Location and state information providing/inquiring system using WLAN/WPAN communication, log information providing/inquiring system and method, service server and customer terminal, location and state providing/inquiring method

• US 9,100,782 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Baek, Seung Yoon, Cho, Chae Hwan, Lee, Hye Min, Lee, Chang Seok, Kang, Suk Yon, Ihm, Jong Tae
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/811,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/550.1, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A location and state information providing/inquiring system using WLAN/WPAN communication, log information providing/inquiring system, service server, customer terminal, location and state information providing/inquiring method, and log information providing/inquiring method are disclosed. System for providing/inquiring location and state information by using WLAN/WPAN communication includes: mobile terminal including WLAN/WPAN communication module for acquiring and transmitting identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals; service server for storing identification information of subscriber terminals, receiving identification information of WLAN/WPAN communication modules from mobile terminal, and transmitting list of service subscribers; and positioning server for positioning subscriber terminals of service subscribers, and if one or more service subscribers are selected by mobile terminal based on list received from service server, transmitting location and state information of terminals corresponding to service subscribers selected to mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A service server for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

a subscriber information storage unit for storing identification information of the subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

a subscriber information search unit for searching the subscriber information storage unit for subscribers matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules; and

a location information transmitting unit for inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched by interworking with a positioning server, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

2. The service server of claim 1, further comprising a list transmitting unit for transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal,

wherein the location information transmitting unit transmits location and state information of subscribers selected by the mobile terminal among the list to the mobile terminal.

3. The service server of claim 1, further comprising an authentication processing unit for authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the identification information receiving unit receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the mobile terminal authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

4. The service server of claim 1, further comprising:

a log information recording unit for recording log information of the subscriber terminals including access time point and location information for each access time point in the event of access by the subscriber terminals,

wherein the subscriber information search unit is configured to search subscribers who match with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules and are assigned with the log information.

5. The service server of claim 4, further comprising a log information update unit for inquiring locations of other terminals corresponding to the subscribers searched by interworking with the positioning server, and updating the log information of the other terminals.

6. The service server of claim 5, further comprising an update inquiring unit for inquiring of the other terminals corresponding to the subscribers searched by the subscriber information search unit, whether to update the log information,

wherein the log information update unit updates log information if an update request signal is received from the other terminals in response to the inquiry by the update inquiring unit.

7. The service server of claim 5, wherein the location information transmitting unit is configured to transmit the log information of the subscribers searched as the location information of the subscribers searched.

8. A method for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

storing identification information of the subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

searching the identification information of the subscriber terminals for subscribers matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules; and

inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched by interworking with a positioning server, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal; and

receiving a subscriber selection signal from the mobile terminal in response to the list transmitted.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the process of receiving the identification information receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the mobile terminal authenticated.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising

recording log information of the subscriber terminals including access time point and location information in the event of access by the subscriber terminals,

wherein the process of searching subscriber terminals searches for subscribers who match with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules and are assigned with the log information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

updating the log information of the subscriber terminals by interworking with the positioning server if the log information of the subscriber terminals is different from locations of the other terminals.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising inquiring of the other terminals corresponding to the subscriber terminals whether to update the log information,

wherein the log information is updated if an update request signal is received from the other terminals.