CA2614534A1 - An apparatus and a method for locating user equipment - Google Patents
An apparatus and a method for locating user equipment Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2614534A1 CA2614534A1 CA002614534A CA2614534A CA2614534A1 CA 2614534 A1 CA2614534 A1 CA 2614534A1 CA 002614534 A CA002614534 A CA 002614534A CA 2614534 A CA2614534 A CA 2614534A CA 2614534 A1 CA2614534 A1 CA 2614534A1
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- Prior art keywords
- subscriber identity
- identity module
- mobile station
- data
- location
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
- G01S19/38—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system
- G01S19/39—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
- G01S19/42—Determining position
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
- H04W88/02—Terminal devices
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
- G01S19/01—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
- G01S19/03—Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
- G01S19/05—Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing aiding data
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
- G01S19/01—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
- G01S19/13—Receivers
- G01S19/35—Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
- G01S19/38—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system
- G01S19/39—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
- G01S19/42—Determining position
- G01S19/51—Relative positioning
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
- Position Fixing By Use Of Radio Waves (AREA)
Abstract
The invention is related to a subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2), to user equipment (1-2) comprising a subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) and to a communications system that it is adapted to receive location information from said user equipment (1-2). The subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) comprises contacts (2-10) for powering the module (1-4, 2-2) from the user equipment (1-2) power supply. The invention is known to the fact that the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) comprises a GPS receiver (1-6, 2-4) and an antenna (1-8, 2-6).
Description
An apparatus and a method for locating user equipment Field of the invention The present invention relates to communications systems and more particularly to a module, user equipment, a system and a method for locating user equipment in a communications system.
Background of the invention The accurate location of user equipment, such as a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) mobile device, cannot be determined us-ing the information from a cellular network. The information enables the loca-tion only of an accuracy of about 100-300 meters in rural areas and 50-100 meters in city areas. For example, in a case of an emergency call, it is vital to find out the exact location from which the call was made to be able to get help to the site as fast as possible. If the call was made by a mobile device, which cannot accurately be located, the rescue service may miss many vital minutes.
GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers could offer a better ac-curacy, but they are expensive and are not widely carried and used by public.
GPS receivers do not work reliably or at all indoors and in canyons, like in be-tween high buildings.
There are also Assisted GPS (AGPS) systems working in conjunc-tion with terrestrial cellular networks. AGPS systems help the GPS receiver perform the tasks required to make range measurements and position solutions. With assistance from outside sources, from the network, the GPS
receiver can operate more quickly and efficiently than it would unassisted, because a set of tasks that it would normally handle is shared with the assistance server. Furthermore, due to the assistance information delivered over the cellular network, an AGPS receiver is about 1,000 times more sensitive than a normal GPS receiver and consequently it can also be used indoors and in canyons.
However, one of the disadvantages associated with the above 3o arrangement is that these devices are also expensive and not widely available and used by the consumers.
Brief disclosure of the invention An object of the present invention is thus to provide a method and an apparatus for implementing the method so as to solve the above problems.
Background of the invention The accurate location of user equipment, such as a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) mobile device, cannot be determined us-ing the information from a cellular network. The information enables the loca-tion only of an accuracy of about 100-300 meters in rural areas and 50-100 meters in city areas. For example, in a case of an emergency call, it is vital to find out the exact location from which the call was made to be able to get help to the site as fast as possible. If the call was made by a mobile device, which cannot accurately be located, the rescue service may miss many vital minutes.
GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers could offer a better ac-curacy, but they are expensive and are not widely carried and used by public.
GPS receivers do not work reliably or at all indoors and in canyons, like in be-tween high buildings.
There are also Assisted GPS (AGPS) systems working in conjunc-tion with terrestrial cellular networks. AGPS systems help the GPS receiver perform the tasks required to make range measurements and position solutions. With assistance from outside sources, from the network, the GPS
receiver can operate more quickly and efficiently than it would unassisted, because a set of tasks that it would normally handle is shared with the assistance server. Furthermore, due to the assistance information delivered over the cellular network, an AGPS receiver is about 1,000 times more sensitive than a normal GPS receiver and consequently it can also be used indoors and in canyons.
However, one of the disadvantages associated with the above 3o arrangement is that these devices are also expensive and not widely available and used by the consumers.
Brief disclosure of the invention An object of the present invention is thus to provide a method and an apparatus for implementing the method so as to solve the above problems.
The objects of the invention are achieved by a method and an arrangement, which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. The pre-ferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
The invention is based on the idea of adding a high accuracy satel-lite positioning system functionality to the existing non-satellite positioning sys-tem user equipment without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new subscriber identity module comprising a satellite positioning system receiver (1-6, 2-4) and an antenna (1-8, 2-6).
An advantage of the method and the arrangement of the invention is that user equipment can be located more accurately. The location method is also easy to install to the current user equipment, which equipment are widely used. The method and the arrangement of the invention are also inexpensive.
Brief description of the drawings In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 shows user equipment with an AGPS capable SIM card according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 2 shows a SIM module with embedded AGPS receiver and 2o antenna according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 3 shows a signalling chart of a user initiated location request according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 4 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 5 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments; and Figure 6 shows a positioning request that is processed entirely in the AGPS-SIM card using the AGPS subsystem according to the invention and its embodiments.
3o Detailed description of the invention The user equipment of the invention and its embodiments can be any mobile equipment like 2G (Generation), 2.5G, 3G or 4G user equipment. It can be e.g. a mobile station, a cellular mobile station, a communicator or a computer. The detailed structure and operation of the user equipment and the communications systems are not relevant to the invention, and therefore they are described only to the extent that helps understanding the invention. Fur-thermore, it should be noted that the invention can be applied to different kind of positioning systems and satellite systems and to different kind of communi-cations systems and networks like fixed networks and packet switched net-works or combination thereof and/or to wireless data transmission networks, such as Mobile-IP (Internet-Protocol) networks and user equipment thereof.
