Obtaining location server address on a mobile device

• US 8,423,002 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hjelm, Bjorn
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/958,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20120142368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 4554561-457, 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/414.2, 370/310.2, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server

Abstract

A mobile device may determine an address of a location server to use for location-based services to the mobile device. In one implementation, a mobile device may retrieve a service list that indicates services available to the mobile device and determine whether location-based services are enabled for the mobile device. The mobile device may additionally retrieve, from a file stored as part of a file structure associated with a smart card of the mobile device, a network address of a location server corresponding to the location-based services. The mobile device may connect to the location server to obtain location-based services from the location server.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a mobile device, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a network access application running on a smart card inserted into the mobile device, a service list that indicates services available to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device and based on a determination that a predetermined bit is set in the service list, that location-based services including turn-by-turn navigation services are enabled for the mobile device;

retrieving, from a file stored in a file structure associated with the network access application, a first network address of a first location server corresponding to the location-based services, wherein the file identifies access rights that allow modification of the file by a management authority associated with a wireless provider;

connecting, by the mobile device and based on the first network address provisioned in the file by the management authority, to the first location server to obtain first ones of the location-based services from the first location server;

updating the file, responsive to the management authority, to change the first network address to a second network address of a second location server corresponding to the location-based services; and

connecting, by the mobile device and based on the second network address updated in the file, to the second location server to obtain second ones of the location-based services from the second location server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified access rights do not allow medication of the file by a user of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network address is stored as a domain name, the method further comprising:

resolving the domain name to an Internet protocol (IP) address, by performing a lookup in a domain name server, wherein the IP address corresponds to the first network address.

4. The method of claim 1, where the smart card includes a universal integrated circuit card.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-based services include assisted global positioning system information.

6. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a smart card coupled to the mobile device to be removable from the mobile device, the smart card implementing a network access application; and

a memory to store instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions causing the one or more processors to;

retrieve, from the network access application, a service list that indicates services available to the mobile device,

determine, based on a predetermined indicator set in the service list, that location-based services including turn-by-turn navigation services are enabled for the mobile device,

retrieve, from a file stored in a file structure associated with the network access application, a first network address of a first location server corresponding to the location-based services, wherein the file identifies access rights that allow modification of the file by a management authority associated with a wireless provider,

connect, based on the first network address provisioned in the file by the management authority, to the first location server to obtain first ones of the location-based services from the first location server;

update the file, responsive to the management authority, to change the first network address to a second network address of a second location server corresponding to the location-based services; and

connect, by the mobile device and based on the second network address updated in the file, to the second location server to obtain second ones of the location-based services from the second location server.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the identified access rights do not allow modification of the file by a user of the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, where the smart card includes a universal integrated circuit card.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the location-based services include assisted global positioning system information.

10. A method implemented on a mobile device, the method comprising:

contacting, by the mobile device, a bootstrap server function server to obtain information relating to services offered to the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device and from the bootstrap server function server, a network address of a first location server that offers a plurality of location-based services for the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device and based on a determination that an indicator is set in the obtained information, that the location-based services include turn-by-turn navigation services;

storing, by the mobile device, the received network address of the first location server in a smart card, associated with the mobile device, in a file that identifies access rights that do not allow changing of the file by a user of the mobile device;

connecting, by the mobile device and based on the stored network address, to the first location server to obtain first ones of the plurality of location-based services from the first location server;

changing, responsive to a management authority, the stored network address to an updated network address of a second location server corresponding to the plurality of location-based services; and

connecting, by the mobile device and based on the updated network address, to the second location server to obtain second ones of the plurality of location-based services from the second location server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the received network address includes securely storing the received network address in the smart card.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein securely storing the received network address includes storing the received network address in a file that identifies access rights that are set to allow changing of the file by the management authority.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the received network address includes resolving a domain name to an Internet protocol (IP) address, by performing a look-up in a domain name server, wherein the IP address corresponds to the stored network address.

14. The method of claim 10, where the smart card includes a universal integrated circuit card.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of location-based services include assisted global positioning system information.

16. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a smart card coupled to the mobile device to be removable from the mobile device; and

memory to store instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions causing the one or more processors to;

contact a bootstrap server function server to obtain information relating to services offered,

receive, from the bootstrap server function server, a network address of a first location server that offer a plurality of location-based services for the mobile device,

determine, by the mobile device and based on an indicator in the obtained information, that the location-based services include turn-by-turn navigation services,

store the received network address of the first location server on the smart card in a file that includes access rights that do not allow changing of the file by a user of the mobile device,

connect, based on the stored network address, to the first location server to obtain first ones of the plurality of location-based services from the first location server,

change, responsive to a management authority, the stored network address to an updated network address of a second location server corresponding to the plurality of location-based services; and

connect, by the mobile device and based on the updated network address, to the second location server to obtain second ones of the plurality of location-based services from the second location server.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein storing the received network address includes securely storing the received network address in the smart card.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein securely storing the received network address includes storing the received network address in a file that identifies access rights that are set to allow changing of the file by the management authority.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, where the smart card includes a universal integrated circuit card.