Network service of a cellular communication network covering a geographical area

• US 9,615,205 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jodlauk, Gordian, Gehlen, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US15/070,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A method for providing a network service of a cellular communication network covering a geographical area for a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising: defining a grid covering at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by a grid spacing; providing grid information comprising reference point information and information on said grid spacing, generating crossing information in response to one of the plurality of mobile terminals crossing one grid line, based on said grid information and on position information of the at least one mobile terminal, and keeping grid field information for at least one grid field comprising identification information of the one mobile terminal when inside the one grid field based on said crossing information.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network entity providing a network service of a cellular communication network covering a geographical area for a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

defining a grid covering at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by a grid spacing;

providing to one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals grid information associated with the grid, and

keeping grid field information for at least one grid field comprising identification information of the one mobile terminal when inside the one grid field based on crossing information that is generated by the one mobile terminal,

wherein said crossing information is received from the one mobile terminal in response to crossing one grid line, based on said grid information and on position information of the one mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals based on said grid field information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing as part of said network service a geographical service based on said grid field information to a further entity, wherein the geographical service comprises a registering of the further entity to the geographical service, and wherein said providing of the geographical service is dependent on said registering to the geographical service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing as part of said network service a localized information service to at least a part of the plurality of mobile terminals, wherein providing the localized information service comprises a registering of one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals to the localized information service, and wherein the providing of the localized information service is dependent on said registering to the localized information service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said registering comprises providing said grid information to said one mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing said grid spacing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular communication network covers the geographical area with cells, and wherein the grid fields are independent from said cells.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a geographical service; and

sending a message to the at least one of the plurality of mobile terminals based on the request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating grid location information indicating a grid field covering a location of one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, said generating being based on said grid information and on said position information of the one mobile terminal, wherein said grid field information is kept also based on said grid location information.

10. A network entity of a cellular communication network covering a geographical area for a plurality of mobile terminals, the network entity comprising a processing unit being configured to perform operations comprising:

defining a grid, the grid covering at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by a grid spacing;

providing to one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals grid information, and

keeping grid field information for at least one grid field comprising identification information of the one mobile terminal when inside the one grid field based on crossing information,

wherein said crossing information that is generated by the one mobile terminal is received from said one mobile terminal in response to crossing one grid line, based on said grid information and on position information of the one mobile terminal.

11. The network entity of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further configured to perform operations comprising:

providing as part of said network service a localized information service to at least a part of the plurality of mobile terminals,

wherein providing the localized information service comprises a registering of one of the plurality of mobile terminals to the localized information service, and

wherein the providing of the localized information service is dependent on said registering to the localized information service.

12. The network entity of claim 10, wherein said registering comprises providing said grid information to said one mobile terminal.

13. The network entity of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further configured to perform operations comprising changing said grid spacing.

14. The network entity of claim 10, wherein the cellular communication network covers the geographical area with cells, and wherein the grid fields are independent from said cells.

15. A mobile terminal for use in a cellular communication network covering a geographical area, the mobile terminal comprising a processing unit configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving grid information, wherein the grid information comprises a grid that covers at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by grid spacing;

observing a crossing of a grid line based on said grid information and based on position information of the mobile terminal;

generating crossing information in response to said crossing of a grid line;

sending said crossing information to a network entity over the cellular communication network;

sending a first application level message directly to a further entity; and

receiving, from the network entity, a second application level message, in response to the first application level message sent directly to the further entity.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15,

wherein the second application level message comprises a broadcast message to one or more mobile terminals in a spatial target area, the one or more mobile terminals comprising the mobile terminal.

17. A mobile terminal for use in a cellular communication network covering a geographical area, the mobile terminal comprising a processing unit configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving grid information, wherein the grid information comprises a grid that covers at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by grid spacing;

observing a crossing of a grid line based on said grid information and based on position information of the mobile terminal;

generating crossing information in response to said crossing of a grid line;

sending said crossing information to a network entity over the cellular communication network; and

sending a location message to the network entity, the location message comprising information associated with a current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein the grid information is received in response to the location message.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17,

wherein the grid information is received only if the current location of the mobile terminal is different from a location indicated by the grid information.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17,

wherein the location message further comprises heading information or speed information of the mobile terminal.

20. A method in a mobile terminal in a cellular communication network covering a geographical area, the method comprising:

receiving grid information, wherein the grid information comprises a grid that covers at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by grid spacing;

observing a crossing of a grid line based on said grid information and based on position information of the mobile terminal;

generating crossing information in response to said crossing of a grid line;

sending said crossing information to a network entity over the cellular communication network;

sending a first application level message directly to a further entity; and

receiving, from the network entity, a second application level message, in response to the first application level message sent directly to the further entity.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second application level message comprises a broadcast message to one or more mobile terminals in a spatial target area, the one or more mobile terminals comprising the mobile terminal.

22. A method in a mobile terminal in a cellular communication network covering a geographical area, the method comprising:

sending a location message to a network entity, the location message comprising information associated with a current location of the mobile terminal;

receiving grid information in response to the location message, wherein the grid information comprises a grid that covers at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by grid spacing;

observing a crossing of a grid line based on said grid information and based on position information of the mobile terminal;

generating crossing information in response to said crossing of a grid line; and

sending said crossing information to the network entity over the cellular communication network.

23. The method of claim 22,

wherein the grid information is received only if the current location of the mobile terminal is different from a location indicated by the grid information.

24. The method of claim 22,

wherein the location message further comprises heading information or speed information of the mobile terminal.