For the invention and its embodiments a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card can be defined to be a card removably insertable into the user equipment containing data for subscriber identification and/or encipherment of 1o radio communication and/or other security related information. However, it is to be noted that the SIM card according to the invention and its embodiments can but does not have be able to identify the subscriber.
A processor in the SIM card or working with the SIM card can con-trol the access to a memory of the SIM card or to a memory working with the SIM card used for the location of the user equipment e.g. in response to the identity of the location request initiator. The control can mean e.g. the preven-tion of a location initiator from getting to the information of the memory.
This means that in one way of using the SIM card there is no direct access to the memory of the SIM card although there can be one. In one embodiment of the invention the SIM card can recognize the location initiator being authorized to get the information directly from the memory of the SIM card without any au-thorization requests for locating the user equipment. It is also possible that the user has given for some or all persons and/or authorities preauthorization for the direct access to the memory.
The SIM card can also be a so-called tamper-proofed device offer-ing enough protection in relation to the location of a single person.
The SIM card can also be adapted to fit to different kinds of user equipment, to different kinds of mobile stations such that when inserted e.g.
into a conventional cellular mobile station it can adapt to the system of the conventional mobile station and cause it to operate for locating the mobile sta-tion.
The SIM card can also comprise and/or be in cooperation with logic(s) and/or software program(s) or application(s), which can control the op-eration of the invention and its embodiments. The logic(s), the program(s) and/or the application(s) can be in the SIM card, in communication with the SIM card and/or it/they can be loaded to the SIM card and/or to the user equipment for carrying out the invention and its embodiments. The applications comprise e.g. Java and Symbian applications.
In other words, the SIM card can comprise means e.g. a program, for calculating the current location, like the coordinates, of the user equipment.
Thus the whole processing of the positioning data and/or the current location can be done with the GPS chip and the SIM processor. The processor(s) of the user equipment are not needed in the calculation but it/they can also be used.
The SIM card can also comprise means e.g. a program, for sending the temporary data, pseudo data to the server for the calculation of the current location of the user equipment.
The Java and Symbian applications can process the location infor-mation received from the SIM card and/or from the server in many ways. The Java application can get the location information over the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network via the MSLC (Mobile Serving Location Center) server.
The SIM card can be virtual or separate, stand-alone card. For the invention and its embodiments the SIM card can be partly or wholly fixed to the user equipment or partly or wholly removably insertable into the user equip-ment. It can thus comprise one or more parts. The SIM card can also have dif-ferent sizes, thicknesses and volumes. Although in the following the name SIM
card will be used, it is to be understood that it also refers to different kind of smart cards like to an ICC card (Integrated Circuit Card) or to a chip card.
What is important for the invention and its embodiments is that it is a module with embedded information receiver and/or antenna.
The receiver can receive information for locating or for assisting the locationing of the equipment. Thus it can be e.g. a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or an AGPS (Assisted GPS) receiver or a receiver for other satellite-positioning systems like NAVSTAR (NAVigation System using Timing And Ranging), GLONAS (Global Navigation Satellite Service) or GALILEO. It must be noted that the module can comprise one or more receivers and/or an-tennas each of which is adapted to e.g. different positioning systems.
The antenna can be within the module or it can be provided as a separate component. Also the antenna of the user equipment can be used. If then the receiver unit is in the module, the sensitivity of the system can be in-creased compared to the situation where both the receiver and the antenna are in the module. This however can require the use of new user equipment.
The invention and its embodiments are based on the idea of adding a high accuracy satellite positioning system, like GPS, functionality to the exist-ing non satellite positioning system, like non-GPS, user equipment without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new positioning sys-5 tem, like AGPS, enabled SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card in it. It is also possible to insert the high accuracy satellite positioning system functionality to the existing satellite positioning system user equipment.
It is possible that the user can locate his/hers position by his/hers own initiative or the user can be located by the initiative of a third person or a service. However, before the third person or an external service can locate the user equipment, it is possible for the user to accept or reject the external posi-tioning initiative unless it is generated by emergency services with authority to do so by law, or by an application or service, which is authorised by the user.
In these cases the remote location request sender can be authenticated by a positioning application, like the AGPS application on the SIM card prior to re-questing a positioning subsystem, like the AGPS subsystem to generate the location data. The authentication can use digital signature (PKI) or other avail-able secure authentication methods to control the access to the AGPS subsys-tem functionality. The authentication can also be used for controlling the ac-cessing to the location information for applications running on the SIM or mo-bile device.
The SIM module can also comprise means for controlling the ac-cess to the positing data. When an inquiry for positioning data is received said means can check the riqht to use and/or the riaht to get said positioning data based on e.g. the identity of the sender of the inquiry. The SIM module can transmit the positioning data or deny its transmission. The SIM module can also calculate the location and transmit e.g. the coordinates to the initiator of the inquiry. The SIM card can also ask the user of the user equipment for the acceptance of the transmission of said data.
Figure 1 shows user equipment 1-2 with a smart card 1-4, such as a SIM card or a USIM (UMTS subscriber identity module; UMTS, Universal Mo-bile Telecommunications System) card 1-4. The smart card can have an em-bedded global satellite-positioning receiver, such as Assisted-GPS (AGPS) re-ceiver 1-6 and a GPS antenna 1-8, together forming an AGPS subsystem. The AGPS subsystem is designed to provide accurate positioning information of the user equipment. The embedded AGPS receiver is adapted to receive AGPS assistance data 1-10, 1-12 from a network based Location Server 1-14 via a cellular network 1-30, mobile device 1-2 and SIM card contacts using e.g.
SIM Toolkit API protocol or other protocol usable for communication between the SIM card and the user equipment.
One or more of the antennas of the smart card can be a chip an-tenna adapted to be fitted on the smart card. Its material can be e.g.
ceramic.
The size of the antenna can be very small, e.g. 3x10x0.7 mm.
Both the receiver(s) and the antenna(s) can be constructed in one or more parts and the receiver and the antenna can be integrated partly or to-lo tally into one or more integrated circuits. The receiver and the antenna can thus be integrated into the same substrate or into at least two different sub-strates.
