Wireless telecommunications location based services scheme selection

• US 8,918,073 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Havlark, Arlene, Burton, Victor, Ahrens, John
• Primary Examiner(s): WYCHE, MYRON
• Application Number:
  US11/730,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,826 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/433, 455/404.2, 455/440, 455/456.4, 455/456.6, 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An intelligent system for choosing selection schemes to be tried in a predetermined order for determining the location of a wireless mobile client, including retrieving a last known position record from a cache, checking serving network capability, choosing an initial selection scheme according to parameters including at least the required response time and the requested location method, including a method employing navigational satellites, attempting to retrieve a current position record, trying successive untried selection schemes in turn according to a predetermined algorithm if no current position record has been retrieved, and returning the current position record and updating the last known position record, or returning an error if no current position record has been retrieved, and returning the last known position record if an error has been returned, the last known position record exists in the cache and the last known position record has not expired.

Claims

1. A process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network, comprising:

receiving, at a physical location server, a location information request for location information associated with a wireless device;

selecting between a cached last known position of a relevant subscriber, and a next untried location retrieval scheme when no last known position has been retrieved;

determining, from said physical location server, a roaming status of said wireless device; and

selecting, with said physical location server, one of a plurality of location retrieval schemes to retrieve said location information associated with said wireless device, said selecting being based on said roaming status.

2. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a best available location information from a physical memory cache.

3. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

returning an error as said location information if no current location information has been retrieved.

4. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

returning a last known location information as a best available location information if an error has been returned, when said last known position exists in a cache and has not expired.

5. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a timer before an attempt to update said location information for said wireless device; and

returning an error as provided location information when said timer has expired.

6. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

choosing as said next untried location retrieval scheme a navigational satellite system when said wireless device can access said navigational satellite system.

7. The process of providing location information regarding a wireless client in a network according to claim 1, further comprising:

choosing said next untried location retrieval scheme according to a version number of a software application employed.

8. A method of responding in a wireless network to a location request, comprising:

determining a requested accuracy to a response to a location request;

based on said requested accuracy, selecting between a cached last known position of a relevant subscriber, and a next untried locating scheme when no last known position of said relevant subscriber has been retrieved;

determining a roaming status of a relevant subscriber for which location information was requested; and

selecting between a plurality of possible location determination schemes based on said determined roaming status of said relevant subscriber.

9. The method of responding in a wireless network to a location request according to claim 8, wherein:

said next untried locating scheme includes use of a GPS system.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

said next untried locating scheme provides location information determined by the wireless network.

11. The method of responding in a wireless network to a location request according to claim 8, wherein:

said next untried locating scheme includes using one of a GPS system and a land-based wireless network.

12. The method of responding in a wireless network to a location request according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining availability of said last known position in a cache.

13. A method of responding in a wireless network to a location request, comprising:

determining a requested accuracy to a response to a location request;

based on said requested accuracy, selecting between retrieval of a cached last known position record of a relevant subscriber, if available, and a next untried locating scheme when no current position record has been retrieved;

determining a roaming status of a relevant subscriber for which location information was requested; and

selecting between a plurality of possible location determination schemes based on said determined roaming status of said relevant subscriber.

14. The method of responding in a wireless network to a location request according to claim 13, wherein:

said last known position record is retrieved from a cache.

15. The method of responding in a wireless network to a location request according to claim 13, further comprising:

returning an error as provided location information when no current position record has been retrieved.