Method for enabling a location service client to contact a user of a mobile device

• US 7,711,357 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Stumpert, Martin, Ewert, Jörg
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US10/520,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20050255853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 4554141-4144, 455/404.2, 701/201, 701/207, 701/209, 701/213, 340/994, 340/988, 340/825.491, 709/217
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for sending (700) information enabling a contacting of a user of a mobile device (MS) to at least one location service client (CL1,CL2) is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of selection (200) of a type of location service clients on the mobile device (MS), transmission (300) of a type identifier from the mobile device (MS) to a server (NS) in a telecommunication system, the type identifier identifying the selected type of location service clients, analysis (400) of the type identifier for a determination (500) of one or more location service clients (CL1,CL2) associated (100) with the selected type of location service clients, determination (600) of at least one address of the one or more determined location service clients (CL1,CL2) according to a result of the analysis (400), and sending (700) information enabling the contacting of the user to the one or more location service clients (CL1,CL2) whose addresses are determined.

Claims

1. A method for enabling one or more of a plurality of location service clients (LSCs) to contact a user of a mobile device, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

selection of at least one authorized LSC type on the mobile device, said at least one authorized LSC type selected from type identifiers associated with said plurality of LSCs;

transmission of one or more type identifiers from the mobile device to a server in a telecommunication system, the one or more type identifiers identifying the selected at least one authorized LSC type;

analysis of the type identifier by said server to determine one or more LSCs associated with the selected type;

determination of at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type;

determining whether a threshold number has been reached, the threshold number indicating a limit for a number of said LSCs;

limiting to the threshold number the number of the one or more LSCs to which said information is to be sent; and

,

sending information from said server to the at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type, said information enabling said one or more LSCs to contact said mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of sending location information associated with the mobile device to the at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing location information associated with the mobile device and location information associated with the one or more LSCs, wherein the sending of information enabling contacting of the mobile device by said one or more LSCs is restricted to LSCs whose location information matches the location information associated with the mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the location information associated with the mobile device is the current location of the mobile device.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a charging data record is created to charge the one or more LSCs to which the information enabling the contacting of the mobile device is sent.

6. A server of a telecommunication system operative to enable one or more of a plurality of location service clients (LSCs) to contact a user of a mobile device, said server operative to:

receive one or more type identifiers from the mobile device, said one or more type identifiers identifying at least one authorized LSC type selected on said mobile device, said at least one authorized LSC type selected from type identifiers associated with said plurality of LSCs;

analyze the type identifier to determine one or more LSCs associated with the selected type;

determine at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type;

determine whether a threshold number has been reached, the threshold number indicating a limit for a number of said LSCs;

limit to the threshold number the number of the one or more LSCs to which said information is sent; and

,

send information to the at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type, said information enabling said one or more LSCs to contact said mobile device.

7. The server according to claim 6, wherein said server is further operative to send location information associated with the mobile device to the at least one address of the one or more LSCs associated with the selected type.

8. The server according to claim 6, wherein said server is further operative to compare location information associated with the mobile device and location information associated with the one or more LSCs, wherein the sending of information enabling contacting of the mobile device by said one or more LSCs is restricted to LSCs whose location information matches the location information associated with the mobile device.

9. The server according to claim 8, wherein the location information associated with the mobile device is the current location of the mobile device.

10. The server recited in claim 6, wherein a charging data record is created to charge the one or more LSCs to which the information enabling the contacting of the mobile device is sent.