Thus the receiver and the antenna can be separate components, they can be part of the module or the chip or they all can be constructed as a single chip component.
The assistance data can include information about the GPS satel-lites 1-16, of which signal the AGPS receiver should listen to. The AGPS de-vice can thus consist on the AGPS receiver combined with a wireless modem or a full functional cellular phone.
SIM Toolkit API protocol can be defined between the SIM card and the user equipment defining e.g. communication with applications of SIM Tool-kit and the usage of a display, a keyboard and menus. The toolkit can be de-fined to be set of commands for the application running on a SIM, processing of SIM, user equipment, communications network and external apparatus inter-faces by means of which additional functions may be added to user equipment.
The commands can comprise e.g.: profile download, data download to SIM, proactive applications on SIM, menu selection, and call control by SIM. Alter-natively other protocols can be used instead of or in addition to the SIM
Toolkit API protocol. These protocols comprise e.g. fast communication protocols.
The AGPS receiver and the AGPS application 1-6 can communicate with the mobile device using SIM Toolkit interface. It is used for example to re-ceive the AGPS assistance data 1-10, 1-12 and send location information to the server as well as for using the mobile device display 1-2 and input from the keypad 1-24. The location information can be communicated between the mo-bile device and one or more network based servers 1-14, 1-16 e.g. via SMS
(Short Message Service), USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), IP (Internet Protocol) or other commu-nication protocols.
From the mobile user equipment point of view, the AGPS subsys-tem and functionality can be hidden behind the AGPS SIM Toolkit application by using a SIM processor with two input/output ports, where one is dedicated to the SIM contacts 1-24 and the other port is dedicated for the AGPS subsys-tem.
The AGPS receiver 1-6 can detect the satellite signals 1-28 and cal-culate a pseudo-position data, a first estimate location. This pseudo-position 1o data can be further processed to get the actual geographical location using the processing power of the SIM card and a program residing in its memory. Alter-natively, the pseudo-position data can be sent to a network-based server for processing actual geographical location.
The invention can use text or multimedia messages or a software application 1-6 residing on the SIM card 1-4 or on a software program 1-26 re-siding on the mobile device to display the location information to the user and to provide an improved user interface 1-22.
Figure 2 shows a SIM module 2-2 according to the invention and its embodiments. In addition to all typical elements and characteristics it can comprise an embedded (A)GPS receiver 2-4 and an antenna 2-6. Contacts 2-10 describe the interface of the SIM card with its environment, e.g. with the mobile station. The contact(s) can also be adapted to convey the positioning data and/or other data needed to calculate or assisting in calculation of the lo-cation or the estimate of the location of the user equipment to and/or from the SIM card and/or the user equipment. Also the loading of the logic, programs and/or different applications to and from the SIM card and/or the user equip-ment and the communication with the logic, programs and/or different applica-tions are possible via the contacts. Thus the SIM card and/or the user equip-ment can also comprise logic, program and/or application means for applying the device for location purposes and/or for performing routines for location purpose(s). The AGPS receiver can also e.g. be powered from the user equipment power supply via the SIM card contacts.
The AGPS receiver chip and SIM chip can be separate chips or they can be integrated on the same substrate. In the following different ways of us-ing the invention and its embodiments will be described. It is possible for the user to locate himself autonomically such that the user is not in communication with the server, i.e. without the assistance data. However, it can be slower than with the help of the assistance data. The user can also be located without his allowance based on the certain laws, like E112 and E911, which can authorize the network operator to give the location information to the authorities. The au-thorization is not needed to locate the emergency call, but it is needed to lo-cate all other calls. The user can give his authorisation only for one case or permanently.
The user equipment must be on for it to be located. Also the net-work connection can be needed so that the remote location request can be transmitted. If there is no network connection and the assistance data is too old, the user can made a typical GPS location with only the SIM card and show the coordinates x, y and/or z on the screen of the user equipment.
Figure 3 shows a signalling chart of a user initiated location request according to the invention and its embodiments. In it the user equipment can be used without any specific location based, navigation or MAP (Mobile Appli-cation Part) application requiring significant calculation power.
According to Figure 3, the user of the user equipment UE wants to know his/hers accurate location. Thus in step 3-2 (s)he can send a position re-quest to the SIM card, e.g. by selecting "Show the location" with the help of the user interface. The request is forwarded in step 3-4 to the AGPS subsystem for calculation of the current position of the user equipment, which can be proc-essed in step 3-5. In step 3-6 the position data generated by the GPS receiver can be sent to the server, e.g. to the location server or to the SMLC (Serving Mobile Location Centre) server, which can then in step 3-7 calculate the posi-tion data and create a map, geographical coordinates of the location. The loca-tion information can then be returned to the user equipment in step 3-8 and it can be presented e.g. visually, tactiovisually or as audio data like in all other embodiments of the invention. The presentation of information is not limited to certain methods or ways, but it can be as simple as possible and/or as suitable as possible for each current case. So different kinds of information presenta-tions like text, map or voice or combinations thereof are possible.
Figure 3 can be a situation, in which a person wants to find to a place, like a hotel, restaurant or any street address. The user can type a re-quest using the wireless device, which will ask the AGPS subsystem to gener-ate position data that will be sent together with the destination information to location server. The location server can then find the best route to the destina-tion and send instructions back to the wireless device as text and/or picture and/or voice format.
Figure 4 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments. It can describe e.g. a situation where a person with a mobile device is missing. An operator initiates a location request from the Location Server on the network. The loca-tion request will be sent over the network to the handset, which redirects it to the SIM card and to the AGPS subsystem. The location client application can ask a location data from the AGPS subsystem and return it to the Location 1 o Server.
