User plane location based service using message tunneling to support roaming

• US 9,271,138 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Yinjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US14/596,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/432.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 370/349, 370/329, 370/428
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• 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 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

An improved User Plane location based service (LBS) architecture and message flow, enabling seamless User Plane location based services even when a mobile or wireless device has roamed among different carrier networks. The present invention overcomes constraints inherent in the current protocol for roaming support defined by the Secure User Plane Location Service specification. A location system is enabled to automatically fall back to a message tunneling mechanism to ensure the security of a communication path between the location service system and the target wireless device, ensuring that the communication path is uninterrupted as the wireless device travels.

Claims

1. A method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming, comprising:

establishing a user plane roaming communication over a roaming interface (Lr) between a roaming wireless device (MT) and a visited location server (V-LCS) that serves a geographic area where said roaming wireless device is currently, via an intermediary home location server (H-LCS), said user plane roaming communication being tunneled in a Position Data message (PDMESS), wherein said user plane roaming communication includes an indicator that message tunneling is being used; and

providing an IP address of said serving positioning server to said roaming wireless device.

2. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

an Internet Protocol (I P) packetized message.

3. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

a short messaging system (SMS) message.

4. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

a text message.

5. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, further comprising:

passing said user plane roaming communication through a firewall protecting said visited location server (V-LCS).

6. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

an Lr request.

7. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from said intermediary home location server (H-LCS) to said visited location server (V-LCS), a Position Data INIT (PDINIT) message inside said Position Data Message (PDMESS) corresponding to a sessionid.

8. The method of providing user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 7, wherein:

said PDINIT message is transmitted via a relevant roaming interface (Lr).

9. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming, comprising:

a roaming interface to establish a user plane roaming communication between a roaming wireless device (MT) and a visited positioning server that serves a geographic area where said roaming wireless device is currently, via an intermediary home positioning server, said user plane roaming communication being tunneled in a Position Data message (PDMESS), wherein said user plane roaming communication includes an indicator that message tunneling is being used; and

a home location services manager (H-LCS), associated with said intermediary home positioning server associated with said roaming wireless device, to obtain an IP address of said visited positioning server, and to transmit said IP address of said visited positioning server to said roaming wireless device.

10. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein:

said IP address is a private IP address.

11. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein:

said roaming interface passes through a firewall associated with said visited positioning server.

12. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

a short messaging system (SMS) message.

13. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

a text message.

14. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein said user plane roaming communication comprises:

an Lr request.

15. A home network location server to provide user plane location services using message tunneling to support roaming according to claim 9, wherein:

said intermediary home positioning server transmits a PDINIT message inside said Position Data message corresponding to a sessionid, to said visited positioning server.