System and method for managing created location contexts in a location server

A location information server (“LIS”) comprising:

• (a) circuitry for receiving a location request for a target device, the target device having a location context information represented by a location URI and including starting information, initial validating information and policy information;
• (b) circuitry for verifying the form of the location URI, the form including at least an encrypted context string;
• (c) circuitry for extracting and decrypting the encrypted context string;
• (d) circuitry for determining if the location request can continue as a function of the policy information;
• (e) circuitry for determining an estimated location of the target device as a function of the starting information;
• (f) circuitry for collecting additional validating information;
• (g) circuitry for correlating the additional validating information with the initial validating information;
• and
• (h) circuitry for providing the estimated location of the target device to the requesting entity.

In a location information server (“LIS”) that has received a location request for a target device, the target device having location context information represented by a location uniform resource identifier (“URI”), a method for handling the location request for the target device using a location URI, comprising the steps of:

• (a) verifying the form of the location URI by the LIS, wherein the location context information further includes starting information, initial validating information and policy information;
• (b) if the location request can continue as determined by the policy information, then determining an estimated location of the target device as a function of the starting information;
• (c) collecting additional validating information and correlating the additional validating information with the initial validating information;
• and
• (d) providing the estimated location of the target device to a requesting entity.