Area event support indication

• US 8,521,188 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Halivaara, Ismo, Seppala, Martta
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US12/988,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20110171969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided enabling a terminal to send an area shape capability indication to a location server. Depending on the use case scenario, the location server can perform at least one of the following operations, before sending the area event request to the terminal. The location server can select a shape that is both allowed by the requesting entity and supported by the terminal. Alternatively, the location server can convert the requested shape into a supported one by some approximation function if the requested shape(s) is/are not supported by the terminal. Furthermore, the location server can choose to terminate the session if the terminal does not support any of the requested (allowed) shapes. It should be noted that different priorities can be assigned to or associated with various area shapes as well.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an area shape capability indicator;

determining, by a processor, whether a requested shape based upon the area shape capability indicator is supported;

upon a determination that the requested shape is supported, sending an area event request based on the requested shape; and

upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported, converting the requested shape to a supported shape.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the requested shape upon a determination that the requested shape is both allowed and supported.

3. The method of claim 1, where the converting of the requested shape is performed in accordance with an approximation function.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating a triggering session upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a priority to the requested shape prior to the receipt of the area shape capability indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising statically defining a priority assigned to the requested shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the area shape capability indicator is received from a secure user plane location enabled terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the area shape capability indicator is received at a location server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the area event request is sent to a secure user plane location enabled terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the area shape capability indicator comprises a geographic target area shape parameter.

11. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer code for performing the processes of

receiving an area shape capability indicator;

determining whether a requested shape based upon the area shape capability indicator is supported;

upon a determination that the requested shape is supported, sending an area event request based on the requested shape; and

upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported, converting the requested shape to a supported shape.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit communicatively connected to the processor and comprising;

computer code for receiving an area shape capability indicator;

computer code for determining whether a requested shape based upon the area shape capability indicator is supported;

computer code for sending an area event request based on the requested shape upon a determination that the requested shape is supported; and

computer code for converting the requested shape to a supported shape upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code for selecting the requested shape upon a determination that the requested shape is both allowed and supported.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code for performing the converting of the requested shape in accordance with an approximation function.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code for terminating a triggering session upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code for assigning a priority to the requested shape prior to the receipt of the area shape capability indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code configured to statically define a priority assigned to the requested shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the area shape capability indicator is received from a secure user plane location enabled terminal.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the area event request is sent to a secure user plane location enabled terminal.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the area shape capability indicator comprises a geographic target area shape parameter.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is part of a location server.

22. A system, comprising:

a secure user plane location enabled terminal for transmitting an area shape capability indicator;

a location server comprising a receiver for receiving the area shape capability indicator;

the location server further comprising computer code for

determining whether a requested shape based upon the area shape capability indicator is supported;

upon a determination that the requested shape is supported, computer code for sending an area event request based on the requested shape; and

upon a determination that the requested shape is not supported, computer code for converting the requested shape to a supported shape.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer code for sending the area event request is configured to cause the location server to send the area event request to the secure user plane location enabled terminal.