Network elements, cellular communication system and methods therefor

• US 9,271,113 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ipaccess Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ipaccess Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: MacPherson, Ian Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Mong-Thuy
• Application Number:
  US13/900,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/438, 4554561-4563, 455/414.2, 705/14.1, 705/14.11, 705/14.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Location presence information is provided to advertising services by a femto-cell management system in a femto/pico-cell environment. On registration of a user equipment with a pico-cell which has been previously identified as a designated zone, the management system sends an alert to the advertising services. A SMS controller permits the advertising services to send a welcome text message including advertising content to the user equipment. The management system can also act as a centralized GSMA one API application gateway for location presence.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location presence service in a designated geographical zone of a cellular communication system wherein the cellular communication system comprises a plurality of access points, the method comprising the steps of:

at access points of the plurality of access points, that are located in the designated geographical zone, sending an access point registration message to an access controller;

at the access controller, forwarding the received access point registration message to an access point management system,

in the access point management system, in response to the received access point registration message, sending a flagged acknowledgement message to the access controller, wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a zonal flag in respect of the access point,

at the access controller, subsequent to receiving the flagged acknowledgement message, receiving a wireless communication unit registration message from one of said plurality of access points, and in the access controller, using the zonal flag from the flagged acknowledgement message to determine if the one of the plurality of access points is located in the designated geographical zone, and if so, forwarding the wireless communication unit registration message to the access point management system,

and in the access point management system on receiving the wireless communication unit registration message, generating a location presence notification message in respect of said wireless communication unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the access point registration message comprises a HNBAP (Home Node B Application Part) register request message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication unit registration message comprises a HNBAP UE register request message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the flagged acknowledgement message includes an access control list (ACL).

5. A network element for providing a location presence service in a designated geographical zone of a cellular communication system, the cellular communication system comprising a plurality of access points, the network element being adapted to,

receive an access point registration message via an access controller from access points located in the designated geographical zone,

in response to receiving the access point registration message, generate a flagged acknowledgement message wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a zonal flag in respect of the access point,

receive a wireless communication unit registration request message via the access controller from one of said plurality of access points that is located in the designated geographical zone and use the zonal flag from the flagged acknowledgement message to determine that the one of the plurality of access points is located in the designated geographical zone,

and in response to receiving the wireless communication unit registration message and the determination that the one of the plurality of access points is located in the designated geographical zone, generate a location presence notification message in respect of said wireless communication unit.

6. The network element of claim 5 wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a registration request acknowledgement message with a zonal flag attached thereto.

7. An Access Controller for supporting provision of a location presence service in a designated geographical zone of a cellular communication system, the cellular communication system comprising a plurality of access points, wherein the access controller comprises:

a receiver configured to receive a wireless communication registration request via access points that are located within the designated geographical zone and a corresponding flagged acknowledgement message from an access point management system wherein the flagged acknowledgement message comprises a zonal flag in respect of the corresponding access point; and

a signal processing module adapted to determine whether said registration request has been sent via an access point which is located in the designated geographical zone by using the zonal flag from the flagged acknowledgement message to determine that the access point is located in the designated geographical zone and if so, to notify the access point management system.

8. The access controller of claim 7 wherein the signal processing module is adapted to determine whether the wireless communication request has been received from an access point which has a zonal flag activated against it.

9. The access controller of claim 7 wherein the signal processing module for facilitating provision of a location presence service is implemented in an integrated circuit.