Efficient location determination for mobile units

• US 7,035,647 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: de Verteuil, Andre Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US10/071,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/562, 455/25, 455/76, 455/33.4, 455/54.1, 455/404, 455/435, 455/432, 455/406, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 342/463, 342/457, 342/464, 342/450, 342/451, 342/357.1, 342/357.14
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The inventive system allows for more efficient use of resources for providing location information in a wireless network where multiple sources of such information may be available. In one implementation, a first source of location information such as Cell ID information is used to monitor the location of a mobile unit. The first source may provide sufficient location information in many instances. For example, in the case of a location-based billing application, Cell ID information may be sufficient in some cases to indicate that a subscriber is within or outside of a home zone. In other cases, more accurate information may be required to make such a determination. When required, a more accurate source of information such as TDOA or GPS information may be invoked. The invention allows for more efficient use of the multiple sources by allowing for reduction of the instances where a high resource location information source is accessed.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing location information regarding mobile units in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

first obtaining identification information regarding a mobile unit to be located and parameter information comprising a spatial accuracy of the location information;

second obtaining first location information regarding said mobile unit from a first source, said first source being associated with a first expected lag time relating to providing the first location information and a first expected resource requirement related to system resources involved in providing the first location information;

performing a comparison of the first location information to the parameter information;

based on said comparison, selectively obtaining second location information regarding said mobile unit from a second source different than said first source, said second source being associated with a second expected lag time relating to providing the second location information and a second expected resource requirement related to system resources involved in providing the second location information;

where at least one of the first expected lag time and first expected resource requirement is greater than at least one of the second expected lag time and second expected resource requirement; and

providing an output related to said location request based on at least one of said first location information or said second location information.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of first obtaining comprises receiving a location request from a location-based services application.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of first obtaining comprises receiving a prompt from an application user and accessing information regarding one or more locations of interest.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said one or more locations of interest comprise one or more zones of a location-based services application.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of second obtaining comprises accessing Cell ID information available within said network.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of performing a comparison comprises using said parameter information to define a condition to be evaluated with respect to the desired location information and making a determination as to whether said first location information is sufficient to evaluate said condition.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said condition relates to determining a location of said mobile unit relative to a defined geographic zone and said determination involves evaluating whether said first information is substantially conclusive in establishing the location of said mobile unit relative to said defined zone.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises obtaining said second location information when said first location information yields an ambiguity with regard to the desired location information.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises invoking said second source to provide said second location information, where said second location information has a location accuracy greater than said first information.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises receiving information from network based location determination equipment.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises transmitting a location request designating one or said second source and a quality of service parameter associated with said second source.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of providing an output comprises outputting a rating value for use in billing a call associated with said mobile unit.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first source is a Cell ID source and said second source is one of a network based location determination equipment source and a GPS source.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of repeatedly invoking said first source prior to said step of selectively obtaining second location information.

31. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said parameter information is a proximity to a location of interest.

15. A method for use in providing location information regarding mobile units in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

obtaining identification information regarding a mobile unit to be located and parameter information regarding the desired location information, wherein the parameter information comprises at least one of a measure of system resources utilized to obtain the location information, a lag time for obtaining the location information, or an accuracy of the location information;

monitoring information from at least a first source over time to obtain successive instances of first location information regarding said mobile unit;

performing a comparison to determine whether a location of said mobile unit as indicated by said monitored information satisfies a defined relationship relative to the parameter information;

based on said comparison, selectively obtaining second location information regarding said mobile unit from at least a second source different than said first source; and

providing an output related to said location request based on said second location information.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of performing a comparison comprises using said parameter information to define a condition to be evaluated with respect to the desired location information and making a determination as to whether said first location information is sufficient to evaluate said condition.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises obtaining said second location information when said first information is insufficiently accurate to determine whether said location of said mobile unit satisfies said defined relationship.

18. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of providing an output comprises outputting a rating value for use in billing a call associated with said mobile unit.

32. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said parameter information is a proximity to a location of interest.

19. A method for use in providing location information regarding mobile units in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

first obtaining identification information regarding a mobile unit to be located and parameter information regarding system resources utilized to obtain the desired location information;

second obtaining first location information identifying an approximate location of said mobile unit based on a network subdivision of said telecommunications network;

performing a comparison of the first location information to the parameter information;

based on said comparison, selectively obtaining second location information, where said second location information has a location accuracy greater than that of said first location information; and

providing an output related to said location request based on said second location information.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said step of performing a comparison comprises using said parameter information to define a condition to be evaluated with respect to the desired location information and making a determination as to whether said first location information is sufficient to evaluate said condition.

21. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises obtaining said second location information when said first location information yields an ambiguity with regard to the desired location information.

22. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said step of selectively obtaining comprises receiving information from network based location determination equipment.

23. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said step of providing an output comprises outputting a rating value for use in billing a call associated with said mobile unit.

24. A method for use in providing location information for mobile units in a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

receiving first information regarding a location of interest for a first mobile unit;

receiving a first indication of a location of said first mobile unit at a first time; and

based on said first information regarding said location of interest and said first indication regarding said first location of said first mobile unit at said first time, determining a timing for obtaining a second indication of a second location of said first mobile unit.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein said step of receiving said first information comprises receiving information defining a geographical zone used by a location-based services application.

26. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein said first step of receiving a first indication comprises obtaining Cell ID information regarding said first mobile unit.

27. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein said step of determining a timing comprises determining a length of time to wait before obtaining said second information based on a distance between said location of interest and said first location.

28. A method for use in providing location information regarding mobile units in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

providing an interface for use in obtaining location information from a first source and a second source, said first source having a first quality of service characteristic and said second source having a second quality of service characteristic;

utilizing said first source to perform a first location operation to locate a first mobile unit;

determining a required quality of service for said first location operation; and

based on said required quality of service, selectively using said interface to obtain said location information from said second source.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28, wherein said step of determining comprises obtaining initial location information from said first source having said first quality of service and determining that said first quality of service is insufficient for said first location operation.

30. A method as set forth in claim 28, wherein said step of determining comprises identifying said first operation as being one of a primary monitoring operation for obtaining general location information or a secondary locating operation, responsive to said primary monitoring operation, for obtaining specific location information.