Traffic-synchronized location measurement

An apparatus for use in providing location-based services, the apparatus comprising:

• a location-based services system comprising at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory;
• wherein the location-based services system is adapted to identify a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network that are candidates for a location-based service, to monitor the identified mobile user devices to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network, to automatically obtain location information for said one or more mobile user devices, and to detect a change in the location of a given one of the mobile user devices, responsive to said one or more mobile user devices being currently active on the traffic channel, to send a location query to the given mobile user device over the traffic channel as previously established with the given mobile user device responsive to the detection of the change in the location of the given mobile user device, and to receive from the given mobile user device a corresponding portion of the location information over the traffic channel responsive to the sent location query;
• wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to control delivery of at least one message to the given one of the mobile user devices based on the location information;
• and
• wherein generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is synchronized with traffic channel activity of those mobile user devices.

An apparatus comprising:

• a mobile user device associated with a wireless network, the mobile user device being configured to receive at least one message that is controllably delivered to the mobile user device based on location information obtained for the mobile user device;
• wherein the mobile user device is one of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with the wireless network that are identified as candidates for a location-based service;
• wherein the identified mobile user devices are monitored to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network;
• wherein location information is automatically obtained for said one or more mobile user devices, and a change in the location of a given one of the mobile user devices is detected, responsive to said one or more mobile user devices being currently active on the traffic channel;
• and
• wherein location queries are generated involving respective ones of the mobile user devices, said generation of location queries being synchronized with traffic channel activity of those mobile user devices;
• the mobile user device receiving a corresponding one of the location queries over the traffic channel responsive to detection of a change in the location of the given mobile user device;
• the mobile user device sending a corresponding portion of the location information over the traffic channel responsive to the received location query.