Apparatus and method for modifying service-access-point data within the apparatus

• US 8,260,313 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wick, Ryan A., Reeves, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matharu, Manpreet
• Application Number:
  US12/534,165
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/425, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/41.2, 4554564-457, 455/461, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/423, 455/466, 455/561, 4554141-4143, 455/456.5, 342/386
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus may comprise a location-aware application, a first location detector, and a data storage device. The storage device may contain service-access-point (SAP) data that identifies a first SAP through which the apparatus may access a second location detector. The first detector may obtain data from the second detector via the first SAP and use the obtained data to determine a location of the apparatus. This determined location may be provided to the location-aware application. The data storage may include program instructions for modifying the SAP data such that the SAP data identifies a second SAP through which the apparatus may access a third location detector. The first detector may obtain data from the third detector via the second SAP and then use the obtained data to determine a location of the apparatus. This determined location may be provided to another location-aware application that is executable at the apparatus.

Claims

1. At a user-device comprising a data storage device, a processor, and a first location detector, a method comprising:

the data storage device maintaining a first application, first service-access-point (SAP) data, and second SAP data, wherein the first location detector is configured to (i) obtain data from a second location detector, (ii) determine a location of the user-device based, at least in part, on the data obtained from the second location detector, and (iii) provide the first application with the determined location of the user-device, and wherein the second location detector is accessible to the first location detector via a SAP identified by the second SAP data;

the processor receiving from the first application a first request for the location of the user-device and, in response to receiving the first request, determining whether the first SAP data matches the second SAP data;

if the processor determines that the first SAP data does not match the second SAP data, then the processor executing computer-readable program instructions to (i) modify the second SAP data to match the first SAP data, (ii) notify the first location detector that the second SAP data is being modified to match the first SAP data, and (iii) send to the first location detector a second request for the location of the user-device; and

if the processor determines that the first SAP data matches the second SAP data, then the processor executing computer-readable program instructions to send to the first location detector the second request for the location of the user-device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the processor sends the second request, the method further comprises:

the first location detector obtaining the data from the second location detector;

the first location detector determining the location of the user-device; and

the first location detector providing the determined location of the user-device to the first application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second SAP data comprises an Internet Protocol address that is associated with the second location detector.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second SAP data further comprises a port identifier that is associated with the second location detector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-device comprises a wireless communication device that is operable to make voice calls.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the data storage device maintaining a second application and third SAP data, wherein the third SAP data is associated with the second application, and wherein the first location detector is configured to provide the second application with a location of the user-device based, at least in part, on data obtained from a third location detector in response to the second application requesting the location of the user-device;

the processor receiving from the second application a third request for the location of the user-device and, in response to receiving the third request, determining whether the second SAP data matches the third SAP data;

if the processor determines that the second SAP data does not match the third SAP data, then the processor executing computer-readable program instructions to (i) modify the second SAP data to match the third SAP data, (ii) notify the first location detector that the second SAP data is being modified to match the third SAP data, and (iii) send to the first location detector a fourth request for the location of the user-device; and

if the processor determines that the second SAP data matches the third SAP data, then the processor executing computer-readable program instructions to send to the first location detector the fourth request for the location of the user-device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor executing computer-readable program instructions to notify the first location detector that the second SAP data is being modified to match the first SAP data includes the processor generating a notification message, and thereafter transmitting the notification message to the first location detector.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the notification message includes the first SAP data, and

wherein the first location detector is configured to store the first SAP data of the first notification message for use in generating the second request for the location of the user-device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location detector comprises computer-readable program instructions that are executable by the processor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location detector comprises a chipset configured to determine a location of the user-device from signals that are transmitted from a plurality of satellites of a global positioning satellite system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second SAP data comprises a pointer to a portion of the first SAP data.

12. A user-device comprising:

a processor;

a data storage device that contains a first application, first service-access-point (SAP) data, and second SAP data; and

a first location detector configured to obtain data from a second location detector, determine a location of the user-device based, at least in part, on the data obtained from the second location detector, and provide the first application with the determined location of the user-device,

wherein the second location detector is accessible to the first location detector via a SAP identified by the second SAP data,

wherein the processor is operable, in response to receipt of a first request for the location of the user-device, to determine whether the first SAP data matches the second SAP data,

wherein if the processor determines that the first SAP data does not match the second SAP data, then the processor modifies the second SAP data to match the first SAP data, notifies the first location detector that the second SAP data is being modified to match the first SAP data, and sends to the first location detector a second request for the location of the user-device; and

wherein if the processor determines that the first SAP data matches the second SAP data, then the processor sends to the first location detector the second request for the location of the user-device.

13. The user-device of claim 12, wherein the second location detector comprises position determining equipment (PDE) within a cellular communications network.

14. The user-device of claim 12, wherein the first location detector comprises computer-readable program instructions that are executable by the processor.

15. The user-device of claim 12, wherein the first location detector comprises a chipset configured to determine a location of the user-device from signals that are transmitted from a plurality of satellites of a global positioning satellite system.

16. The user-device of claim 12,

wherein the data storage device further contains first computer-readable program instructions that are executable as a Java virtual machine, and second computer-readable program instructions that are executable as a binary runtime environment for wireless (BREW) layer between the Java virtual machine and the second location detector, and

wherein the first computer-readable program instructions and the second computer-readable program instructions are executable by the processor.