In Figure 4 the remote equipment location request without any user interaction required can be used e.g. by emergency services to locate the user equipment. In other words, the subscriber identity module can be adapted to transmit the positioning data spontaneously. The locationing can start in step 4-2, where the positioning request can be sent from the location server to the user equipment and its SIM card. The SIM card receives the request and for-wards it to its AGPS subsystem in step 4-4. After that the current position of the user equipment can be calculated in step 4-5 in the AGPS subsystem. In step 4-6 the position data can be transmitted to the location server. The loca-tion data can also be sent to other servers and/or other user equipment if needed and/or allowed. In the case where AGPS subsystem calculates in step 4-5 pseudo position data, the data can be transmitted in step 4-6 to the loca-tion server, which can then in step 4-7 caiculate the final location of the user equipment.
It must be noted that the current location of the user equipment can be calculated by the user equipment and/or by the server, which can then re-turn the location to the user equipment. The location can be calculated based only on the information received e.g. from at least two location satellites or in addition to that based also on the assisting location information. Thus the user 3o equipment of the invention and its embodiments can be user equipment adapted to receive a location request; to receive positioning data from at least two satellites; and to calculate the current location of the user equipment at least partly based on said positioning data. The user equipment can further be adapted to receive assisting positioning data e.g. from one or more communi-cations network servers; and to calculate the current location of the user equipment at least partly based on said positioning data and said assisting po-sitioning data.
The positioning data can comprise user equipment's geographical coordinates like longitude and latitude coordinates and/or temporary data, which can be used in calculation of the current location of the user equipment.
5 Figure 5 shows a signalling chart of the remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments. The remote equipment location request without any user interaction required can be used e.g. by emergency services to locate the user equipment, such as a GMS mo-bile phone, where the location data is forwarded directly to a mobile emer-lo gency services unit's GPS device. In step 5-2 the position request is sent from the server directly to the AGPS subsystem. In step 5-3 position data can be generated and position data can be transmitted to the server in step 5-4. The location can be calculated in the server in step 5-5 and the location data can be transmitted to the emergency service positioning device ESPD in step 5-6.
Figure 6 shows a positioning process that is processed entirely in the AGPS-SIM card using the AGPS subsystem according to the invention and its embodiments. A person can be lost and wants to know where he is. Thus in step 6-2 the positioning request can be sent from user equipment to the AGPS
subsystem. In step 6-3 pseudo position data can be generated in the AGPS
subsystem and the pseudo position data can be sent from the AGPS subsys-tem to the SIM card in step 6-4. The actual geographical position of the user equipment can be calculated in a processing unit of the SIM card in step 6-5 and the calculated position data can be forwarded to the user equipment in step 6-6, which can the present it in an_y suitable means. It is also possible to send the location data to the location server in step 6-8.
The location data can be used in many ways. In one embodiment the location data is not shown to the user. This can be the case with the emer-gency services, like E112. In another embodiment also in this case the coordi-nates can be displayed for the user.
In another embodiment the user can select "Services - Get location"
from the menu of the user equipment and/or the SIM card can present the co-ordinates or another indication like "At home" to the user interface. In yet an-other embodiment SIM can send the positioning data to the server of the net-work, which can then return the current location information of the user equip-ment as an SMS message, an MMS message, or another messaging mes-sage. In other words, the module 1-4, 2-2 can be adapted to transmit the posi-tioning data in response to an inquiry from the mobile station and/or the loca-tion server.
In still another embodiment the current location can be returned and/or displayed as graphical information, like an MMS map.
The invention and its embodiments can be used in many different ways and in many different situations. In addition to what is described above there exist many other possibilities to use the invention and its embodiments.
In one example two persons want to find each other. Person A will send a loca-tion request with its position data from the AGPS subsystem to the Location lo Server, which will forward the request to person B's mobile device. If B
accepts the request, the mobile device B can request position data from the AGPS
subsystem and send that to the Location Server. The Location Server will cal-culate the locations, a route in between them and a map and send the results to both parties wireless devices.
In another example a group of more than two persons can be lo-cated. In yet another example the system offers also information on the height of the receiver thus making it even easier for locating one or more, possibly missing persons.
The invention and its embodiments offer many fields of applications like tracking of a car, offering cheaper calls, monitoring the movements, travel and/or circulation of goods and vehicles and in navigation and playing games.
E.g. the Symbian and/or the Java applications that are in the memory of the mobile phone or in a GSM modem and/or in the processor of the SIM card and/or the mobile station can be in communication with the SIM card applica-tion therein. This means that e.g. the navigation or the playing application can ask a GPS location information directly from the SIM card locally. For this pur-pose a licence (a certificate/a key) may be needed, with which the application get the access to the location information.
This invention resolves the problem of not being able to locate a mobile device with high accuracy. It adds a high accuracy GPS functionality to the existing non-GPS mobile devices without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new AGPS enabled SIM card in it.
An advantage of the method and arrangement of the invention is that user equipment can be located more accurately.
Another advantages of the invention and its embodiments comprise a module having a low current and power consumption, low processing need, and high component density leading to an efficient component and thus to an efficient way of locating the user equipment.
Another advantage of the invention and its embodiments is that it is very cost efficient, it offers accurate location services to the current and future generation of user equipment, because the invention is using a minimum amount of additional components and is relying on the mobile device in com-munication, power supply and user interface.
It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as the technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The in-1o vention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.
The invention is based on the idea of adding a high accuracy satel-lite positioning system functionality to the existing non-satellite positioning sys-tem user equipment without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new subscriber identity module comprising a satellite positioning system receiver (1-6, 2-4) and an antenna (1-8, 2-6).
An advantage of the method and the arrangement of the invention is that user equipment can be located more accurately. The location method is also easy to install to the current user equipment, which equipment are widely used. The method and the arrangement of the invention are also inexpensive.
Brief description of the drawings In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 shows user equipment with an AGPS capable SIM card according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 2 shows a SIM module with embedded AGPS receiver and 2o antenna according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 3 shows a signalling chart of a user initiated location request according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 4 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments;
Figure 5 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments; and Figure 6 shows a positioning request that is processed entirely in the AGPS-SIM card using the AGPS subsystem according to the invention and its embodiments.
