Protecting location information

• US 9,351,272 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zmbik, Lszlo, Bder, Attila, Barta, Jzsef
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/404,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/424, 455/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method, a Back-end-server (102, 400, 506) and a system (500) for protection of location information of a UE. The Back-end-server can receive (104, 202, 302) a request message from an operator interface (504) requesting location information of the UE. Based on probability criteria or blocking factors, it is determined (110, 208, 306-310) whether location information may be transferred to the operator interface. One advantage is that a quantitative security for the privacy of subscribers is provided, with which the privacy of the subscribers is not disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether location information of a user equipment (UE) with an identifier in a communication network may be transferred to a Front-end-server, the method being performed by a Back-end-server and comprising:

receiving a request message from the Front-end-server, the request message requesting location information of the UE within a selected area of the request;

obtaining location information of the UE;

obtaining one or more blocking factors related to the location information of the UE;

obtaining one or more probability criteria for locating the UE; and

determining whether the location information of said UE is to be transferred to the Front-end-server in dependence on at least one of;

whether one or more of the blocking factors related to the location information of the UE are activated; and

whether the probability criteria for locating the UE are fulfilled.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information of the UE comprises at least one of:

geographical position coordinates of the UE; and

a topological position of the UE.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the probability criteria is determined by comparing a predetermined probability threshold value with a probability value that is randomly generated or is calculated based on the request message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the probability value depends on previous request messages of the Front-end-server initiated in a predefined period.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the probability value depends on previous request messages of the Front-end-server initiated previously together with a request message of at least one additional Front-end-server for a predefined period.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining information about the number of UEs in the selected area of the request, and wherein one or more of the blocking factors is activated at any of following cases:

a) when the number of UEs in the selected area of the request does not exceed a predefined number;

b) when the selected area of the request does not exceed a predefined size;

c) when the density of the UEs in the selected area of the request does not exceed a predefined value;

d) when the frequency of the request message of the Front-end-server exceeds a predefined value;

e) when the frequency of the request message of any Front-end-server exceeds a predefined value;

f) when the difference between the location information of the UE and the location information of the same UE related to a previous request message is less than a predefined value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the UEs in the selected area of the request, or the subscribers of the UEs in the selected area of the request, each has an identifier, the method further comprising partially or fully scrambling said identifiers, and transferring the partially or completely scrambled identifiers to the Front-end-server.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identifiers of UEs comprise the international mobile equipment identifiers (IMEIs) of the UEs and wherein the identifiers of the subscribers comprise the international mobile subscriber identifiers (IMSIs) of the UEs.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the location information is to be transferred, comprises blocking transferring of said location information of said UE to the Front-end-server responsive to at least one of:

determining that one or more of the blocking factors related to the location information of said UE are activated; and

determining that at least one probability criterion among the probability criteria is not fulfilled.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the location information is to be transferred, comprises transferring said location information of said UE to the Front-end-server responsive to determining that none of the blocking factors are activated and that the probability criteria are fulfilled.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request message and the location information comprises a time stamp indicating the time at which said request message was received by the Front-end-server and the time at which location information of the UE was created, respectively.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in determining whether the location information of said UE is to be transferred to the Front-end-server, one or more of the probability criteria for locating the UE are fulfilled when l/u is lower than a probability threshold, where u is the number of UEs in the selected area of the request.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in determining whether location information of said UE is to be transferred to the Front-end-server, one or more of the probability criteria for locating said UE are fulfilled if k/u is lower than a probability threshold, where u is the number of UE in the selected area of the request, and k is the number of UEs for which location information is requested.

14. A Back-end-server for determining whether location information of a user equipment (UE) may be transferred to a Front-end-server including an operator interface, the Back-end-server comprising:

a processor, and

a memory storing computer program comprising computer program code which, when run in the processor, as a response to a receipt of a request message from the Front-end-server, wherein the request message is requesting location information, causes the Back-end-server to;

obtain location information of said UE;

obtain one or more blocking factors related to the location information of said UE within a selected area of the request;

obtain one or more probability criteria for locating said UE; and

determine whether location information of said UE is to be transferred to the Front-end-server in dependence on at least one of;

determining whether one or more of the blocking factors related to the location information of the UE are activated; and

determining whether the probability criteria for locating said UE are fulfilled.

15. The Back-end-server according to claim 14, wherein, in determining whether said location information of said UE is to be transferred, the Back-end-server is caused to block a transfer of said location information to the Front-end-server, responsive to determining at least one of:

that one or more of the blocking factors related to the location information of said UE are activated,

that at least one probability criterion among the one or more probability criteria is not fulfilled.

16. The Back-end-server according to claim 14, wherein in determining whether said location information of said UE is to be transferred, the Back-end-server is caused to transfer said location information to said Front-end-server responsive to determining that no blocking factors related to the location information of said UE are activated and that the probability criteria are fulfilled.

17. A system for determining whether location information of a user equipment (UE) may be transferred to a Front-end-server in a communication network, the system comprising:

a Back-end-server configured to communicate with the Front-end-server comprising an operator interface, wherein the Back-end-server comprises;

a processor, and

a memory storing computer program comprising computer program code which, when run in the processor, as a response to a receipt of a request message from the Front-end-server, wherein the request message is requesting location information, causes the Back-end-server to;

obtain location information of said UE;

obtain one or more blocking factors related to the location information of said UE within a selected area of the request;

obtain one or more probability criteria for locating said UE; and

determine whether the location information of said UE is to be transferred to the Front-end-server in dependence on at least one of;

determining whether one or more of the blocking factors related to the location information of the UE are activated; and

determining whether the probability criteria for locating said UE are fulfilled.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the operator interface of said Front-end-server is configured to receive said location information from the Back-end-server.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the system is a telecommunication management system, wherein the Back-end-server comprises a business logic of the telecommunication management system and wherein the operator interface of said Front-end-server acts as an access and presentation interface to the telecommunication management system.