Method for processing location information request initiated by a user equipment

• US 8,718,677 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Duan, Xiaoqin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US10/585,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,403 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 455/433, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for processing location information request initiated by a User Equipment (UE), which comprises: a target UE requests a Central Network (CN) for location information; the CN obtains a location estimate of the target UE and sends the location estimate of the target UE to a Visited GMLC of the target UE. According to the present invention, when the target UE requests the network with the Location Service system for location information of the target UE, after receiving the location estimate of the target UE from the Radio Access Network, the CN provides the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC at first, and the V-GMLC provides the location estimate to the target UE through the CN after processing the location request, so that the V-GMLC can obtain the processing information of the location information request initiated by the target UE, and furthermore V-GMLC can correctly charge the Mobile Original Location Request initiated by the target UE.

Claims

1. A method for processing location information request initiated by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, by a Central Network (CN), a request for location information from a target UE, and the CN obtaining a location estimate of the target UE;

sending, by the CN, the location estimate of the target UE to a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) of the target UE;

receiving, by the CN, a requester identifier from the target UE;

providing, by the CN, the GMLC with the requester identifier so that the GMLC sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester;

wherein the GMLC sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester comprises;

the GMLC determining whether the GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier,

if the GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, the GMLC directly sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester; and

receiving, by the CN, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE from the GMLC after the requester returns a first response for the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC;

if the GMLC cannot directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, according to the requester identifier, the GMLC determining a second GMLC that can directly access the requester, and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the second GMLC;

receiving, by the second GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester;

returning, by the second GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC, and returning, by the GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN; and

sending, by the CN, the location estimate of the target UE to the target UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

according to a pre-stored GMLC address information, the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC of the target UE, the method further comprises:

the GMLC generating charging information of the target UE.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC of the target UE, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the CN, a response for the location estimate of the target UE from the GMLC.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the receiving, by the CN, the requester identifier from the target UE further comprises:

receiving, by the CN, address information of the second GMLC that can access the requester from the target UE;

the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC of the target UE further comprises;

the CN providing the address information of the second GMLC to the V-GMLC; and

the GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester comprises;

the GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of the target UE as well as the requester identifier to the second GMLC according to the address information of the second GMLC;

the second GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, after the second GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier, further comprising:

receiving, by the second GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester,

returning, by the second GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC, and

returning, by the GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the CN is any one of:

a Mobile Switch Center (MSC), an MSC Server and a Serving GPRS Support Node.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the receiving, by the CN, the request for location information from the target UE comprises:

receiving, by the CN, an LCS MO-LR Location Services Invoke from the target UE.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the GMLC, the location estimate of the target UE to the second GMLC that can directly access a specified requester; and

providing, by the second GMLC, the specified requester with the location estimate of the target UE.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location estimate of the target UE carries location information of the target UE, a requester identifier, a target UE identifier and the second GMLC address information.

9. A method for processing location information request initiated by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a Center Network (CN) receiving a request for location information and a requester identifier from a target UE;

the CN obtaining the location estimate of the target UE;

the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to a Visited Gateway Mobile Location Center (V-GMLC) of the target UE;

the V-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to a home GMLC (H-GMLC); and

the H-GMLC determining whether the H-GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier;

if the H-GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, the H-GMLC directly sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester;

receiving, by the H-GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester;

returning, by the H-GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC; and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of target UE to the CN;

if the H-GMLC cannot directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, according to the requester identifier, the H-GMLC finding a GMLC that can directly access the requester and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the GMLC;

receiving, by the GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester;

returning, by the GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE to the H-GMLC;

returning, by the H-GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC; and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a response for the location estimate of target UE to the CN; and

the V-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to the target UE via the CN.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, after of the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to a V-GMLC of the target UE, the method further comprises:

the V-GMLC generating charging information of the target UE.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, after the V-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to a H-GMLC, the method further comprises;

the H-GMLC generating charging information of the target UE.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein, after the H-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the H-GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester,

returning, by the H-GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC, and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein, the CN receiving the request for location information and the requester identifier from the target UE further comprises:

receiving, by the CN, address information of the GMLC that can access the requester from the target UE;

the CN sending the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC of the target UE further comprises;

the CN providing the address information of the GMLC to the V-GMLC;

the V-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to the H-GMLC further comprises;