3o Detailed description of the invention The user equipment of the invention and its embodiments can be any mobile equipment like 2G (Generation), 2.5G, 3G or 4G user equipment. It can be e.g. a mobile station, a cellular mobile station, a communicator or a computer. The detailed structure and operation of the user equipment and the communications systems are not relevant to the invention, and therefore they are described only to the extent that helps understanding the invention. Fur-thermore, it should be noted that the invention can be applied to different kind of positioning systems and satellite systems and to different kind of communi-cations systems and networks like fixed networks and packet switched net-works or combination thereof and/or to wireless data transmission networks, such as Mobile-IP (Internet-Protocol) networks and user equipment thereof.
For the invention and its embodiments a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card can be defined to be a card removably insertable into the user equipment containing data for subscriber identification and/or encipherment of 1o radio communication and/or other security related information. However, it is to be noted that the SIM card according to the invention and its embodiments can but does not have be able to identify the subscriber.
A processor in the SIM card or working with the SIM card can con-trol the access to a memory of the SIM card or to a memory working with the SIM card used for the location of the user equipment e.g. in response to the identity of the location request initiator. The control can mean e.g. the preven-tion of a location initiator from getting to the information of the memory.
This means that in one way of using the SIM card there is no direct access to the memory of the SIM card although there can be one. In one embodiment of the invention the SIM card can recognize the location initiator being authorized to get the information directly from the memory of the SIM card without any au-thorization requests for locating the user equipment. It is also possible that the user has given for some or all persons and/or authorities preauthorization for the direct access to the memory.
The SIM card can also be a so-called tamper-proofed device offer-ing enough protection in relation to the location of a single person.
The SIM card can also be adapted to fit to different kinds of user equipment, to different kinds of mobile stations such that when inserted e.g.
into a conventional cellular mobile station it can adapt to the system of the conventional mobile station and cause it to operate for locating the mobile sta-tion.
The SIM card can also comprise and/or be in cooperation with logic(s) and/or software program(s) or application(s), which can control the op-eration of the invention and its embodiments. The logic(s), the program(s) and/or the application(s) can be in the SIM card, in communication with the SIM card and/or it/they can be loaded to the SIM card and/or to the user equipment for carrying out the invention and its embodiments. The applications comprise e.g. Java and Symbian applications.
In other words, the SIM card can comprise means e.g. a program, for calculating the current location, like the coordinates, of the user equipment.
Thus the whole processing of the positioning data and/or the current location can be done with the GPS chip and the SIM processor. The processor(s) of the user equipment are not needed in the calculation but it/they can also be used.
The SIM card can also comprise means e.g. a program, for sending the temporary data, pseudo data to the server for the calculation of the current location of the user equipment.
The Java and Symbian applications can process the location infor-mation received from the SIM card and/or from the server in many ways. The Java application can get the location information over the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network via the MSLC (Mobile Serving Location Center) server.
The SIM card can be virtual or separate, stand-alone card. For the invention and its embodiments the SIM card can be partly or wholly fixed to the user equipment or partly or wholly removably insertable into the user equip-ment. It can thus comprise one or more parts. The SIM card can also have dif-ferent sizes, thicknesses and volumes. Although in the following the name SIM
card will be used, it is to be understood that it also refers to different kind of smart cards like to an ICC card (Integrated Circuit Card) or to a chip card.
What is important for the invention and its embodiments is that it is a module with embedded information receiver and/or antenna.
The receiver can receive information for locating or for assisting the locationing of the equipment. Thus it can be e.g. a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or an AGPS (Assisted GPS) receiver or a receiver for other satellite-positioning systems like NAVSTAR (NAVigation System using Timing And Ranging), GLONAS (Global Navigation Satellite Service) or GALILEO. It must be noted that the module can comprise one or more receivers and/or an-tennas each of which is adapted to e.g. different positioning systems.
The antenna can be within the module or it can be provided as a separate component. Also the antenna of the user equipment can be used. If then the receiver unit is in the module, the sensitivity of the system can be in-creased compared to the situation where both the receiver and the antenna are in the module. This however can require the use of new user equipment.
The invention and its embodiments are based on the idea of adding a high accuracy satellite positioning system, like GPS, functionality to the exist-ing non satellite positioning system, like non-GPS, user equipment without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new positioning sys-5 tem, like AGPS, enabled SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card in it. It is also possible to insert the high accuracy satellite positioning system functionality to the existing satellite positioning system user equipment.
It is possible that the user can locate his/hers position by his/hers own initiative or the user can be located by the initiative of a third person or a service. However, before the third person or an external service can locate the user equipment, it is possible for the user to accept or reject the external posi-tioning initiative unless it is generated by emergency services with authority to do so by law, or by an application or service, which is authorised by the user.
In these cases the remote location request sender can be authenticated by a positioning application, like the AGPS application on the SIM card prior to re-questing a positioning subsystem, like the AGPS subsystem to generate the location data. The authentication can use digital signature (PKI) or other avail-able secure authentication methods to control the access to the AGPS subsys-tem functionality. The authentication can also be used for controlling the ac-cessing to the location information for applications running on the SIM or mo-bile device.
The SIM module can also comprise means for controlling the ac-cess to the positing data. When an inquiry for positioning data is received said means can check the riqht to use and/or the riaht to get said positioning data based on e.g. the identity of the sender of the inquiry. The SIM module can transmit the positioning data or deny its transmission. The SIM module can also calculate the location and transmit e.g. the coordinates to the initiator of the inquiry. The SIM card can also ask the user of the user equipment for the acceptance of the transmission of said data.
Figure 1 shows user equipment 1-2 with a smart card 1-4, such as a SIM card or a USIM (UMTS subscriber identity module; UMTS, Universal Mo-bile Telecommunications System) card 1-4. The smart card can have an em-bedded global satellite-positioning receiver, such as Assisted-GPS (AGPS) re-ceiver 1-6 and a GPS antenna 1-8, together forming an AGPS subsystem. The AGPS subsystem is designed to provide accurate positioning information of the user equipment. The embedded AGPS receiver is adapted to receive AGPS assistance data 1-10, 1-12 from a network based Location Server 1-14 via a cellular network 1-30, mobile device 1-2 and SIM card contacts using e.g.
