Processing of a coarse location request for a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9439163-B2
Application number	US-201314139134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A location proxy server receives a network-initiated location request. The location proxy server determines the location request is a coarse location request for a mobile device. The location proxy server forwards the coarse location request for the mobile device to a location server. The location server completes a control plane function to determine the location of the mobile device and provides a location answer to the location proxy server. The location proxy server provides the location answer to the application server initiating the location request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a network configured to provide mobile wireless communication service to mobile devices;
a first location server configured to provide location services for only a first portion of the network operating in compliance with a legacy network standard;
a second location server configured to provide location services for only a second portion of the network operating in compliance with a long term evolution (LTE) network standard; and
a location proxy server configured to:
invoke a first control plane function through the network via the first location server, to locate a mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network in response to a first location request of a first type;
invoke a second control plane function through the network via the second location server, to locate a mobile device serviced only by the second portion of the network in response to a second location request of the first type; and
invoke a user plane function to locate a mobile device serviced by either the first portion of the network or the second portion of the network in response to a location request of a second type,

wherein the system does not handle any enhanced emergency (E911) location requests.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a home location register; and
a mobile serving center, wherein:
each location request of the first type is a coarse location request;
the first location server is a mobile position center; and

the mobile position center is configured to utilize the home location register and the mobile serving center to determine a cell identifier of a cell within which the mobile device is currently located.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the coarse location request includes a requested accuracy equal to or larger than 1000 meters.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a home subscriber server; and
a serving mobility management entity, wherein:
each location request of the first type is a coarse location request;
the second location server comprises a gateway mobile location center; and
the gateway mobile location center is configured to utilize the home subscriber server and the serving mobility management entity to determine a cell identifier of a cell within which the mobile device is currently located.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the coarse location request includes a requested accuracy equal to or larger than 1000 meters.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the gateway mobile location center is further configured to:
query the home subscriber server for an international mobile subscriber identity and the serving mobility management entity related to the mobile device;
obtain, from the serving mobility management entity, the cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located; and
send, to the location proxy server, a location answer based on the cell identifier in response to the coarse location request.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the second location server is a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) server;
the mobile device comprises a SUPL agent; and
obtaining the cell identifier does not engage the SUPL agent.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the second location server further comprises a serving mobile location center;
the gateway mobile location center is further configured to:
query the home subscriber server for an international mobile subscriber identity and the serving mobility management entity related to the mobile device;
request, from the serving mobility management entity, the cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located;
receive, from the serving mobility management entity, the cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located; and
send, to the location proxy server, a location answer based on the cell identifier in response to the location request; and

the serving mobility management entity is configured to:
receive, from the gateway mobile location center, the request for the cell identifier for the cell within which the mobile device is currently located;
upon determining the serving mobility management entity does not have a current cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located, send a page to the mobile device;
receive, from the mobile device in response to the page, the current cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located;
send, to the serving mobile location center, a request to update location information related to the mobile device;
receive, from the serving mobile location center, a response to the request indicating location information related to the mobile device is updated; and
upon receipt of the response from the serving mobile location center, send the current cell identifier of the cell within which the mobile device is currently located to the gateway mobile location center.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the second location server is a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) server;
the mobile device comprises a SUPL agent; and
the page to the mobile device does not engage the SUPL agent.

10. A computer, comprising:
a processor configured to control operations of the computer;
a communications interface configured to communicate with a mobile wireless communication network;
a memory;
a location proxy server program in the memory, wherein execution of the location proxy server program by the processor of the computer configures the computer to implement functions, including functions to:
invoke, in response to a first location request of a first type, a first control plane function through the network via a first location server computer of a first portion of the network operating in compliance with a legacy network standard, to locate a mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network;
invoke, in response to a second location request of the first type, a second control plane function through the network via a second location server computer of a second portion of the network operating in compliance with a long term evolution (LTE) network standard, to locate a mobile device serviced only by the second portion of the network; and
invoke, in response to a location request of a second type and without interaction with a location server computer, a user plane function of the location proxy server program to locate a mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network or the second portion of the network.

11. The computer of claim 10 , wherein the implemented function to invoke the first control plane function further comprises functions to:
determine that the location request is a coarse location request based on a quality of position value equal to or larger than 1000 meters;
determine that the location request is a request to locate the mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network based on an absence of a mobile device identifier related to the mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network in a device database; and
forward the coarse location request for the mobile device serviced by the first portion of the network to a mobile position center function of the first location server computer.

12. The computer of claim 10 , wherein the implemented function to invoke the second control plane function further comprises functions to:
determine that the location request is a coarse location request based on a quality of position value equal to or larger than 1000 meters;
determine that the location request is a request to locate the mobile device serviced only by the second p

Assignees

• Cellco Partnership Dba Verizon

Inventors

• Ward Rachel Yu-Yin
• Thaper Atul

Classifications

• G01S5/0295

  Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals · CPC title

• G01S5/02

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• H04W64/00 Primary

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title