Method and system for determining the location of an unlicensed mobile access subscriber

• US 7,929,977 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/929,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/435.2, 455/450, 455/454, 455/452.2, 455/432.2, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/421, 455/404.2, 455/436
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and system for locating an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) subscriber. The method enables a user of a mobile station comprising a hand-set or the like that supports voice and data access via both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrums to be located. Accordingly, services requiring location information, such as 911 services, may be accessed when operating the mobile station under both UMA and licensed wireless network (e.g., cellular) sessions.

Claims

1. A method for locating a user of a telecommunication device operating in a communication session in a wireless first communication system comprising a network controller for communicatively coupling the telecommunication device to a second communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network, the method comprising:

identifying an access point of the wireless first communication system that is used to provide a wireless link to host the communication session;

determining whether location information is available for the access point; and

when location information is not available for the access point, initiating a hand-over of the communication session to the second communication system in order to use a location service of the second communication system to identify a location of the user of the telecommunication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying, determining, and initiating are performed by the network controller.

3. A method for locating a user of a telecommunication device operating in a wireless first communication system comprising a network controller for communicatively coupling the telecommunication device to a second communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session between the network controller and the telecommunication device operating in a service region of the wireless first communication system;

identifying an access point that is used to provide a wireless link to host the communication session;

determining whether location information is available for the access point; and

when the location information is not available, employing a location service of the second communication system to identify a location of the user of the telecommunication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the establishing, determining, and employing are performed by the network controller.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

when the location information is available, specifying the location information of the access point as the location of the user of the telecommunication device, wherein the location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of a geographic longitude, a geographic latitude, and a street address.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising storing the location information for the telecommunication device obtained via the location service of the second communication system as the location information of the access point.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication session is maintained in the wireless first communication system while employing the location service of the second communication system.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for a network controller that communicatively couples a set of service regions of a wireless first communication system to a second wireless communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network, the computer program executable by at least one processor to locate a user of a telecommunication device having a communication session in a service region of the first communication system, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving from the telecommunication device information about the service region;

based on the information, determining whether location information is available for the service region; and

initiating a hand-over of the communication session from the wireless first communication system to the second communication system to identify a location of the user of the telecommunication device when the location information is not available for the service region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication session is maintained in the wireless first communication system when the location information is available for the service region.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for:

specifying the location information of an access point as the location of the user of the telecommunication device when the location information is available, wherein the location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of a geographic latitude, a geographic longitude, and a street address.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location information is for locating the user of the telecommunication device during an emergency call.

12. A method of locating a user of a telecommunication device operating in a service region of a wireless first communication system comprising a network controller for communicatively coupling the telecommunication device to a second communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network, the method comprising:

receiving at the network controller information about the service region from the telecommunication device;

based on the information, determining whether location information is available for the service region; and

when the location information is not available for the service region, employing a location service of the second communication system to identify a location of the user of the telecommunication device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the location information is for estimating the location of the user of the telecommunication device during an emergency call.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving location information from the location service; and

sending the location information received from the location service to an emergency service.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the location service of the second communication system comprises a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) and a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC).

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the location information for the telecommunication device obtained via the location service of the second communication system as the location information of an access point.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the service region comprises information about an access point operating in the service region, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the location information is available for the access point.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the service region comprises a Wi-Fi based access point for hosting a communication session.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the service region comprises a Bluetooth based access point for hosting a communication session.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

when the location information is available, specifying the location information of an access point as the location of the user of the telecommunication device, wherein the location information comprises a location estimate that includes at least one of a geographic longitude, a geographic latitude, and a street address.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for a network controller that communicatively couples a set of service regions of a wireless first communication system to a second communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network, the computer program executable by at least one processor to locate a user of a telecommunication device having a communication session in a service region of the wireless first communication system, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving at the network controller information about the service region from the telecommunication device;

based on the information, determining whether location information is available for the service region; and

employing a location service of the second communication system to determine a location of the user of the telecommunication device when the location information is not available for the service region.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the information about the service region comprises an access point identifier of an access point that is used to host the communication session, wherein the set of instructions for determining comprises a set of instructions for determining whether location information is stored for the access point based on the access point identifier.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the communication session is maintained in the wireless first communication system while employing the location service of the second communication system.