Providing location based services for mobile devices

• US 8,483,685 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat, Agarwal, Kaitki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US13/487,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-445, 4554561-4563, 455/457, 370331-333
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that allow the delivery of location based services within a communication network. The location information can be retrieved using information from the mobile node when the mobile node registers in the network. The location information can then be cached or stored in one or more places in the communication network and correlated with the mobile node'"'"'s addressing information. If a request for location based services is received without location based information, the gateway can use location based information regarding the mobile node to provide location based services. The gateway can enable non IMS mobile nodes to obtain IMS location based services or incompatible mobile nodes to obtain location based services.

Claims

1. A mobile device capable of providing location information, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and capable of storing data,

wherein the processor is configured for using the data such that the mobile device can;

send to an access gateway including a call session control function (CSCF) a registration request including registration information;

receive from the CSCF a registration confirmation including an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the mobile device;

generate location information of the mobile device based at least in part on information included in the registration confirmation, wherein the location information of the mobile device includes any information that can place the mobile device at a physical location;

store the generated location information of the mobile device;

if the mobile device is able to send location information,

send to the CSCF a first location-based service request including identifying information for the mobile device and the generated location information of the mobile device; and

receive from the CSCF at least one first message including information related to the requested location-based service in response to the location-based service request,

if the mobile device is not able to send location information,

send to CSCF a second location-based service request including the IP address assigned to the mobile device; and

receive from the CSCF at least one second message including information related to the requested location-based service in response to the location-based service request,

wherein the at least one second message is prepared by the CSCF on behalf of the mobile device based on location information of the mobile device generated at the CSCF by correlating at least a part of the registration information and the IP address assigned to the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to use the data such that the mobile device can update the location information of the mobile device when the mobile device moves into a neighboring cell.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the location-based service includes locating at least one nearest service.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to use the data such that the mobile device can display locations of the at least one nearest service.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a dual mode mobile device that can operate on a cellular network and at least one of a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network and a femtocell network.

6. A method comprising:

sending from a mobile device to an access gateway in communication with a wireless access network a registration request including registration information, wherein the access gateway includes a call session control function (CSCF);

receiving at the mobile device a registration confirmation from the access gateway, wherein the registration confirmation includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the mobile device;

generating at the mobile device location information of the mobile device based at least in part on information included in the registration confirmation, wherein the location information of the mobile device includes any information that can place the mobile device at a physical location;

storing the generated location information of the mobile device;

if the mobile device is able to send location information,

sending from the mobile device to the CSCF a first location-based service request including identifying information for the mobile device and the generated location information of the mobile device; and

receiving at the mobile device from the CSCF at least one first message including information related to the requested location-based service in response to the location-based service request,

if the mobile device is not able to send location information,

sending from the mobile device to the CSCF a second location-based service request including the IP address assigned to the mobile device; and

receiving at the mobile device from the CSCF at least one second message including information related to the requested location-based service in response to the location-based service request,

wherein the at least one second message received at the mobile device from the CSCF is prepared by the CSCF on behalf of the mobile device based on location information of the mobile device generated at the CSCF by correlating at least a part of the registration information and the IP address assigned to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

updating at the mobile device the location information of the mobile device when the mobile device moves into a neighboring cell.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the location-based service includes locating at least one nearest service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying at the mobile device locations of the at least one nearest service.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device includes a dual mode mobile device that can operate on a cellular network and at least one other type of network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one other type of network includes at least one of wireless fidelity (WiFi) network and a femtocell network.