SIM Toolkit API protocol or other protocol usable for communication between the SIM card and the user equipment.
One or more of the antennas of the smart card can be a chip an-tenna adapted to be fitted on the smart card. Its material can be e.g.
ceramic.
The size of the antenna can be very small, e.g. 3x10x0.7 mm.
Both the receiver(s) and the antenna(s) can be constructed in one or more parts and the receiver and the antenna can be integrated partly or to-lo tally into one or more integrated circuits. The receiver and the antenna can thus be integrated into the same substrate or into at least two different sub-strates.
Thus the receiver and the antenna can be separate components, they can be part of the module or the chip or they all can be constructed as a single chip component.
The assistance data can include information about the GPS satel-lites 1-16, of which signal the AGPS receiver should listen to. The AGPS de-vice can thus consist on the AGPS receiver combined with a wireless modem or a full functional cellular phone.
SIM Toolkit API protocol can be defined between the SIM card and the user equipment defining e.g. communication with applications of SIM Tool-kit and the usage of a display, a keyboard and menus. The toolkit can be de-fined to be set of commands for the application running on a SIM, processing of SIM, user equipment, communications network and external apparatus inter-faces by means of which additional functions may be added to user equipment.
The commands can comprise e.g.: profile download, data download to SIM, proactive applications on SIM, menu selection, and call control by SIM. Alter-natively other protocols can be used instead of or in addition to the SIM
Toolkit API protocol. These protocols comprise e.g. fast communication protocols.
The AGPS receiver and the AGPS application 1-6 can communicate with the mobile device using SIM Toolkit interface. It is used for example to re-ceive the AGPS assistance data 1-10, 1-12 and send location information to the server as well as for using the mobile device display 1-2 and input from the keypad 1-24. The location information can be communicated between the mo-bile device and one or more network based servers 1-14, 1-16 e.g. via SMS
(Short Message Service), USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), IP (Internet Protocol) or other commu-nication protocols.
From the mobile user equipment point of view, the AGPS subsys-tem and functionality can be hidden behind the AGPS SIM Toolkit application by using a SIM processor with two input/output ports, where one is dedicated to the SIM contacts 1-24 and the other port is dedicated for the AGPS subsys-tem.
The AGPS receiver 1-6 can detect the satellite signals 1-28 and cal-culate a pseudo-position data, a first estimate location. This pseudo-position 1o data can be further processed to get the actual geographical location using the processing power of the SIM card and a program residing in its memory. Alter-natively, the pseudo-position data can be sent to a network-based server for processing actual geographical location.
The invention can use text or multimedia messages or a software application 1-6 residing on the SIM card 1-4 or on a software program 1-26 re-siding on the mobile device to display the location information to the user and to provide an improved user interface 1-22.
Figure 2 shows a SIM module 2-2 according to the invention and its embodiments. In addition to all typical elements and characteristics it can comprise an embedded (A)GPS receiver 2-4 and an antenna 2-6. Contacts 2-10 describe the interface of the SIM card with its environment, e.g. with the mobile station. The contact(s) can also be adapted to convey the positioning data and/or other data needed to calculate or assisting in calculation of the lo-cation or the estimate of the location of the user equipment to and/or from the SIM card and/or the user equipment. Also the loading of the logic, programs and/or different applications to and from the SIM card and/or the user equip-ment and the communication with the logic, programs and/or different applica-tions are possible via the contacts. Thus the SIM card and/or the user equip-ment can also comprise logic, program and/or application means for applying the device for location purposes and/or for performing routines for location purpose(s). The AGPS receiver can also e.g. be powered from the user equipment power supply via the SIM card contacts.
The AGPS receiver chip and SIM chip can be separate chips or they can be integrated on the same substrate. In the following different ways of us-ing the invention and its embodiments will be described. It is possible for the user to locate himself autonomically such that the user is not in communication with the server, i.e. without the assistance data. However, it can be slower than with the help of the assistance data. The user can also be located without his allowance based on the certain laws, like E112 and E911, which can authorize the network operator to give the location information to the authorities. The au-thorization is not needed to locate the emergency call, but it is needed to lo-cate all other calls. The user can give his authorisation only for one case or permanently.
The user equipment must be on for it to be located. Also the net-work connection can be needed so that the remote location request can be transmitted. If there is no network connection and the assistance data is too old, the user can made a typical GPS location with only the SIM card and show the coordinates x, y and/or z on the screen of the user equipment.
Figure 3 shows a signalling chart of a user initiated location request according to the invention and its embodiments. In it the user equipment can be used without any specific location based, navigation or MAP (Mobile Appli-cation Part) application requiring significant calculation power.
According to Figure 3, the user of the user equipment UE wants to know his/hers accurate location. Thus in step 3-2 (s)he can send a position re-quest to the SIM card, e.g. by selecting "Show the location" with the help of the user interface. The request is forwarded in step 3-4 to the AGPS subsystem for calculation of the current position of the user equipment, which can be proc-essed in step 3-5. In step 3-6 the position data generated by the GPS receiver can be sent to the server, e.g. to the location server or to the SMLC (Serving Mobile Location Centre) server, which can then in step 3-7 calculate the posi-tion data and create a map, geographical coordinates of the location. The loca-tion information can then be returned to the user equipment in step 3-8 and it can be presented e.g. visually, tactiovisually or as audio data like in all other embodiments of the invention. The presentation of information is not limited to certain methods or ways, but it can be as simple as possible and/or as suitable as possible for each current case. So different kinds of information presenta-tions like text, map or voice or combinations thereof are possible.
Figure 3 can be a situation, in which a person wants to find to a place, like a hotel, restaurant or any street address. The user can type a re-quest using the wireless device, which will ask the AGPS subsystem to gener-ate position data that will be sent together with the destination information to location server. The location server can then find the best route to the destina-tion and send instructions back to the wireless device as text and/or picture and/or voice format.
