobile station from the S-MPC to an LCS client.

35. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the location request comprises the first information.

36. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the location request comprises a location request for a plurality of position fixes for the mobile station.

37. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 36, further comprising instructions to:

receive the location request from an LCS client;

for each of the plurality of position fixes, obtain a position estimate of the mobile station; and

send the position estimate to the LCS client.

38. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 36, further comprising instructions to:

receive from the LCS client an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station; and

send notification to the mobile station to cancel location reporting.

39. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 36, further comprising instructions to:

receive from the mobile station an indication to cancel reporting of the location of the mobile station; and

send notification to the LCS client.

40. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 36, wherein the at least one processor is further to receive the location request from the mobile station.

41. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 36, further comprising instructions to:

receive a second indication of a second current network location of the mobile station,

wherein the second current network location of the mobile station is outside a serving area of the S-MPC; and

request a second location based on the second indication of the second current network location of the mobile station from a second S-MPC.

42. The non-transitory processor readable media of claim 26, wherein the indication of the current network location of the mobile station comprises a sector identifier (SectorID).

43. A method of supporting location services (LCS) in a network comprising a mobile station (MS), a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC), and a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC), the method at the H-MPC comprising:

receiving, from a LCS client, a location request message for a location of the MS;

determining that the LCS client is authorized to obtain the location of the MS before the location of the MS is determined;

sending, to the MS, a positioning request message;

receiving, from the MS and in response to the positioning request message, a message comprising an indication of a current network location of the MS;

sending, to the S-MPC, a roaming request message comprising the indication of the current network location of the MS;

receiving, from the S-MPC in response to the roaming request message, a location report message comprising a position of the current network location of the MS; and

sending, to the LCS client, a reporting message comprising the position of the current network location of the MS as the location of the MS when the LCS client is authorized to receive the location of the mobile station.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the location request message triggers a network-initiated tracking fix with cell/sector positioning.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the positioning request message comprises a mobile terminated short message services (MT SMS) message.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the MT SMS message comprises an indication of a number of fixes (N) and a time interval between fixes (T).

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving, from the MS and in response to the positioning request message, a second message comprising a second indication of a second current network location of the MS;

sending, to the S-MPC, a second roaming request messaging comprising the second indication of the second current network location;

receiving, from the S-MPC and in response to the second roaming request message, a second location report message comprising a second position of the second current network location based on the second indication of the second current network location; and

sending, to the LCS client, a reporting message comprising the second position of the second current network location as a second location of the MS when the LCS client is authorized to receive the location of the mobile station.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the H-MPC comprises a first SUPL Location Center (SLC) and the S-MPC comprises a second SUPL Location Center (SLC).

49. A method of supporting location services (LCS) in a network comprising a mobile station (MS), a home mobile positioning center (H-MPC), and a serving mobile positioning center (S-MPC), the method at the H-MPC comprising:

receiving, from an application resident on the MS, a location request message for a location of the MS, wherein the location request message comprises an indication of a current network location of the MS;

determining that the application resident on the MS is authorized to obtain the location of the MS before the location of the MS is determined;

sending, to the S-MPC in response to the location request message, a roaming request messaging;

receiving, from the S-MPC in response to the roaming request message, a location report message comprising a position of the current network location; and

sending, to the application resident on the MS, a reporting message comprising the position of the current network location of the MS as the location of the MS when the application resident on the MS is authorized to obtain the location of the MS.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the location request message comprises a message in response to a request for a single fix from the application resident on the MS.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the H-MPC comprises a first SUPL Location Center (SLC) and the S-MPC comprises a second SUPL Location Center (SLC).