Positioning satellite selection

• US 8,254,885 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Xue, Wen, Basu, Saurindra M., Cole, Jay Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUA, QUAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/504,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/427, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/435.1, 370/331, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A first authorization system authorizes a mobile device to access over a first wireless network a plurality of services provided by a plurality of service systems. A second authorization system authorizes the mobile device to access the plurality of services over a second wireless network. The second authorization system also transfers location information corresponding to a location of the mobile device to the first authorization system. A first service system of the plurality of service systems provides a first service of the plurality of services. The first service system receives a request for the first service and transfers a request to the first authorization system for the location information. The first service system receives the location information, processes the location information, and selects a positioning satellite based on the location information. The first service system transfers a message indicating the positioning satellite to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first authorization system associated with a first wireless network comprising a processor configured to authorize a mobile device to access, over the first wireless network, a plurality of services provided by a plurality of service systems;

a second authorization system associated with a second wireless network configured to;

authorize the mobile device to access the plurality of services over the second wireless network and,

upon receiving a determination that the mobile device is authorized to access the second wireless network, obtain and transfer location information corresponding to the mobile device'"'"'s current location to the first authorization system of the first wireless network the mobile device is accessing; and

a first service system of the plurality of service systems configured to;

provide a first service of the plurality of services to the mobile device accessing the first and second wireless networks,

receive a service request for the first service from the mobile device over the second wireless network,

transfer a location request to the first authorization system for the location information in response to processing said service request for the first service, and

receive a response message containing the location information from the first authorization system,

extract and analyze the location information,

select a positioning satellite based on the analyzed location information, and transfer a message indicating the positioning satellite to the mobile device.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first service is an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the emergency telephone call is a VoIP call.

4. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the first service system is further configured to select the public safety answering point from a plurality of public safety answering points based on the location information.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the positioning satellite is a Global Positioning System satellite and wherein the first service system selects the positioning satellite by requesting satellite ephemeris data from a virtual positioning center.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the virtual positioning center transfers the satellite ephemeris data to the mobile device.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the location information comprises the location of an access point that the mobile device uses to access the second wireless communication network.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the location information comprises the base station ID of a base station that the mobile device uses to access the second wireless communication network.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first wireless network comprises a WiMax network.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the second wireless network comprises an EVDO network.

11. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

in a first authorization system associated with a first wireless network, authorizing a mobile device to access, over the first wireless network, a plurality of services provided by a plurality of service systems;

in a second authorization system associated with a second wireless network, authorizing the mobile device to access the plurality of services over the second wireless network and,

upon determining that the mobile device is authorized to access the second wireless network, obtaining and transferring location information corresponding to the mobile device'"'"'s current location to the first authorization system of the first wireless network the mobile device is accessing; and

in a first service system of the plurality of service systems, providing a first service of the plurality of services to the mobile device accessing the first and second wireless networks,

receiving a service request for the first service from the mobile device over the second wireless network,

transmitting a location request to the first authorization system for the location information in response to processing said request, and

receiving the a response message containing the location information from the first authorization system, analyzing the location information,

selecting a positioning satellite based on analyzing the location information, and transferring a message indicating the positioning satellite to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first service is an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the emergency telephone call is a VoIP call.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising, in the first service system, selecting the public safety answering point from a plurality of public safety answering points based on the location information.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the first service system, selecting the positioning satellite by requesting satellite ephemeris data from a virtual positioning center, wherein the positioning satellite is a Global Positioning System satellite.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, in the virtual positioning center, transferring the satellite ephemeris data to the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the location information comprises the location of an access point that the mobile device uses to access the second wireless communication network.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the location information comprises the base station ID of a base station that the mobile device uses to access the second wireless communication network.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the first wireless network comprises a WiMax network.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the second wireless network comprises an EVDO network.