Method and computer readable medium for gathering user equipment location information

• US 8,665,858 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vasona Networks, Inc. (ZephyrTel, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vasona Networks, Inc. (ZephyrTel, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weill, Ofer, Strasman, Nery, Devarapalli, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US13/426,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable medium and a method for gathering user equipment (UE) location information from a radio access network (RAN), the method may include: intercepting a UE location message sent from the RAN towards a core network element configured to process UE location messages, wherein the intercepting is executed by an intermediate entity positioned between the RAN and the core network element; extracting UE location information from the UE location message; and preventing the core network element from receiving the location information embedded in the UE location message.

Claims

1. A method for gathering user equipment (UE) location information from a radio access network (RAN), the method comprises:

intercepting a UE location message sent from the RAN towards a core network element configured to process UE location messages, wherein the intercepting is executed by an intermediate entity positioned between the RAN and the core network element;

extracting UE location information from the UE location message; and

preventing the core network element from receiving the location information embedded in the UE location message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the core network element is an SGSN.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising triggering the RAN, by the intermediate entity, generation of multiple UE location messages relating to a certain UE.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising instructing the RAN to stop sending UE location messages relating to the certain UE if the certain UE is inactive during a predetermined period.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the preventing comprises preventing any UE location message to arrive to the core network element.

6. The method according to claim 3, comprising emulating, by the intermediate entity, the core network element, to the RAN.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

extracting identification information from control messages exchanged between the RAN and the core network element; and

utilizing the identification information during the emulating of the core element to the RAN.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the extracting comprises extracting at least one out of a SCTP stream identifier and a SCCP connection identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising utilizing a connection established between the core network element and the RAN and re-stamping transmission sequence numbers associated with the connection.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising updating a status of the RAN in response to the UE location information.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising allowing the core element network to receive only the first UE location message related to a certain UE out of multiple UE location information massages related to the certain UE;

wherein a generation of the multiple UE location messages was triggered by the core element network.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising allowing the core element network to receive only a subset of multiple UE location information massages related to the certain UE;

wherein a generation of the multiple UE location messages was triggered by the core element network.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform steps of:

intercepting a user equipment (UE) location message sent from a radio access network (RAN) towards a core network element configured to process UE location messages, wherein the intercepting is executed by an intermediate entity positioned between the RAN and the core network element;

extracting UE location information from the UE location message; and

preventing the core network element from receiving the location information embedded in the UE location message.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the core network element is an SGSN.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, storing instructions for triggering the RAN, by the intermediate entity, generation of multiple UE location messages relating to a certain UE.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, storing instructions for instructing the RAN to stop sending UE location messages relating to the certain UE if the certain UE is inactive during a predetermined period.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, storing instructions for preventing any UE location message to arrive to the core network element.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, storing instructions for emulating, by the intermediate entity, the core network element, to the RAN.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18, storing instructions for:

extracting identification information from control messages exchanged between the RAN and the core network element; and

utilizing the identification information during the emulating of the core element to the RAN.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, storing instructions for extracting at least one out of a SCTP stream identifier and a SCCP connection identifier.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, storing instructions for utilizing a connection established between the core network element and the RAN and re-stamping transmission sequence numbers associated with the connection.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, storing instructions for updating a status of the RAN in response to the UE location information.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, storing instructions for allowing the core element network to receive only the first UE location message related to a certain UE out of multiple UE location information massages related to the certain UE;

wherein a generation of the multiple UE location messages was triggered by the core element network.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, storing instructions for allowing the core element network to receive only a subset of multiple UE location information massages related to the certain UE;

wherein a generation of the multiple UE location messages was triggered by the core element network.