Figure 4 shows a signalling chart of a remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments. It can describe e.g. a situation where a person with a mobile device is missing. An operator initiates a location request from the Location Server on the network. The loca-tion request will be sent over the network to the handset, which redirects it to the SIM card and to the AGPS subsystem. The location client application can ask a location data from the AGPS subsystem and return it to the Location 1 o Server.
In Figure 4 the remote equipment location request without any user interaction required can be used e.g. by emergency services to locate the user equipment. In other words, the subscriber identity module can be adapted to transmit the positioning data spontaneously. The locationing can start in step 4-2, where the positioning request can be sent from the location server to the user equipment and its SIM card. The SIM card receives the request and for-wards it to its AGPS subsystem in step 4-4. After that the current position of the user equipment can be calculated in step 4-5 in the AGPS subsystem. In step 4-6 the position data can be transmitted to the location server. The loca-tion data can also be sent to other servers and/or other user equipment if needed and/or allowed. In the case where AGPS subsystem calculates in step 4-5 pseudo position data, the data can be transmitted in step 4-6 to the loca-tion server, which can then in step 4-7 caiculate the final location of the user equipment.
It must be noted that the current location of the user equipment can be calculated by the user equipment and/or by the server, which can then re-turn the location to the user equipment. The location can be calculated based only on the information received e.g. from at least two location satellites or in addition to that based also on the assisting location information. Thus the user 3o equipment of the invention and its embodiments can be user equipment adapted to receive a location request; to receive positioning data from at least two satellites; and to calculate the current location of the user equipment at least partly based on said positioning data. The user equipment can further be adapted to receive assisting positioning data e.g. from one or more communi-cations network servers; and to calculate the current location of the user equipment at least partly based on said positioning data and said assisting po-sitioning data.
The positioning data can comprise user equipment's geographical coordinates like longitude and latitude coordinates and/or temporary data, which can be used in calculation of the current location of the user equipment.
5 Figure 5 shows a signalling chart of the remote device initiated loca-tion request according to the invention and its embodiments. The remote equipment location request without any user interaction required can be used e.g. by emergency services to locate the user equipment, such as a GMS mo-bile phone, where the location data is forwarded directly to a mobile emer-lo gency services unit's GPS device. In step 5-2 the position request is sent from the server directly to the AGPS subsystem. In step 5-3 position data can be generated and position data can be transmitted to the server in step 5-4. The location can be calculated in the server in step 5-5 and the location data can be transmitted to the emergency service positioning device ESPD in step 5-6.
Figure 6 shows a positioning process that is processed entirely in the AGPS-SIM card using the AGPS subsystem according to the invention and its embodiments. A person can be lost and wants to know where he is. Thus in step 6-2 the positioning request can be sent from user equipment to the AGPS
subsystem. In step 6-3 pseudo position data can be generated in the AGPS
subsystem and the pseudo position data can be sent from the AGPS subsys-tem to the SIM card in step 6-4. The actual geographical position of the user equipment can be calculated in a processing unit of the SIM card in step 6-5 and the calculated position data can be forwarded to the user equipment in step 6-6, which can the present it in an_y suitable means. It is also possible to send the location data to the location server in step 6-8.
The location data can be used in many ways. In one embodiment the location data is not shown to the user. This can be the case with the emer-gency services, like E112. In another embodiment also in this case the coordi-nates can be displayed for the user.
In another embodiment the user can select "Services - Get location"
from the menu of the user equipment and/or the SIM card can present the co-ordinates or another indication like "At home" to the user interface. In yet an-other embodiment SIM can send the positioning data to the server of the net-work, which can then return the current location information of the user equip-ment as an SMS message, an MMS message, or another messaging mes-sage. In other words, the module 1-4, 2-2 can be adapted to transmit the posi-tioning data in response to an inquiry from the mobile station and/or the loca-tion server.
In still another embodiment the current location can be returned and/or displayed as graphical information, like an MMS map.
The invention and its embodiments can be used in many different ways and in many different situations. In addition to what is described above there exist many other possibilities to use the invention and its embodiments.
In one example two persons want to find each other. Person A will send a loca-tion request with its position data from the AGPS subsystem to the Location lo Server, which will forward the request to person B's mobile device. If B
accepts the request, the mobile device B can request position data from the AGPS
subsystem and send that to the Location Server. The Location Server will cal-culate the locations, a route in between them and a map and send the results to both parties wireless devices.
In another example a group of more than two persons can be lo-cated. In yet another example the system offers also information on the height of the receiver thus making it even easier for locating one or more, possibly missing persons.
The invention and its embodiments offer many fields of applications like tracking of a car, offering cheaper calls, monitoring the movements, travel and/or circulation of goods and vehicles and in navigation and playing games.
E.g. the Symbian and/or the Java applications that are in the memory of the mobile phone or in a GSM modem and/or in the processor of the SIM card and/or the mobile station can be in communication with the SIM card applica-tion therein. This means that e.g. the navigation or the playing application can ask a GPS location information directly from the SIM card locally. For this pur-pose a licence (a certificate/a key) may be needed, with which the application get the access to the location information.
This invention resolves the problem of not being able to locate a mobile device with high accuracy. It adds a high accuracy GPS functionality to the existing non-GPS mobile devices without any modifications to the device itself but only by inserting a new AGPS enabled SIM card in it.
An advantage of the method and arrangement of the invention is that user equipment can be located more accurately.
Another advantages of the invention and its embodiments comprise a module having a low current and power consumption, low processing need, and high component density leading to an efficient component and thus to an efficient way of locating the user equipment.
Another advantage of the invention and its embodiments is that it is very cost efficient, it offers accurate location services to the current and future generation of user equipment, because the invention is using a minimum amount of additional components and is relying on the mobile device in com-munication, power supply and user interface.
It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as the technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The in-1o vention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.
