Method and system for obtaining location information from a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807548-B2
Application number	US-201313757470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 1, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and mechanisms for deriving user device location information by exploiting existing voice and/or data capabilities within the Radio Access Network (RAN) layer of a 4G or 3G wireless network, and offering the derived user device location information to network optimization functions, application and/or service providers via an application programming interface (API).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a network element of a wireless network, an access network mobility management area update signal of a wireless access device of the wireless network, wherein the access network mobility management area update signal is indicative of a user equipment (UE) crossing an area boundary;
determining, at the network element based on the access network mobility management area update signal, that said UE is located within an area associated with an authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area; and
providing UE location information of said UE from the network element toward the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area, using an application programming interface (API) associated with the network element, based on the determination that the UE is located within the area associated with the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said area comprises a Routing Area (RA) within a 3G network, and said access network mobility management area update signal comprises a Routing Area Update (RAU) request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said area comprises a Tracking Area (TA) within a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and said access network mobility management area update signal comprises a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forwarding toward said UE a solicitation associated with said authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said area comprises a venue or a portion of a venue.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said provided UE location information comprises a UE identifier and an area identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said provided UE location information further comprises each received area update signal associated with said UE while said UE is located within said area.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said area is divided into a plurality of sub-areas, where each sub-area is supported by a respective radio link.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said provided UE location information further includes handoff signals indicative of said UE traversing a boundary of a sub-area.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said provided UE location information is provided via an open API platform (OAP).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said OAP is adapted to enable only authorized applications or network optimization functions to receive said provided UE location information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said OAP is adapted to provide an API formatting function.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said OAP is adapted to translate said provided UE location information into a Representational State Transfer (REST) API format.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said area associated with said authorized application or network optimization function is associated with a venue.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said authorized application or network optimization function comprises at least one of a use of broadcast service to deliver content and applications within the venue, a video content optimization, a RAN resource allocation, an application based congestion management, a QoS improvement, a discounted access rate, and an application sponsored access.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a solicitation to initiate a session associated with said authorized application or network optimization function is initiated in response to location information indicative of a subscriber entering an area, and a termination of a session associated with said authorized application or network optimization function is initiated in response to location information indicative of a subscriber exiting an area.

17. A system for managing location-enabled applications, the system comprising:
an access network manager comprising a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the access network manager configured to:
receive, at the access network manager of a wireless network, an access network mobility management area update signal of a wireless access device of the wireless network, wherein the access network mobility management area update signal is indicative of a user equipment (UE) crossing an area boundary;
determine, at the access network manager based on the access network mobility management area update signal, that the UE is located within an area associated with an authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area; and
provide UE location information of said UE from the access network manager toward the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area, using an application programming interface (API) associated with the access network manager, based on the determination that the UE is located within the area associated with the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising an open API platform (OAP) in communication with said access network manager to propagate said provided UE location information toward equipment supporting said authorized application or network optimization function.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including software instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network element of a wireless network, an access network mobility management area update signal of a wireless access device of the wireless network, wherein the access network mobility management area update signal is indicative of a user equipment (UE) crossing an area boundary;
determining, at the network element based on the access network mobility management area update signal, that said UE is located within an area associated with an authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area; and
providing UE location information of said UE from the network element toward the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area, using an application programming interface (API) associated with the network element, based on the determination that the UE is located within the area associated with the authorized application or network optimization function that is authorized to receive UE location information for UEs located within said area.

20. A computer program product storing software instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network element of a wireless network, an access network mobility management area update signal of a wireless access device of the wireless network, wherein the access network mobility management area update signal is indicative of a user equipmen

Assignees

• Kahn Colin
• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Kahn Colin

Classifications

• H04W8/16

  selectively restricting mobility {data} tracking · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W8/10

  between location register and external networks · CPC title

• H04W64/00

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

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title