Managing requests in a wireless system

• US 8,644,173 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McMullen, Michael P., Nelson, Rodney D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Toan
• Application Number:
  US12/434,895
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/252, 370/328, 370/389, 370/349, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing location-based requests in a wireless system are provided. In embodiments, a request includes or is associated with a source identifier. A position determining entity (PDE) is configured to receive a request at a designated port based on the associated source identifier. A counting component counts the number of requests communicated for a particular source identifier while a timer times predetermined units of time. A usage policy determines the maximum threshold of requests that may be communicated for a source identifier in a predetermined time period. The request may be granted if the number of requests communicated is below the maximum threshold. The request may be denied or granted if the number of requests communicated is above the maximum threshold.

Claims

1. A system for managing location-based requests, the system comprising:

a position-determining entity that receives the location-based requests from mobile devices that are wirelessly connected to the position determining entity via a wireless telecommunications network, wherein the position determining entity includes;

(1) at least one designated port that receives the location-based requests based on a source identifier associated with the location-based request;

(2) a counting component that counts the location-based requests received at the designated port;

(3) a timer that times a predetermined unit of time for the designated port and resets at the end of the predetermined unit of time, wherein the predetermined unit of time allows the position determining entity to throttle a reception rate for location-based requests received from each mobile device during the predetermined unit of time; and

(4) a database that stores usage policies, counts received from the counting component, and elapsed time received from the timer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the source identifier comprises a wireless directory number, a serial number, or an application identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device executes at least one location-based application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location-based application is a navigation application.

5. The system of claim 1, the position determining entity throttles the location-based requests received from each mobile device at the designated ports.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the timer is further configured to reset when the predetermined unit of time ends.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the resetting of the timer causes the counting component to reset a count of the requests received.

8. The system of claim 1, further including a secondary timer.

9. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that cause one or more processors to perform a method for managing location-based requests in a wireless system, the method comprising:

receiving a location-based request at a position determining entity, wherein the location-based request is associated with a source identifier that identifies the source that communicated the location-based request;

upon receiving the location-based request, automatically correlating the location-based request with a usage policy, wherein the usage policy designates a number of requests allowed within a predetermined unit of time;

determining if the usage policy correlated with the location-based request allows the location-based request, and

based on a determination that the usage policy allows the location-based request, granting the location-based request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location-based request is received by the position determining entity to determine a geographical location.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising denying the location-based request based on a determination that the usage policy does not allow the location-based request and associating a flag with the location-based request that is denied.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the usage policy is satisfied if a count of access requests for a predetermined unit of time is below a maximum threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the usage policy illustrates allowing the location-based request if a count of access requests for a predetermined unit of time is above a maximum threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each location-based request granted above a maximum threshold is associated with a flag.

15. Non-transitory computer-readable having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that cause one or more processors to perform a method for managing location-based requests in a wireless system, the method comprising:

receiving a request at a designated port, wherein the request is associated with a source identifier;

based on the source identifier, identifying a source communicating the request;

by way of a processor, upon receiving the request, automatically correlating the request with a usage policy, wherein the usage policy designates a number of requests allowed within a predetermined unit of time that are associated with the source identifier and received at the designated port;

determining if the number of requests associated with the source identifier and received at the designated port within a predetermined unit of time is above a maximum threshold;

based on a determination that the usage policy allows the request, granting the request; and

based on a determination that the usage policy does not allow the request, denying the request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each request denied is associated with a flag.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage policy is satisfied when a request is below the maximum threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage policy illustrates allowing a request that is above the maximum threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the request above the maximum threshold is associated with a flag.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage policy does not illustrate allowing a request that is above the maximum threshold.