Trusted mode location service for mobile device access to private network based applications

A server system comprising:

• a network communication device configured to exchange data communications through a communication network, the communication network including at least one database accessible to the network communication device;
• a processor coupled to the network communication device;
• a storage device accessible to the processor;
• and
• an application program in the storage device, the application program including functions of a location assistance service application, wherein execution of the application program by the processor configures the server system to exchange data communications related to the plurality of functions with one or more client devices through the communication network,
• wherein the processor is configured to perform the functions of the location assistance service application, including functions to:
• receive a location assistance request directed to a data access port of a location server in a mobile communication network;
• extract a source network address from the received location assistance request;
• determine whether or not the location assistance request was originated by a mobile device on a trusted private network based on the extracted source network address;
• process the location assistance request at the location server for the mobile device, without authenticating the mobile device on the trusted private network for location assistance provided by the location server in the mobile communication network, when it is determined that the location assistance request was originated by a mobile device on a trusted private network, including:
• determine a current geographic location of the mobile device based on geo-location or positioning signals received from an access point of the trusted private network that is located nearest to the mobile device;
• and
• determine a satellite location of a satellite within a predetermined proximity radius of the current geographic location of the mobile device;
• and
• transmit a response including location assistance data indicating the determined satellite location from the location server in the mobile communication network to the mobile device on the private network, based on the processing of the location assistance request.

An article of manufacture, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer-executable instructions embodied in the medium that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions, comprising:

• receiving a location assistance request directed to a data access port of a location server in a mobile communication network;
• extracting a source network address from the received location assistance request;
• determining whether or not the location assistance request was originated by a mobile device on a trusted private network based on the extracted source network address;
• when it is determined that the location assistance request was originated by a mobile device on a trusted private network, processing the location assistance request at the location server for the mobile device, without authenticating the mobile device on the trusted private network for location assistance provided by the location server in the mobile communication network, including:
• determining a current geographic location of the mobile device based on geo-location or positioning signals received from an access point of the trusted private network located that is located nearest to the mobile device;
• and
• determining a satellite location of a satellite within a predetermined proximity radius of the current geographic location of the mobile device;
• and
• transmitting a response including location assistance data indicating the determined satellite location from the location server in the mobile communication network to the mobile device on the private network, based on the processing of the location assistance request.