the V-GMLC providing the address information of the GMLC to the H-GMLC; and

the H-GMLC sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester comprises;

the H-GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of the target UE as well as the requester identifier to the GMLC according to the address information of the GMLC;

the GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, after the GMLC receiving the location estimate of the target UE and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester,

returning, by the GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the H-GMLC,

returning, by the H-GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC; and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a fourth response for the location estimate of target UE to the CN.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein, the CN is any one of:

a Mobile Switch Center (MSC), an MSC Server and a SGSN.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein, the CN receiving the request for location information from the target UE comprises:

the CN receiving an LCS MO-LR Location Services Invoke to from the target UE.

19. A method for processing location information request initiated by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, by a visited gateway mobile location center (V-GMLC) of a target UE, a location estimate of the target UE from a central network (CN) after the CN receives a request for location information from the target UE, and obtains the location estimate of the target UE;

wherein a requester identifier is sent from the target UE to the CN, the method further comprising;

receiving, the V-GMLC, the requester identifier from the CN;

determining, by the V-GMLC, whether the V-GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier; and

if the V-GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, the V-GMLC directly sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester;

if the V-GMLC cannot directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, according to the requester identifier, the V-GMLC determining a GMLC that can directly access the requester, and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the GMLC; and

sending, by the V-GMLC, the location estimate of the target UE to the target UE via the CN.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, after the V-GMLC directly sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the V-GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester, and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN; and

after the V-GMLC finding the GMLC that can directly access the requester and sending the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the GMLC, the method further comprises;

receiving, by the GMLC, a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester,

returning, by the GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the V-GMLC, and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein address information of the GMLC that can access the requester is sent from the target UE to the CN;

the receiving, by the V-GMLC of the target UE, the location estimate of the target UE from the CN further comprises;

receiving, by the V-GMLC, the address information of the GMLC from the CN; and

the sending, by the V-GMLC, the location estimate of the target UE to the requester comprises;

receiving, by the V-GMLC, the location estimate of the target UE; and

sending, by the V-GMLC, the location estimate of the target UE as well as the requester identifier to the GMLC according to the address information of the GMLC so that the GMLC sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, by the V-GMLC, a second response for the location estimate of the target UE from the GMLC after the requester returns a first response for the location estimate of the target UE to the GMLC, and

returning, by the V-GMLC, a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.

23. A gateway mobile location center (GMLC) for processing location information request initiated by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive a location estimate of the target UE from a central network (CN) after the CN receives a request for location information from the target UE and obtains the location estimate of the target UE; and

a transmitter, configured to send the location estimate of the target UE to the target UE via the CN;

wherein a requester identifier is sent from the target UE to the CN, the receiver is further configured to receive the requester identifier from the CN;

the GMLC further comprises a processor, configured to determine whether the GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier; and

if the GMLC can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, the transmitter is further configured to directly send the location estimate of the target UE to the requester;

if the GMLC cannot directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, the processor is further configured to determine a second GMLC that can directly access the requester according to the requester identifier, and the transmitter is further configured to send the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the second GMLC.

24. The GMLC according to claim 23, wherein,

after the transmitter directly sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester, the receiver is further configured to receive a first response for the location estimate of the target UE to from the requester, and the transmitter is further configured to return a second response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN;

and

after the processor determines the second GMLC that can directly access the requester, the transmitter sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester through the second GMLC, and the second GMLC receives a first response for the location estimate of the target UE from the requester, the receiver is further configured to receive a second response for the location estimate of the target UE sent from the second GMLC, and the transmitter is further configured to return a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.

25. The GMLC according to claim 23, wherein address information of the second GMLC that can access the requester is sent from the target UE to the CN;

the receiver is further configured to receive the address information of the second GMLC from the CN and receive the location estimate of the target UE; and

the transmitter is further configured to send the location estimate of the target UE as well as the requester identifier to the second GMLC according to the address information of the second GMLC so that the second GMLC sends the location estimate of the target UE to the requester according to the requester identifier.

26. The GMLC according to claim 25, wherein

the receiver is further configured to receive a second response for the location estimate of the target UE from the second GMLC after the requester returns a first response for the location estimate of the target UE to the second GMLC, and

the transmitter is further configured to return a third response for the location estimate of the target UE to the CN.