Proxy server and method thereof for forwarding location requests to a position determining entity

• US 8,504,069 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Despot, Pavel Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US13/588,142
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 709/239
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A method, system and server comprise forwarding data from a packet data serving node (PDSN) to a server, determining, at the server, an appropriate Position Determining Entity (PDE) to forward the data to based on a network in which a mobile station is roaming and forwarding the data from the server to the PDE.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

forwarding data from a packet data serving node (PDSN) to a server;

determining, at the server, an appropriate Position Determining Entity (PDE) to forward the data to based on a network in which a mobile station is roaming; and

forwarding the data from the server to the PDE.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data from the mobile station to the PDSN.

3. The method for to claim 1, further comprising accessing a subscriber database using the server to obtain subscriber information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the subscriber information is used to determine whether to forward the data to the PDE.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing a network information database using the server to obtain network information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the network information is used to determine a route to forward the data to the PDE.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PDE is at least one of a hosted PDE and a carrier PDE.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises a request for location information of the mobile station.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station and PDSN are not in a same carrier network.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising preparing billing information based on predetermined characteristics of the transmission and forwarding of the data.

11. A network, comprising:

a server; and

a position determining entity (PDE);

wherein the server is configured to;

receive transmitted data;

determine the PDE to forward the data to based on a network in which a mobile station is roaming, and

forward the data to the PDE;

wherein the PDE is configured to;

receive the data from the server; and

use the data to determine a location of the mobile station.

12. The network according to claim 11, wherein the server comprises at least one of a subscriber database and a network information database.

13. The network according to claim 12, wherein the subscriber database comprises information regarding mobile station characteristics, the information used by the server to determine whether to forward the data to the PDE.

14. The network according to claim 12, wherein the network information database comprises information regarding communication network characteristics, the information used by the server to determine a route to forward the data to the PDE.

15. The network according to claim 12, wherein the mobile station is operable to transmit data and receive data.

16. The network according to claim 11, further comprising a packet data serving node (PDSN) operable to receive the data transmitted by the mobile station and forward the data to the server.

17. The network according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of carrier networks, wherein the mobile station and the PDSN are located in different ones of the plurality of carrier networks.

18. The network according to claim 11, further comprising a billing information database operable to prepare billing information based on predetermined characteristics of the transmission of the data.

19. The network according to claim 11, wherein the data comprises a request for location information of the mobile station.

20. A server in a wireless communication network, the server operable to receive and forward data from a mobile station to a Position Determining Entity (PDE), the server comprising at least one of:

a subscriber database including information regarding whether the mobile station is permitted to make PDE requests, the information used by the server to determine whether to forward the data to the PDE; and

a network information database including information regarding characteristics of the wireless communication network, the information used by the server to determine an appropriate PDE to forward the data to based on a network in which a mobile station is roaming.