Method of area-based positioning using OMA secure user plane location in mobile communications system

1. An area-based positioning method for a mobile communications system wherein said system is conformed to the existing Open Mobile Alliance SUPL standard, the method performed by a server and comprising:

sending a SUPL INIT message to a SET in order to initiate a SUPL procedure for an area event triggered session, based upon a positioning request for the SET, the SUPL INIT message comprising a session-id, an intended positioning method, a proxy/non-proxy mode indicator, and a trigger type indicator;

sending a SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message to the SET in response to receiving a SUPL TRIGGERED START message from the SET in order to start an area event triggered session with the SET,

wherein the SUPL TRIGGERED START message comprising comprises a session-id, a location-id, and SET capabilities, and the SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message comprises at least one of a session-id, a positioning method, trigger parameters, and location identifiers of an area specified for the area event triggered session;

receiving a SUPL POS INIT message from the SET to start the area event triggered session, when a comparison performed by the SET of a current area-id and the location identifiers of the area specified for the area event triggered session indicates that positioning of the SET is to be executed;

exchanging position procedure messages with the SET during the positioning session to calculate actual positioning information indicating longitudinal and latitudinal values of the SET;

sending a SUPL REPORT message to the SET, the SUPL REPORT message including the session-id and the calculated actual positioning information of the SET, in order to allow the SET, which operates in SET-based mode, to compare the calculated actual positioning information with the trigger parameters; and

receiving a SUPL REPORT message from the SET, the SUPL REPORT message including the session-id and the calculated actual positioning information of the SET, if the calculated actual positioning information indicates that the trigger parameters are satisfied by the SET.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning request for the SET is received from a SUPL Agent.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: informing the SUPL Agent that the positioning request for the SET is accepted, after sending the SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message to the SET.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location identifiers comprise at least one of cell id(s) belonging to the positioning-requested area, Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), Location Area Code (LAC), a scrambling code number, and a primary scrambling code number.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending, to the SUPL Agent, a REPORT message that includes the calculated position value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, to the SET, a SUPL END message to end the area event triggered session.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger parameters are satisfied by the SET if the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger parameters include information about a specific area and condition information about whether the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

9. An area-based positioning method for a mobile communications system wherein said system is conformed to the existing Open Mobile Alliance SUPL standard, the method performed by a SUPL Enabled Terminal (SET) and comprising:

receiving a SUPL INIT message from a server in order to initiate a SUPL procedure for an area event triggered session, based upon a positioning request for the SET, the SUPL INIT message comprising a session-id, an intended positioning method, a proxy/non-proxy mode indicator, and a trigger type indicator;

receiving a SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message from the server in response to sending a SUPL TRIGGERED START message to the server in order to start an area event triggered session with the SET,

wherein the SUPL TRIGGERED START message comprising comprises a session-id, a location-id, and SET capabilities, and the SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message comprises at least one of a session-id, a positioning method, trigger parameters, and location identifiers of an area specified for the area event triggered session;

sending a SUPL POS INIT message to the server to start the area event triggered session, when a comparison performed by the SET of a current area-id and the location identifiers of the area specified for the area event triggered session indicates that positioning of the SET is to be executed;

exchanging, with the server, positioning procedure messages to calculate actual positioning information indicating longitudinal and latitudinal values of the SET;

calculating the actual positioning information when the SET operates in SET-based mode;

comparing the calculated actual positioning information with the trigger parameters after receiving a SUPL REPORT message from the server, the SUPL REPORT message including the session-id and the calculated actual positioning information of the SET; and

sending a SUPL REPORT message to the server, the SUPL REPORT message including the session-id and the calculated actual positioning information of the SET, if the calculated actual positioning information indicates that the trigger parameters are satisfied by the SET.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the location identifiers comprise at least one of cell id(s) belonging to the positioning-requested area, Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), Location Area Code (LAC), a scrambling code number, and a primary scrambling code number.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, from the server, a SUPL END message to end the area event triggered session.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the trigger parameters are satisfied by the SET if the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the trigger parameters include information about a specific area and condition information about whether the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

14. An area-based positioning method for a mobile communications system wherein said system is conformed to the existing Open Mobile Alliance SUPL standard, the method performed by a server and comprising:

receiving a SUPL TRIGGERED START message from the SET in order to start an area event triggered session with the SET,

wherein the SUPL TRIGGERED START message comprises a session-id, a location-id, trigger type indicator, SET capabilities and trigger parameters;

sending, to the SET, a SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message that includes at least one of a session-id, a positioning method and location identifiers of an area specified for the trigger parameters;

receiving a SUPL POS INIT message from the SET to start a positioning session when a current area-id and at least one of the location identifiers matches with each other;

exchanging position procedure messages with the SET, which operates in SET-based mode, during the positioning session to calculate actual positioning information indicating longitudinal and latitudinal values of the SET; and

receiving a SUPL END message from the SET to end the area event triggered session.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the trigger type indicator indicates an area event.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the trigger parameters include information about a specific area and condition information about whether the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the location identifiers comprise at least one of cell id(s) belonging to the positioning-requested area, Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), Location Area Code (LAC), a scrambling code number, and a primary scrambling code number.

18. An area-based positioning method for a mobile communications system wherein said system is conformed to the existing Open Mobile Alliance SUPL standard, the method performed by a SUPL Enabled Terminal (SET) and comprising:

sending a SUPL TRIGGERED START message to a server in order to start an area event triggered session with the SET,

wherein the SUPL TRIGGERED START message comprises a session-id, a location-id, trigger type indicator, SET capabilities and trigger parameters;

receiving, from the server, a SUPL TRIGGERED RESPONSE message that includes at least one of a session-id, a positioning method and location identifiers of an area specified for the trigger parameters;

sending a SUPL POS INIT message to the server to start a positioning session when a current area-id and at least one of the location identifiers matches with each other;

exchanging position procedure messages with the server during the positioning session to calculate actual positioning information indicating longitudinal and latitudinal values of the SET;

calculating the actual positioning information when the SET operates in SET-based mode; and

sending a SUPL END message to the server to end the area event triggered session.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the trigger type indicator indicates an area event.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the trigger parameters include information about a specific area and condition information about whether the SET has moved into or out of a specified area or positioned in the specified area.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the location identifiers comprise at least one of cell id(s) belonging to the positioning-requested area, Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), Location Area Code (LAC), a scrambling code number, and a primary scrambling code number.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

forwarding the calculated actual positioning information to an internal agent within the SET.