Providing location information for user equipment in a visited network

• US 8,346,249 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Niemenmaa, Jarko, Ruutu, Ville
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US11/783,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20070184854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/456.1, 455/456, 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/433, 455/456.5, 455/403, 455/423, 370/338, 370/328, 370/401, 370/331, 370/466, 445/6, 709/238
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method for establishing a media for communications in association with a location information service provided in association with a communication system is disclosed. In the method a user equipment is provided with information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with at least one location service entity when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than a home network of the user equipment. This information may then be used for establishment of a user plane connection in the visited communication network between the user equipment and a location service entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using, at user equipment, address information of at least one location service entity associated with a visited communication network, said address information received from a location service entity of a home network of the user equipment, said address information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with the at least one location service entity associated with a visited communication network, when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than the home network of the user equipment;

configuring the user equipment to communicate location information with the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the user plane connection in the visited communication network;

establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network;

establishing a user plane connection between the location service entity of the home network and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network; and

routing user plane communication between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the location service entity of the home network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving of information enabling the user equipment to communicate with at least one location service entity comprises storing the information in the user equipment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storing comprises storing a plurality of user plane addresses for location service entities associated with a plurality of communication networks.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storing comprises storing the information in a subscriber identity module of the user equipment.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity of the home network;

receiving a user plane address of the location service entity associated with the visited network in the user equipment; and

using the received user plane address to establish the user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving of information enabling the user equipment to communicate with the at least one location service entity comprises receiving, at the user equipment, the address of the at least one location service entity of the home network, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and a location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring of the user equipment to communicate with the at least one location service entity comprises initiating establishment of a user plane connection by the user equipment based on said address information obtained by the user equipment.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring of the user equipment to communicate with the at least one location service entity comprises initiating, by a location service entity of the visited network, establishment of a user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the user equipment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

authorizing the location service entity of the visited network based on said address information received by the user equipment.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

sending an inquiry for an identity of the visited network.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the address information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the user equipment.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting that the call is an emergency call.

14. A system, comprising:

a home location service entity of user equipment in communication with a communication system, the communication system comprising a plurality of networks, wherein one of the networks is a home network of the user equipment and at least one other network is a network that the user equipment is allowed to visit; and

at least one further location service entity associated with the at least one other network,

wherein the user equipment is configured to use address information regarding at least one user plane address of the at least one further location service entity associated with the at least one other network, said address information received from the home location service entity, and to use said address information to communicate location information with the at least one further location service entity on a user plane when visiting a network other than the home network;

wherein the communication system is configured to establish a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network,

establish a user plane connection between the location service entity of the home network and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network, and

route user plane communication between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the location service entity of the home network.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to cause the apparatus to provide to user equipment, from a location service entity of a home network of the user equipment address information of at least one location service entity associated with a visited communication network of the user equipment, that enables the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than the home network of the user equipment,

establish a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network;

establish a user plane connection between the location service entity of the home network and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network; and

route user plane communication between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the location service entity of the home network.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

storage configured to store the information.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the storage is further configured to store a plurality of user plane addresses for location service entities associated with a plurality of communication networks.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an inquiry for an identity of the visited network.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the address information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to detect whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the user equipment.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the call is an emergency call.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the apparatus is comprised in a location service entity of the home network.

23. A method comprising:

providing a user equipment from a location service entity of a home network of the user equipment, with address information of at least one location service entity associated with a visited communication network of the user equipment, said address information enabling the user equipment to communicate on a user plane connection with the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network when the user equipment is visiting a communication network other than the home network of the user equipment;

establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network;

establishing a user plane connection between the location service entity of the home network and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network; and

routing user plane communication between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the location service entity of the home network.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, comprising establishing a connection between the at least one location service entity of the home network and the user equipment, sending a user plane address of the location service entity associated with the visited network to the user equipment, and using the sent user plane address for establishing the user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the user equipment.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the providing of information enabling the user equipment to communicate with at least one location service entity comprises providing the user equipment with an address of the at least one location service entity of the home network, wherein the method comprises establishing the user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, comprising establishing a user plane connection between the user equipment and the location service entity of the home network, establishing a connection between the location service entity of the home network and the location service entity of the visited network, and routing user plane communication between the user equipment and the location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

27. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the configuring the at least one location service entity to communicate with the user equipment comprises initiating, by the location service entity of the visited network, establishment of the user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the user equipment.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, comprising authorizing the location service entity of the visited network based on said information provided for the user equipment.

29. The method as claimed in claim 23, comprising sending an enquiry for an identity of the visited network.

30. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the address information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

31. The method as claimed in claim 23, comprising detecting whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the user equipment.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, comprising detecting that the call is an emergency call.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to use address information of at least one location service entity associated with a visited communication network, said address information received from a location service entity of a home network of the user equipment, said address information enabling the apparatus to communicate on a user plane connection with the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network, when the apparatus is visiting a communication network other than the home network of the apparatus;

configure the apparatus to communicate location information with the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the user plane connection in the visited communication network;

establish a user plane connection between the apparatus and the location service entity of the home network;

establish a user plane connection between the location service entity of the home network and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network; and

route user plane communication between the user equipment and the at least one location service entity associated with the visited communication network via the location service entity of the home network.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to store the address information enabling the apparatus to communicate with at least one location service entity in storage.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to store a plurality of user plane addresses for location service entities associated with a plurality of communication networks in the storage.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to store the information in a subscriber identity module of the apparatus.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to

establish a connection between the apparatus and the at least one location service entity of the home network,

receive a user plane address of the location service entity associated with the visited network, and

use the received user plane address to establish the user plane connection between the apparatus and the location service entity of the visited network.

38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an address of the at least one location service entity of the home network and to establish a user plane connection between the apparatus and a location service entity of the visited network via the location service entity of the home network.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate establishment of the user plane connection based on the received information.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate by the apparatus, establishment of the user plane connection between the location service entity of the visited network and the apparatus.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein the processor is further configured to authorize the location service entity of the visited network based on the received information.

42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to send an inquiry for an identity of the visited network.

43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the address information comprises a user plane address of a secure user plane location server.

44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to detect whether location information is needed in association with a call initiated by the apparatus.

45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, wherein the processor is further configured to detect that the call is an emergency call.