Short messaging system (SMS) proxy communications to enable location based services in wireless devices

• US 8,463,284 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Morin, Drew, Titus, Mark, Weichselbaumer, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US11/487,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20080014971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Wireless devices communicate (using SMS messaging) with a proxy server (e.g., a wireless messaging gateway) to generate network initiated requests. In this way, a wireless device which might not otherwise be able to, can now participate in advanced applications such as location based services (LBS) communities, thus extending LBS presence type information to non-programmable wireless devices. Short messaging system (SMS) functionality is implemented as a least-common-denominator means enabling standardized communication between a wireless device and a wireless device application. Wireless devices use SMS messaging as a proxy communications means to communicate with a proxy server (e.g., a wireless messaging gateway) to generate network initiated requests. The network initiated requests are packaged within SMS messages, allowing wireless devices a simple mechanism for participating in, e.g., location based services (LBS) communities, and for generally extending LBS presence type information to non-programmable handset devices.

Claims

1. A method of allowing location based services using short messaging services (SMS) messaging, comprising:

receiving from a physical wireless device, at an intermediary SMS proxy server, a short messaging services (SMS) message including a location based services (LBS) query comprising a user entered key word text string;

transmitting, from said intermediary SMS proxy server, said LBS query to a physical location services platform;

receiving, at said intermediary SMS proxy server, point-of-interest data associated with said user entered key word text string and based on a location of said physical wireless device; and

sending from said intermediary SMS proxy server said point-of-interest data to said physical wireless device;

wherein said physical location services platform comprises one of a physical mobile positioning center (MPC) and a physical gateway mobile location centre (GMLC).

2. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said LBS query is initiated by said physical wireless device and said point-of-interest is communicated to said physical wireless device using SMS messaging.

3. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical wireless device is a fixed device, and

said LBS query is initiated by said fixed device.

4. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 2, wherein:

said physical wireless device is a mobile phone, and

said LBS query is initiable by said mobile phone.

5. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical wireless device is a pager.

6. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS text message.

7. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS multimedia message.

8. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS enhanced messaging service (EMS) message.

9. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS multimedia message service (MMS) message.

10. The method of allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 1, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

11. Apparatus for allowing location based services using short messaging services (SMS) messaging, comprising:

means for receiving from a physical wireless device, at an intermediary SMS proxy server, a short messaging services (SMS) message including a location based services (LBS) query comprising a user entered key word text string;

means for transmitting, from said intermediary SMS proxy server, said LBS query to a physical location services platform;

means for receiving, at said intermediary SMS proxy server, point-of-interest data associated with said user entered key word text string and based on a location of said physical wireless device;

means for sending from said intermediary SMS proxy server said point-of-interest data to said physical wireless device; and

means for processing said LBS query comprising one of a physical mobile positioning center (MPC) and a physical gateway mobile location centre (GMLC).

12. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by said physical wireless device.

13. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by a fixed device.

14. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said physical wireless device is a mobile phone.

15. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 12, wherein:

said physical wireless device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

16. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS text message.

17. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said SMS message is an SMS multimedia message.

18. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said LBS query is a text string.

19. The apparatus for allowing location based services using SMS messaging according to claim 11, wherein:

said LBS query is initiable by a physical wireless tag.