Method and system for providing location dependent information

• US 7,245,910 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Osmo, Salo
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marsh; Olivia
• Application Number:
  US10/296,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 455/456, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 4554321-433, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method of providing location dependent information in a communications system, said method comprising the steps of: providing information identifying the location of a first station; sending said location information to a first element, said first element determining a second element based on said location information; and said second element providing geographic information relating to said location information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing network location information identifying a location of a first mobile station;

sending said network location information to a first network element, said first network element forwarding said network information to a second network element in a communications system;

determining, by said second network element, whether said network location information relates to the home network of said first mobile station, and forwarding said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network; and

providing, by said second network element, location dependent information comprising geographic information relating to said network location information from said second network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

passing said geographic information to a further network element, said further network element being configured to provide information associated with said geographic information to said first mobile station.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

passing messages between the first mobile station and the second network element and/or the further network element using said first network element configured to be a gateway element.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

passing messages between the further network element and the second network element through said gateway.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

translating, by said gateway, the message between a first and second format.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

storing, by said gateway, information defining the type of location information required while the second network element provides the geographic information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

sending, by said gateway, the geographic information and the information defining the type of location information required to the further network element.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the communications system to include at least one communications network.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

dividing said at least one communications network into a plurality of cells.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sending said network location information comprises sending the identity of the cell in which the first mobile station is located.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sending said network location information comprises sending the identity of a group of cells in which the first mobile station is located.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

configuring said communications system to include a home network with which the first mobile station is associated and at least one other network that can be visited by the first mobile station.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sending said network location information comprises sending the identity of the network.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

providing a second network element for each network.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

configuring the second network elements to communicate via the Internet.

16. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

configuring at least one of the second network element and the further network element to communicate with the first network element via the Internet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

requesting, by said first mobile station, location dependent information from said further network element.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the requesting comprises requesting said network location information from said first mobile station in response to a request for location dependent information from the first mobile station.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

arranging said first mobile station to provide address information in association with said network location information so that the first mobile station receives the location dependent information.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

operating said first mobile station in accordance with a wireless application protocol.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said providing said geographic information comprises providing at least one of geographic coordinates, an address, a post code, the town, or the country.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sending said network location information comprises sending information identifying the network in which the mobile station is located.

23. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sending said network location information comprises sending information identifying the country in which the mobile station is located.

24. A communication system, comprising:

a first mobile station, network location information on a location of said first mobile station being available;

a first network element, configured to receive said network location information and to forward said network information to a second network element; and

said second network element configured to determine when said network location information relates to a home network of said first mobile station, and forward said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network, said second network element being further configured to provide geographic information relating to said network location information from said second network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network.

25. The communication system as claimed in claim 24,

wherein said network location information is defined with respect to said system,

wherein said first network element is configured to receive said geographic information from said second network element and to forward said geographic information to a third network element that provides location dependent information associated with said geographic information, and

wherein said first network element is configured to receive said location dependent information from said third network element and to forward said location dependent information to said first mobile station.

26. The communication system as claimed in claim 24, said second network element comprising:

means for storing geographic information relating to a network of which said second network element is a part;

means for receiving said network location information relating to the position of said first mobile station in said system;

means for determining whether said network location information relates to the home network of said first mobile station or a different network;

means for forwarding said network location information to a corresponding network element in a different network when said network location information relates to said different network; and

means for outputting geographic information corresponding to said network location network from said storing means when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network.

27. A gateway element configured to be used in a communication system, wherein said gateway element is configured to receive network location information from a first mobile station, wherein said location information is defined with respect to said system, wherein said gateway element is configured to forward said network location information to a first network element that is configured to determine whether said network location information relates to the home network of said first mobile station, and forward said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network, wherein said first network element is further configured to provide geographic information associated with said network location information from said first network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network, wherein said gateway element is configured to receive said geographic information from said first network element and to forward said geographic information to a further network element that is configured to provide location dependent information associated with said geographic information, and wherein said gateway element is configured to receive said location dependent information from said further network element and to forward said information to said first mobile station.

28. A gateway element as claimed in claim 27, wherein said gateway element is configured to translate information between first and second formats.

29. A network element, comprising:

means for storing geographic information relating to a network of a communications system of which said network element is a part;

means for receiving network location information relating to a position of a first mobile station in said system;

means for determining whether said network location information relates to a home network of said first mobile station;

means for forwarding said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network; and

means for outputting geographic information corresponding to said network location information from said storing means when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates said different network.

30. A method, comprising:

providing network location information identifying a location of a first mobile station in a communications system, said information being defined with respect to said communications system;

sending said network location information to a first network element, said first network element being configured to determine when said network location information relates to a home network of said first mobile station, and forward said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network, said first network element being further configured to provide geographic information relating to said network location information from said first network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network; and

sending said geographic information to a further network element, said further network element being configured to provide location dependent information associated with said geographic information to said first mobile station.

31. A method, comprising:

providing network information identifying a location of a first mobile station;

sending said network location information to a first network element in a communications system;

determining, by said first network element, whether said first network element is able to provide geographic information associated with said network location information; and

sending said network location information to a further network element, when it is determined that said first network element is unable to provide said geographic information, said further network element being configured to provide said geographic information to said first mobile station.

32. A communication system, comprising:

a first mobile station, said first mobile station being configured to provide network location information identifying a location of said first mobile station;

a first network element, said first network element being configured to determine when said network location information relates to the home network of said first mobile station, and forward said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network, said first network element being further configured to provide geographic information relating to said network location information provided by said first mobile station from said first network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates to said different network; and

a further network element, said further element being configured to provide location dependent information associated with said geographic information provided by said first network element to said first mobile station.

33. A method, comprising:

storing, at a network element, geographic information relating to a network of a communications system of which said network element is a part;

receiving network location information relating to the position of a first mobile station in said system;

determining whether said network location information relates to a home network of said first mobile station;

forwarding said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network; and

outputting geographic information corresponding to said network location information from the network element when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates said different network.

34. A network element, comprising:

a memory configured to store geographic information relating to a network of a communications system of which said network element is a part;

a receiving unit configured to receive network location information relating to the position of a first mobile station in said system;

a determination unit configured to determine whether said network location information relates to a home network of said first mobile station;

a forwarding unit configured to forward said network location information to a corresponding network element of a different network when said network location information relates to said different network; and

an output unit configured to output geographic information corresponding to said network location information from said memory when said network location information relates to the home network and from said corresponding network element when said network location information relates said different network.