US 6,219,557 B1 · System and method for providing location services in parallel to existing services in general packet radio services architecture

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for enabling a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) node, namely a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) within a cellular network, to be able to handle requests for Location Services (LCS) for a GPRS mobile station (MS) in parallel to other existing transactions such as delivering short messages or engaging in session management activity, e.g., data call connection. A new LCS transaction type can be introduced in the Connection-Management (CM) sub-layer of GPRS in the SGSN and the GPRS MSs to handle requests for LCS in parallel to other offered services. LCS can be multiplexed together with other existing functions in GPRS by allocating a new Service Access Point Identifier (SAPI) to LCS within the Logical Link Control (LLC) sub-layer of the GPRS. Alternatively, when a common LLC SAPI is used between different CM-sublayer functions, then a different protocol discriminator (PD) can be allocated for LCS.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A telecommunications system for allowing location services to be offered in parallel to existing services within a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, said telecommunications system comprising:

a serving GPRS support node in wireless communication with a mobile station, said serving GPRS support node receiving a positioning request for said mobile station;
a connection management sublayer within said serving GPRS node and said mobile station, said connection management sublayer supporting a location service transaction type and at least one additional transaction type therein;
and
a logical link control sublayer within said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station, said serving GPRS support node establishing a connection between said location service transaction type of said serving GPRS support node and said location service transaction type of said mobile station, using said logical link control sublayer, to perform said positioning request.

1 more element

A telecommunications system for providing location services in parallel to session management and short message services within a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, said telecommunications system comprising:

a radio link control sublayer within a mobile station and a serving GPRS support node in wireless communication with said mobile station, said radio link control sublayer transmitting data between said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station;
a connection management sublayer within said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station, said connection management sublayer having a session management transaction type, a short message transaction type and a location service transaction type therein;
and
a logical link control sublayer within said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station, said logical link control sublayer providing connections between said session management transaction types, said short message transaction types and said location service transaction types of said serving GPRS support node and said mobile stations, respectively, in parallel using said radio link control sublayer.

1 more element

A method for allowing a telecommunications system to offer location services in parallel to existing services within a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a serving GPRS support node in wireless communication with a mobile station, a location service request for said mobile station, said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station each having a respective connection management sublayer therein, each said respective connection management sublayer having a location service transaction type and at least an additional transaction type therein, said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station each also having a respective logical link control sublayer therein connected to said respective connection management sublayer;
and
establishing, by said serving GPRS support node, a connection between said location services transaction types of said serving GPRS support node and said mobile station, respectively, using said logical link control sublayer, in order to perform said location service request.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for providing location services in parallel to existing services in general packet radio services architecture

Life of this patent

System and method for providing location services in parallel to existing services in general packet radio services architecture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18