System and method for appending location information to a communication sent from a mobile terminal operating in a wireless communication system to an internet server

A gateway that services communications passing between a wireless network and the Internet, the gateway comprising:

• a link coupled between the wireless network and the Internet that includes a wireless network side and an Internet side, the link converting communications passing between the wireless network and the Internet;
• a location appending system comprising:
• a gateway interface that couples to the link;
• an Internet request parsing unit coupled to the link that parses communications passing through the gateway from the wireless network to the Internet and that determines that physical location information should be entered in a communication sent by a mobile unit;
• a location determination unit that produces a locate request for the mobile unit based upon a determination from the Internet request parsing unit that physical location information is required for the mobile unit;
• a wireless network interface coupled to the location determination unit and the wireless network that forwards the locate request to the wireless network and that receives a locate response from the wireless network, the locate response indicating the physical location of the mobile unit;
• and
• the location determination unit determining the physical location information based upon the locate response;
• and
• the link entering the physical location information in the communication.

A method of appending physical location information to a communication passing through a gateway between a wireless network and the Internet, the physical location information indicating a physical location of a mobile unit operating within the wireless network that sent the communication, the method comprising:

• receiving communications from the wireless network;
• parsing the communications to determine that a communication sent by a mobile unit requires physical location information to be entered;
• identifying the mobile unit that sent the communication;
• producing a locate request that requests a physical location for the mobile unit;
• forwarding the locate request to the wireless network;
• receiving a locate response from the network, the locate response indicating the physical location of the mobile unit;
• determining the physical location information based upon the locate response;
• and
• entering the physical location information in the communication.

A computer readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to enter physical location information in a communication passing through a gateway between a wireless network and the Internet, the physical location information indicating a physical location of a mobile unit operating within the wireless network that sent the communication, the computer readable medium comprising:

• a first plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to receive communications from the wireless network;
• a second plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to parse the communications to determine that a communication sent by a mobile unit requires physical location information to be entered;
• a third plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to identify a mobile unit that transmitted the communication;
• a fourth plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to produce a locate request that requests a physical location for the mobile unit;
• a fifth plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to forward the locate request to the wireless network;
• a sixth plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to receive a locate response from the network, the locate response indicating the physical location of the mobile unit;
• a seventh plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to determine the physical location information based upon the locate response;
• and
• an eighth plurality of stored instructions that cause the computer to enter the physical location information in the communication.