Claims (16)
1. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) comprising contacts (2-10) for connecting to a mobile station, characterized in that the module (1-4, 2-2) comprises a satellite positioning system receiver (1-6, 2-4) for determin-ing positioning data, an antenna (1-8, 2-6) and means for conveying the posi-tioning data via the contacts.
2. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to claim 1, characterized in that it said positioning data is temporary data and the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) causes the mobile station (1-2) to transmit said temporary data to a location server in a communications network for cal-culating the current location of the mobile station (1-2) at least partly based on said temporary data.
3. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it said positioning data comprises geographical coordinates of the mobile station (1-2).
4. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) is adapted to transmit the positioning data in response to an inquiry from the mobile station and/or the location server.
5. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) is adapted to transmit the positioning data spontaneously.
6. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) causes the mobile station (1-2) to transmit said positioning data to the location server in the network.
7. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) is adapted to receive assisting positioning data via the mobile station (1-2) and based at least partly on said assisting positioning data calculate the geographical coordinates of the mobile station (1-2).
8. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the SIM module comprises means for controlling the access to the positing data.
9. ~A subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the satellite positioning system re-ceiver (1-6, 2-4) and the antenna (1-8, 2-6) are integrated on the same sub-strate of an integrated circuit.
10. ~A subscriber identity module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the satellite positioning system receiver (1-6, 2-4) and the antenna (1-8, 2-6) are separate integrated circuits.
11. ~A subscriber identity module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the module comprises one or more satellite positioning system receivers (1-6, 2-4) of GPS, GALILEO, NAVSTAR and/or GLONAS system.
12. ~A mobile station (1-2), characterized in that it comprises a subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. ~A method for locating a mobile station (1-2) in a communications network (1-30), the mobile station (1-2) comprising a subscriber identity mod-ule (1-4, 2-2) comprising contacts (2-10) for connecting to the mobile station, characterized in that the subscriber identity module (1-4, 2-2) com-prises a satellite positioning system receiver (2-4) for determining positioning data, an antenna (2-6) and means for conveying the positioning data via the contacts, the method comprising the steps of - ~receiving (3-2, 4-2, 5-2, 6-2) a location request for lo-cating the mobile station (1-2);
- ~receiving (3-5, 4-5, 5-3, 6-3) positioning data from at least two satellites (1-16); and - ~calculating (3-5, 3-7, 4-5, 4-7, 5-3, 5-5, 6-3, 6-5) the current location of the mobile station (1-2) at least partly based on said positioning data.
- ~receiving (3-5, 4-5, 5-3, 6-3) positioning data from at least two satellites (1-16); and - ~calculating (3-5, 3-7, 4-5, 4-7, 5-3, 5-5, 6-3, 6-5) the current location of the mobile station (1-2) at least partly based on said positioning data.
14. ~A method according to claim 13, characterized by fur-ther receiving (1-10, 1-12) assisting positioning data from a commu-nications network server (1-14) and calculating (3-5, 3-7, 4-5, 4-7, 5-3, 5-5, 6-3, 6-5) the current location of the mobile station (1-2) at least partly based on said positioning data and said assisting posi-tioning data.
15. ~A method according to claims 13 to 14, characterized by asking the user of the acceptance of the locationing of the mobile station (1-2) prior to calculating (3-5, 3-7, 4-5, 4-7, 5-3, 5-5, 6-3, 6-5) the current location of the mobile station (1-2).
16. ~A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, charac-terized in that the satellite positioning system receiver (1-6, 2-4) is a receiver of GPS system and by receiving the assisting position-ing data via Subscriber Toolkit API interface.
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| EP05106288.3 | 2005-07-11 | ||
| EP05106288A EP1710600A1 (en) | 2005-04-07 | 2005-07-11 | Subscriber Identity Module with satellite positioning system receiver and antenna |
| PCT/FI2006/050130 WO2006106187A1 (en) | 2005-04-07 | 2006-04-06 | An apparatus and a method for locating user equipment |
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| US8196829B2 (en) | 2006-06-23 | 2012-06-12 | Fractus, S.A. | Chip module, sim card, wireless device and wireless communication method |
| KR100963544B1 (en) * | 2008-03-17 | 2010-06-15 | 에스케이 텔레콤주식회사 | Method And Smart Card for Providing Location Based Service |
| US8639271B2 (en) | 2008-07-02 | 2014-01-28 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Method and apparatus for supporting location-based services by a removable module |
| EA201001071A1 (en) * | 2009-07-29 | 2011-04-29 | Андрей Юрьевич ЩЕРБАКОВ | AUTONOMOUS STRATOSPHERIC AIRCRAFT EFFICIENCY MORE AIR AND A METHOD FOR PROVIDING RADIO AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION, TELEVISION AND MONITORING |
| US9271256B2 (en) * | 2011-08-30 | 2016-02-23 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Verifying generic broadcast of location assistance data |
| US11356804B2 (en) | 2018-02-25 | 2022-06-07 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Systems and methods for efficiently supporting broadcast of location assistance data in a wireless network |
| US11191056B2 (en) | 2018-08-08 | 2021-11-30 | Qualcomm Incorporated | Systems and methods for validity time and change notification of broadcast location assistance data |
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| FI981638A (en) * | 1998-07-17 | 2000-01-18 | Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd | Method and apparatus for mastering service in a mobile communication system |
| ATE508610T1 (en) * | 1999-03-26 | 2011-05-15 | Swisscom Ag | METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE DURATION OF PROCESSES TO BE BILLED |
| US7054283B2 (en) * | 2001-02-13 | 2006-05-30 | Ericsson Inc. | Wireless network architechture and protocol for location services in GPRS packet data network |
| EP1494488A1 (en) * | 2003-07-01 | 2005-01-05 | Precisa Instruments AG | Mobile phone comprising position computation means |
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- 2006-04-06 WO PCT/FI2006/050130 patent/WO2006106187A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2006-04-06 CA CA002614534A patent/CA2614534A1/en not_active Abandoned
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