Interface for wireless location information
View Patent ↗Multiple location finding equipment (LFE) inputs are used to enhance location information made available to wireless location-based applications. A wireless network utilizes a mobile switching center to route communications between wireless stations, a network platform, and a variety of LFE systems. A Location Finding System (LFS), resident on the network platform, receives location information from the LFEs and provides location information to wireless location based applications. In this regard, the LFS can receive input information at varying time intervals of varying accuracies and in various formats, and can provide standardized outputs to the applications, for example, depending on the needs of the applications. Multiple inputs may also be co-processed for enhanced accuracy. A specification can be used to ensure that location information at least meets certain minimum criteria, such as geographical accuracy, allowable age, acceptable response time, and confidence.
1. A method of providing location information regarding a mobile unit in a mobile communications system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for location information for a mobile unit, the request identifying the mobile unit and including a specification indicating a characteristic of the requested location information;
selecting at least one location information source from a plurality of location information sources, the selected at least one location information source being operable to provide the location information for the mobile unit that at least meets the specification and at least one of the plurality of location information sources employing a location finding technology that is different than a location finding technology employed by another one of the plurality of location information sources;
obtaining the location information from the at least one selected location information source; and
providing the location information at least meeting the specification for the identified mobile unit in response to the request;
wherein selecting at least one location information source includes utilizing a default specification to select between multiple acceptable location sources, each of the multiple acceptable location sources being operable to obtain location information at least substantially conforming to the included specification.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of location information sources includes at least one of a database containing location information and equipment associated with the mobile communications system operable to obtain the location information.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the location information includes invoking each selected location information source to provide the location information.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification establishes a priority for selecting the location information source to provide the location information for a particular request.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification is related to a geographical accuracy for the location information.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification is related to an allowable age of the location information.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification is related to acceptable response times to provide the location information.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for location information includes correlating the specification to a corresponding value associated with the location information sources.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein correlating the specification includes correlating the specification to a first value associated with an individual location information source.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting at least one location information source includes consulting at least a first database in which information associated with the location information sources is stored.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification is related to a confidence associated with the location information.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the request further includes a plurality of specifications for the requested location information.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of specifications include at least one specification related to at least one of a geographical accuracy, an allowable age, an acceptable response time, and a confidence for the location information.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting the at least one location information source based, in part, on the plurality of specifications.
15. A method of providing location information regarding a mobile unit, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for location information for a mobile unit, the request including a specification indicating a characteristic of the requested location information, the characteristic including at least one of a geographical accuracy, an allowable age, an acceptable response time, and a confidence for the location information;
obtaining the location information from at least one location information source of a plurality of location information sources, the at least one location information source being operable to provide the location information for the mobile unit that at least meets the specification, and at least one of the plurality of location information sources employing a location finding technology that is different than a location finding technology employed by another one of the plurality of location information sources; and
providing the location information at least meeting the specification for the identified mobile unit in response to the request;
wherein selecting at least one location information source includes utilizing a default specification to select between multiple acceptable location sources, each of the multiple acceptable location sources being operable to obtain location information at least substantially conforming to the included specification.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein obtaining the location information from at least one location information source includes consulting at least a first database in which information associated with the location information sources is stored.
17. A system for providing location information regarding a mobile unit in a mobile communications system, the system including a processor and a memory medium including instructions that when executed by said processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving a request for location information for a mobile unit, the request identifying the mobile unit and including a specification indicating a characteristic of the requested location information;
selecting at least one location information source from a plurality of location information sources, the selected at least one location information source being operable to provide the location information for the mobile unit that at least meets the specification and at least one of the plurality of location information sources employing a location finding technology that is different than a location finding technology employed by another one of the plurality of location information sources;
obtaining the location information from the at least one selected location information source; and
providing the location information at least meeting the specification for the identified mobile unit in response to the request;
wherein the processor is caused to select at least one location information source by utilizing a default specification to select between multiple acceptable location sources, each of the multiple acceptable location sources being operable to obtain location information at least substantially conforming to the included specification.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of location information sources includes at least one of a database containing location information and equipment associated with the mobile communications system operable to obtain the location information.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the specification establishes a priority for selecting the location information source to provide the location information for a particular request.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the specification is related to at least one of a geographical accuracy for the location information, a confidence associated with the location information, an allowable age of the location information, and acceptable response times to provide the location information.
21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the request further includes a plurality of specifications for the requested location information.
22. A method of providing location information regarding a mobile unit in a mobile communications system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for location information for a mobile unit, the request identifying the mobile unit and including a metric for a desired characteristic for the requested location information;
selecting at least one location information source from a plurality of location information sources, the selected at least one location information source being operable to provide the location information for the mobile unit that at least meets the metric and at least one of the plurality of location information sources employing a location finding technology that is different than a location finding technology employed by another one of the plurality of location information sources;
obtaining the location information from the at least one selected location information source; and
providing the location information at least meeting the metric specification for the identified mobile unit in response to the request;
wherein selecting at least one location information source includes utilizing a default specification to select between multiple acceptable location sources, each of the multiple acceptable location sources being operable to obtain location information at least substantially conforming to the included specification.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the metric is related to at least one of a geographical accuracy for the location information, a confidence associated with the location information, an allowable age of the location information, and acceptable response times to provide the location information.