UMA NETWORK CONTROLLER THAT PROVIDES ACCESS POINT IDENTIFIERS TO A LOCATION SYSTEM

Abstract

Networks and methods are disclosed for accurately determining the location of a mobile device for a UMA network. When placing a special number call, such as a 9-1-1 call, the mobile device transmits access point identifiers (AP-ID) for a plurality of the access points accessible to the mobile device. A UNC in the UMA network receives the plurality of AP-ID's from the mobile device. The UNC is connected to a location system and transmits the AP-ID's to the location system over the connection. The location system receives the AP-ID's over the connection and queries an access point database that stores a location for each access point registered in the database. The location system then identifies a plurality of locations for the plurality of access points from the access point database, and estimates the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations identified for the plurality of access points.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of this invention may be obtained from a consideration of this specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a communication network in an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating the mobile device of FIG. 2 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating the communication network of FIG. 1 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates another communication network in another exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a message diagram illustrating messaging in the communication network in FIG. 5 in an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of determining a location of a mobile device in communication with a UMA network, wherein the UMA network includes a plurality of access points and a UMA Network Controller (UNC), wherein the UNC is connected to a location system over a connection, the method comprising: receiving in the UNC a plurality of access point identifiers for the plurality of access points accessible to the mobile device;transmitting the plurality of access point identifiers from the UNC to the location system over the connection;in the location system, querying an access point database with the plurality of access point identifiers to identify a plurality of locations for the plurality of access points; andestimating the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the plurality of access point identifiers from the UNC to the location system over the connection comprises: automatically pushing the plurality of access point identifiers from the UNC to the location system over the connection responsive to receiving the plurality of access point identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the plurality of access point identifiers from the UNC to the location system over the connection comprises: transmitting the plurality of access point identifiers from the UNC to the location system over the connection responsive to receiving a query for the information from the location system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a plurality of signal strengths used for communication between the plurality of access points and the mobile device; wherein estimating the location of the mobile device comprises estimating the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points and a signal strength used for communication between the mobile device and the plurality of access points.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of access point identifiers for a plurality of access points comprises: receiving the plurality of access point identifiers in a signaling message for a special number call from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the special number call comprises a 9-1-1 call.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the signaling message comprises a SIP Invite message.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising: selecting a PSAP to handle the special number call based on the estimated location of the mobile device; androuting the special number call to the selected PSAP.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein estimating the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points comprises: entering the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points in a triangulation algorithm to estimate the location of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein estimating the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points comprises: identifying a first one of the plurality of locations corresponding with the access point presently serving the mobile device;verifying the first one of the plurality of locations based on at least a second one of the plurality of locations of the other access points; andestimating the location of the mobile device based on the first one of the plurality of locations if the first one of the plurality of locations is verified.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising: flagging the first one of the plurality of locations corresponding with the access point presently serving the mobile device in the access point database if the first one of the plurality of locations is not verified.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising: notifying an operator if the first one of the plurality of locations is not verified.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising: storing the estimated location of the mobile device in a location database.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: storing an indication of the reliability of the estimated location of the mobile device in the location database.

15. A communication network adapted to determine a location of a mobile device communicating with a UMA network, the communication network comprising: a location system;an access point database adapted to store a plurality of locations for a plurality of access points for the UMA network; anda UMA Network Controller (UNC) connected to the location system by a connection, the UNC adapted to receive a plurality of access point identifiers for a plurality of access points accessible to the mobile device, and transmit the plurality of access point identifiers to the location system over the connection;the location system adapted to query the access point database with the plurality of access point identifiers to identify a plurality of locations for the plurality of access points, and estimate the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points.

16. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the UNC is adapted to: automatically push the plurality of access point identifiers to the location system over the connection responsive to receiving the plurality of access point identifiers.

17. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the UNC is adapted to: transmit the plurality of access point identifiers to the location system over the connection responsive to receiving a query for the information from the location system.

18. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the location system is further adapted to: receive a plurality of signal strengths used for communication between the plurality of access points and the mobile device; andestimate the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points and a signal strength used for communication between the mobile device and the plurality of access points.

19. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the location system is further adapted to: receive the plurality of access point identifiers in a signaling message for a special number call from the mobile device.

20. The communication network of claim 19 wherein the special number call comprises a 9-1-1 call.

21. The communication network of claim 19 wherein the signaling message comprises a SIP Invite message.

22. The communication network of claim 19 wherein the location system is further adapted to: select a PSAP to handle the special number call based on the estimated location of the mobile device; androute the special number call to the selected PSAP.

23. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the location system is further adapted to: enter the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points in a triangulation algorithm to estimate the location of the mobile device.

24. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the location system is further adapted to estimate the location of the mobile device by: identifying a first one of the plurality of locations corresponding with the access point presently serving the mobile device;verifying the first one of the plurality of locations based on at least a second one of the plurality of locations of the other access points; andestimating the location of the mobile device based on the first one of the plurality of locations if the first one of the plurality of locations is verified.

25. The communication network of claim 24 wherein the location system is further adapted to: flag the first one of the plurality of locations corresponding with the access point presently serving the mobile device in the access point database if the first one of the plurality of locations is not verified.

26. The communication network of claim 24 wherein the location system is further adapted to: notify an operator if the first one of the plurality of locations is not verified.

27. The communication network of claim 15 wherein the location system is further adapted to: store the estimated location of the mobile device in a location database.

28. The communication network of claim 27 wherein the location system is further adapted to: store an indication of the reliability of the estimated location of the mobile device in the location database.

29. A mobile device adapted to communicate with a plurality of access points of a UMA network, the mobile device comprising: a network interface adapted to receive broadcast messages from the plurality of access points in range of the mobile device, wherein the broadcast messages from the access points include access point identifiers for the access points; anda call application, when executed by a processing system, adapted to store the access point identifiers for the access points;the call application, responsive to a user dialing a special number, is further adapted to identify the plurality of access point identifiers of the access points, generate a call setup message for the special number call that includes the plurality of access point identifiers, and transmit the call setup message for the special number call to the UMA network.

30. The mobile device of claim 29 wherein the special number call comprises a 9-1-1 call.

31. The mobile device of claim 29 wherein the call setup message comprises a SIP Invite message.

32. A communication network, comprising: a plurality of access points for a UMA network adapted to communicate with a mobile device;a UMA Network Controller (UNC) for the UMA network; anda location system connected to the UNC by a direct connection;wherein the UNC is adapted to receive a plurality of access point identifiers for the plurality of access points accessible to the mobile device responsive to a special number call from the mobile device, and transmit the plurality of access point identifiers to the location system over the connection.

33. The communication network of claim 32 further comprising: an access point database adapted to store a plurality of locations for the plurality of access points for the UMA network.

34. The communication network of claim 33 wherein: the location system is further adapted to query the access point database with the plurality of access point identifiers to identify a plurality of locations for the plurality of access points, and estimate the location of the mobile device based on the plurality of locations for the plurality of access points.

35. The communication network of claim 34 further comprising: a routing database adapted to store routing information for special number calls;wherein the location system is further adapted to query the routing database with the location of the mobile device;wherein the routing database is adapted to identify routing information for the special number call, and transmit the routing information to the location system.

36. The communication network of claim 35 wherein the routing information comprises a PSAP ID for a PSAP selected to handle the special number call.

37. The communication network of claim 32 wherein the connection does not use the Interface A protocol.

38. The communication network of claim 32 wherein the connection uses SIP protocol.