Granted Patent B2

US 8,565,715 · App. 11/437,104 · Granted Oct 22, 2013

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining profile information for users associated with respective mobile user devices associated with a wireless network;

obtaining location information for said mobile user devices; and

controlling delivery of at least one message to a given one of the mobile user devices based on the location information and the profile information;

wherein the steps are performed by at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory;

wherein the location information is obtained for respective ones of said mobile user devices responsive to location determinations initiated by those mobile user devices;

wherein a given one of the mobile user devices initiates a corresponding one of the location determinations responsive to detection within that mobile user device of a substantial change in its location;

wherein the step of obtaining location information further comprises the steps of:

receiving from the given mobile user device a request for a location readout session;

setting up a traffic channel for the location readout session responsive to said request; and

receiving from the given mobile user device a corresponding portion of the location information over the traffic channel; and

wherein the given one of the mobile user devices initiates the corresponding location determination responsive to an indication that its location is likely to have changed by more than a designated amount relative to a previous location determination for that mobile user device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices autonomously determines its associated location information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices determines its associated location information based on assist information transmitted to that mobile user device over a broadcast channel of the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the broadcast channel comprises a paging channel of the wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices initiates the corresponding location determination when that mobile user device is in an otherwise idle state.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices periodically initiates corresponding location determinations in accordance with an established rate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices initiates the corresponding location determination by sending a traffic channel setup request to a switching element of the wireless network.

8. A computer-readable medium having embodied therein executable program code which when executed by at least one processing device implements the method of claim 1 .

9. A location-based services system, the system comprising:

at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory;

wherein the processing device is adapted to obtain profile information for users associated with respective mobile user devices associated with a wireless network, and to obtain location information for said mobile user devices;

wherein the processing device is further adapted to control delivery of at least one message to a given one of the mobile user devices based on the location information and the profile information; and

wherein the location information is obtained for respective ones of said mobile user devices responsive to location determinations initiated by those mobile user devices;

a given one of the mobile user devices initiating a corresponding one of the location determinations responsive to detection within that mobile user device of a substantial change in its location;

the processing device being configured to obtain a corresponding portion of the location information for the given mobile user device over a traffic channel set up for a location readout session responsive to a request for the location readout session from the given mobile user device;

wherein the given one of the mobile user devices initiates the corresponding location determination responsive to an indication that its location is likely to have changed by more than a designated amount relative to a previous location determination for that mobile user device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing device is external to the wireless network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing device is implemented using a layered architecture comprising at least an application support layer, an application enabling layer, a location-based service enabling layer and a network connectivity layer.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile user device associated with a wireless network, the mobile user device being configured to receive at least one message that is controllably delivered to the mobile user device based on a combination of (i) location information of the mobile user device and (ii) profile information of an associated user;

wherein the location information is obtained for the mobile user device responsive to a location determination initiated by that mobile user device;

the mobile user device initiating the location determination responsive to detection within that mobile user device of a substantial change in its location;

wherein the mobile user device transmits a request for a location readout session;

wherein the mobile user device transmits the location information over a traffic channel that is set up for the location readout session responsive to said request; and

wherein the mobile user devices initiates the location determination responsive to an indication that its location is likely to have changed by more than a designated amount relative to a previous location determination for the mobile user device.

13. The mobile user device of claim 12 wherein the mobile user device is configured to autonomously determine its associated location information.

14. The mobile user device of claim 12 wherein the mobile user device is configured to determine its associated location information based on assist information transmitted to that mobile user device over a broadcast channel of the wireless network.

15. The mobile user device of claim 14 wherein the broadcast channel comprises a paging channel of the wireless network.

16. The mobile user device of claim 12 wherein the mobile user device is configured to initiate the location determination when that mobile user device is in an otherwise idle state.

17. The mobile user device of claim 12 wherein the mobile user device is configured to periodically initiate location determinations in accordance with an established rate.

18. The mobile user device of claim 12 wherein the at least one message is delivered under the control of a location-based services system.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining location information further comprises the step of sending to the given mobile user device a location readout command responsive to said request for a location readout session, and wherein the corresponding portion of the location information is received from the given mobile device responsive to the location readout command.

Assignments (9)