Enhanced call delivery system for interoperability between circuit switched and packet switched networks

• US 6,961,578 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Stephens, Gary B., Silver, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US10/288,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20040058688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

The invention expedites the delivery of a call originating in a circuit-switched network to a mobile terminal camped on a packet-switched network. Information representing the location of the mobile terminal in the packet-switched network is provided to the circuit switched network. A call setup with the mobile terminal is initiated with reference to the previously received location information, frequently more expeditiously and using less resources. Location-based services are also provided by the circuit-switched network with access to such mobile terminal location information.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based services to a mobile terminal in a wireless network comprising the steps of:

providing a packet-switched network;

providing a location service node;

receiving a location-based service request from the mobile terminal at the location service node;

transmitting a location query to a node of the packet-switched network in response to the location-based service request;

providing location information from the same node of the packet-switched network to the location service node in response to the location query; and

providing at least one location-based service to the mobile terminal using the location information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the location query to a HLR.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the location query to a VLR.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the location query to a MSC.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the location query to a SGSN.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing location information further comprises providing the location information to a MSC.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of providing location information further comprises providing the location information to a VLR.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing location information further comprises providing the location information to a HLR.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of providing location information further comprises providing the location information to the location service node by the HLR.

10. A method of providing the current location of a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

providing a location service node;

providing a packet-switched network;

providing a circuit-switched network;

transmitting a location request by the location service node to the circuit-switched network;

in response to the location request, the circuit-switched network transmitting at least one location query to a node of the packet-switched network; and

in response to the at least one location query, the packet-switched network transmitting from the same node of the packet-switched network at least one current location message through the circuit-switched network to the location service node.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the location request requests periodic updates of the current location of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the current location of the mobile terminal is periodically updated in response to the location request.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of transmitting a location request further comprises sending a location request message to a MSC.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of the MSC sending a request acknowledgment to the location service node in response to receipt of the location request message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the location request requests at least one update of the location or the mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of the circuit-switched network transmitting at least one location query to the packet-switched network further comprises the MSC sending at least one location query message to a SGSN.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one location query message requests receipt of a current location message at a predetermined interval.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of the packet-switched network transmitting at least one current location message through the circuit-switched network to the location service node further comprises a single current location message sent directly from a SGSN to the location service node.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of the packet-switched network transmitting at least one current location message through the circuit-switched network to the location service node further comprises a plurality of current location messages sent from a MSC to a VLR, from the VLR to a HLR, and from the HLR to the location service node.