Extended area event for network based proximity discovery

• US 9,572,009 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Yinjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US15/214,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A network-centric device discovery solution that leverages area event location services. A proximity server (PS) performing device discovery for a discoverer mobile initiates an area event, via a location server, for each device subscribed to the same proximity service group as the discoverer mobile and camped on the same zone as the discoverer mobile. The area event notifies the PS each time such device moves into an area of an E-CGI and/or WiFI access point where the discoverer mobile attaches. If the PS receives an area event notification for the device camped on the same zone as the discoverer mobile, the PS requests location information for the device and uses returned location information to determine if the device is within a predefined proximity of the discoverer mobile. If the device is within a predefined proximity of the discoverer mobile, the PS sends a proximity alert message to the discoverer mobile.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a proximity server, a device discovery request from a given wireless device for another wireless device;

determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is located within a same geographical area as the given wireless device is within based on the given wireless device and the other wireless device being subscribed to a same proximity based service and based on the other wireless device being serviced by at least one of a same cell and a same access point as the given wireless device, wherein the device discovery request comprises location information for the given wireless device;

requesting, at the proximity server, location information for the other wireless device from a location server in response to determining that the other wireless device is located within the same geographical area as the given wireless device; and

determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is within a predefined proximity of the given wireless device based on the location information for the given wireless device and the location information for the other wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

transmitting, at the proximity server, to the given wireless device, a proximity alert message to notify the given wireless device that the other wireless device is currently within the predefined proximity of the given wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the other wireless device corresponds to a plurality of wireless devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is located within the same geographical area that the given wireless device is located within is further based on the given wireless device and the other wireless device being in a same zone corresponding to having at least one of a same associated location area identity (LAI), same associated routing area identity (RAI) and same associated tracking area identity (TAI).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the same cell corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated cell global identity (CGI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the same access point corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated WiFi access point address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the other wireless device is not within the predefined proximity of the given wireless device, the proximity server, notifies the given wireless device that the other wireless device is not within the predefined proximity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the proximity server, an updated device discovery request from the given wireless device for the other wireless device, wherein the given wireless device sends the updated device discovery request when the given wireless device is located within another geographical area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is within a predefined proximity of the given wireless device comprises:

calculating, at the proximity server, a distance between the given wireless device and the other wireless device based on the location information for the given wireless device and the location information for the other wireless device; and

determining, at the proximity server, whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a predefined proximity value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, at the proximity server, to the given wireless device an indication that the other wireless device is within the predefined proximity in response to determining that the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predefined proximity value; and

enabling, the given wireless device to communicate with the other wireless device in response to determining that the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predefined proximity.

11. A system comprising:

a proximity server to;

receive a device discovery request from a given wireless device for another wireless device;

determine whether the other wireless device is located within a same geographical area as the given wireless device is within based on the given wireless device and the other wireless device being subscribed to a same proximity based service and based on the other wireless device being serviced by at least one of a same cell and a same access point as the given wireless device, wherein the device discovery request comprises location information for the given wireless device; and

determine whether the other wireless device is within a predefined proximity of the given wireless device based on location information for the other wireless device and the location information for the given wireless device; and

a location server to;

receive a request for the location information for the other wireless device from the proximity server in response to the proximity server determining that the other wireless device is located within the same geographical area as the given wireless device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the other wireless device corresponds to a plurality of wireless devices.

13. The system of claim 11,

wherein determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is within the predefined proximity of the given wireless device comprises:

calculating a distance between the given wireless device and the other wireless device based on the location information for the given wireless device and the location information for the other wireless device; and

determining whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a predefined proximity value; and

wherein the proximity server is further to transmit to the given wireless device an indication that the other wireless device is within the predefined proximity in response to determining that the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predefined proximity value.

14. The system of claim 11,

wherein the same cell corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated cell global identity (CGI);

and

wherein the same access point corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated WiFi access point address.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a proximity server, a device discovery request from a given wireless device for another wireless device;

determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is located within a same geographical area as the given wireless device is within based on the given wireless device and the other wireless device being subscribed to a same proximity based service and based on the other wireless device being serviced by at least one of a same cell and a same access point as the given wireless device, wherein the device discovery request comprises location information for the given wireless device;

monitoring for an area event location from the location server in response to determining that the other wireless device is not located within the same geographical area as the given wireless device, wherein the area event notification indicates that the other wireless device has moved into the same geographical area as the given wireless device;

requesting, at the proximity server, location information for the other wireless device from a location server based in response to an indication that an area event has occurred; and

determining, at the proximity server, whether the other wireless device is within a predefined proximity of the given wireless device based on the location information for the given wireless device and the location information for the other wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting, at the location server, to the other wireless device, an area event location request to configure the other wireless device for an area event; and

receiving, at the location server, from the other wireless device, an area even report indicating that the area event has occurred corresponding to an indication that the other wireless device has moved into the same geographical area as the given wireless device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the other wireless device corresponds to a plurality of wireless devices.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the proximity server monitors for the area event location from the location server for a period of time, wherein the period of time corresponds to one of a default period of time or a period of time specified within the device discovery request from the given wireless device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the proximity server terminates monitoring for the area event location from the location server in response to not receiving from the location server the area event indication within the period of time.

20. The method of claim 15,

wherein the same cell corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated cell global identity (CGI);

and

wherein the same access point corresponds to the given wireless device and the other wireless device having a same associated WiFi access point address.