Traffic-synchronized location measurement

• US 20070270160A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDPA Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hampel, Karl Georg, MacDonald, William Michael, Poosala, Viswanath
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, mobile user devices that are candidates for a location-based service are identified and the identified mobile user devices are monitored to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network. Location information is automatically obtained for the one or more mobile user devices that are currently active on the traffic channel, and delivery of at least one message to a given one of those mobile user devices is controlled based on the location information. Generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is thereby synchronized with the traffic channel activity of those devices.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network that are candidates for a location-based service;

monitoring the identified mobile user devices to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network;

automatically obtaining location information for said one or more mobile user devices that are currently active on the traffic channel; and

controlling delivery of at least one message to a given one of said mobile user devices based on the location information;

wherein generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is synchronized with traffic channel activity of those devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the traffic channel comprises a traffic channel utilized to carry at least one of a voice call, an SMS message, and an MMS message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location queries are sent to respective ones of the mobile user devices over a forward link of the traffic channel and associated location measurement data is returned over a reverse link of the traffic channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location queries further comprise assist data for an AGPS location process.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated by an MSC of the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated in conjunction with setup or teardown of the traffic channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated in conjunction with a change in at least one of a cell identifier or an active set associated with one or more of the mobile user devices.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated by respective ones of the mobile user devices.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium storing one or more software programs which when executed by at least one processing device implement the method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for use in providing location-based services, the apparatus comprising:

a location-based services system comprising at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory;

wherein the location-based services system is adapted to identify a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network that are candidates for a location-based service, to monitor the identified mobile user devices to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network, and to automatically obtain location information for said one or more mobile user devices that are currently active on the traffic channel;

wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to control delivery of at least one message to a given one of the mobile user devices based on the location information; and

wherein generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is synchronized with traffic channel activity of those devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the location-based services system is external to the wireless network.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the location-based services system is implemented using a layered architecture comprising at least an application support layer, an application enabling layer, a location-based service enabling layer and a network connectivity layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the location-based service enabling layer comprises a location server adapted to limit location-related communications between the mobile user devices and base stations of the wireless network by at least one of eliminating duplicate location queries and prioritizing location queries.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the network connectivity layer comprises a location and presence query module adapted to obtain mobile user device location and presence information.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the location queries are sent to respective ones of the mobile user devices over a forward link of the traffic channel and associated location measurement data is returned over a reverse link of the traffic channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated in conjunction with setup or teardown of the traffic channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein one or more of the location queries are initiated in conjunction with a change in at least one of a cell identifier or an active set associated with one or more of the mobile user devices.

18. A mobile user device associated with a wireless network, the mobile user device being configured to receive at least one message that is controllably delivered to the mobile user device based on location information obtained for the mobile user device;

wherein the mobile user device is one of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with the wireless network that are identified as candidates for a location-based service;

wherein the identified mobile user devices are monitored to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network;

wherein location information is automatically obtained for said one or more mobile user devices that are currently active on the traffic channel; and

wherein generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is synchronized with traffic channel activity of those devices.

19. The mobile user device of claim 18 wherein a given one of the location queries is received over a forward link of the traffic channel and associated location measurement data is returned by the mobile user device over a reverse link of the traffic channel.

20. The mobile user device of claim 18 wherein the at least one message is delivered under the control of a location-based services system.