Information

Services

Location Services

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Services

Trademarks:
All designations used in this document can be trademarks, the use of which by third parties for their
own purposes could violate the rights of their owners.

Copyright (C) Siemens AG 2004.

Issued by Information and Communication Mobile

Hofmannstraße 51
D-81359 München

Technical modifications possible.

Technical specifications and features are binding only insofar as
they are specifically and expressly agreed upon in a written contract.

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Reason for Update

Summary:
A new document with the description of Location Services for the packet-switched
domain.

Issue History
Issue Date of issue Reason for Update

01 05/2004 New document

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This document consists of a total of 12 pages. All pages are issue 1.

Contents
1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1 Customer Benefits (Operator). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 Customer Benefits (Subscriber) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2 Mode of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.1 Possible Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2 LCS Network Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2.1 SGSN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.2 SMLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.3 BSC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.4 GMLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.5 LCS client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.6 HLR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 LCS Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3.1 Mobile Terminating Location Request (MT-LR) with LCS Privacy Subscription
10
2.4 Positioning Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.4.1 Positioning by Timing Advance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

3 Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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1 Definition
The location services (LCS) feature radio access network capability which enables the
network to determine the geographic location of a mobile subscriber (MS) in order to use
this information in certain location based applications.
To enable LCS, mobile-terminated location request (MT-LR) is introduced for 2G sub-
scribers.
A mobile-terminated location request (MT-LR) means that an external location service
client starts a location request in order to determine the position of the mobile subscrib-
er. Privacy subscription is possible in order to provide the mobile subscriber a degree of
control of who will be able to determine his position.
The following terminology applies:
– Current location: after a location attempt has successfully delivered a location es-
timate and its associated time stamp, the location estimate and time stamp are re-
ferred to as the current location at that point in time.
– Initial location: in the context of an originating emergency call the location estimate
and the associated time stamp at the commencement of the call set-up is referred
to as initial location.
– Last known location: this is the last location estimate that was obtained by the
serving GPRS support node (SGSN) for any mobile subscriber (MS), and should be
stored in the SGSN location register (SLR) along with the date and time (to within
one minute).
– LCS server: a software and/or hardware entity offering location services (LCS) ca-
pabilities. The LCS server accepts requests and services requests and sends back
responses to the received requests. The LCS server consists of LCS components,
which are distributed to one or more public land mobile network(s) (PLMN) and/or
service provider(s).
– Location estimate: the geographic location of a mobile subscriber (MS) and/or valid
mobile equipment (ME) expressed in latitude and longitude data. The position esti-
mate shall be represented in a well-defined universal format. Translation from this
universal format to another geographic location system may be supported, although
the details are considered outside the scope of the primitive services.
– Target MS: The MS being positioned.

1.1 Customer Benefits (Operator)

Many attractive services can attract new subscribers and increase the air time. This can
be applied when the mobile subscriber’s position is known. For instance, it has been
shown that value added services, e.g. location services (LCS) can drastically reduce the
churn rate.
The following service categories offer a high potential for achieving additional revenue:
• Location dependent billing
• Safety services, e.g. emergency calls, breakdown services, positioning of cars or
handsets and asset protection
• Information services, e.g. restaurant finder, tourist information
• Tracking services, e.g. fleet management, taxi, trucks and navigation services, e.g.
directions to a given location, real-time driving directions

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Home zone billing based on high accuracy offers the opportunity to apply mobile solu-
tions in a more intensive way in the business and in the residential markets than is being
done today.
Besides this, there are emergency services with special requirements by local regulato-
ry authorities.

Improvement of Resources Management

It is possible to set up special services utilizing the LCS technology to improve the radio
network planning. This can be done by surveying subscriber movements - in an anony-
mous way - and adapting the network planning to their needs.

1.2 Customer Benefits (Subscriber)

Location Services provide new added value for subscribers. They can receive informa-
tion depending on their location. New tariff schemes that are based on the location in-
formation can be very appealing.

2 Mode of Operation

2.1 Possible Applications

LCS Applications may be grouped into four major categories:
Information Services, e.g.
• nearest restaurant, ATM (automated teller machine)
• yellow pages
Tracking Service, e.g.
• navigation directions
• Friend Finder, personal tracking of e.g. children and friends
• car, cargo tracking
Safety Service, e.g.
• roadside assistance
Billing Service, e.g.
• Special tariffs for communication in certain areas.

2.2 LCS Network Architecture

The network architecture applicable to support of cell ID based location for a mobile cir-
cuit mode terminal is shown below. Not all details of the radio subsystem (RSS) are
shown, but all interfaces relevant to the core network are included.

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HLR
SMLC
Gr
Lh
MS Um GERAN Lb

Gb Lg Le external
Abis 2G/3G GMLC
BSC LCS client
BTS SGSN

Fig. 2.1 LCS network architecture

Interface definitions
• Le interface:
the Le interface exists between the gateway mobile location center (GMLC) and an
external LCS client.
• Lg interface:
the Lg interface exists between the GMLC and visited SGSN
• Lh interface:
the Lh interface exists between the GMLC and HLR.
• Gr interface:
the Gr interface exists between the SGSN and HLR.
• Gb interface
This interface exists between BSS and 2G-SGSN and allows the communication for
the LCS queries.
• Um interface
The Um is the radio interface for GERAN (GSM/EDGE) that exists between the BSS
and the Mobile Subscriber.

2.2.1 SGSN
The serving GPRS support node (SGSN) contains functionality responsible for user
equipment subscription authorization and managing LCS positioning requests. The
SGSN is accessible to the GMLC via the Lg interface. The LCS functions of SGSN are
related to accounting, LCS coordination, location request, authorization and operation
of the LCS services.

2.2.2 SMLC
The serving mobile location center (SMLC) performs a key control function for the intro-
duction of location services (LCS) implemented PLMN subsystems. The SMLC manag-
es the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for the location of a
MS. It also calculates the final location estimate and estimates the achieved accuracy.
There may be more than one SMLC in one PLMN. SMLC receives location requests
from its associated BSCs and determines the positioning calculation method to be used.
This determination is based on the quality of service (QoS) parameters, capabilities of
the network, and the MS’s own location capabilities. The SMLC calculates the final lo-
cation estimate and accuracy and returns this data to the requesting BSC. The SMLC is
connected to the BSC via the Lb interface.

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The SMLC reports the location information together with the time of day and the estimat-
ed errors of the location of the MS to the client. The client is allowed to specify QoS pa-
rameters when requesting the service (e.g. accuracy).

2.2.3 BSC
The Base Station Controller (BSC) is the central component of the base station system
and manages the radio resources for one or more base transceiver stations (BTS). It
handles among other things, radio-channel setup, frequency hopping, handovers and
for GPRS support a special packet control function (packet control unit) (PCU). The
BSC is the connection between the mobile station and the serving GPRS support node
(SGSN).

2.2.4 GMLC
The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) contains functionality required to support
LCS. In one PLMN, there may be more than one GMLC.
The GMLC is the first node an external LCS client accesses in a PLMN (i.e. the Le ref-
erence point is supported by the GMLC). The GMLC may request routing information
from the HLR/HSS/HLRi via the Lh interface, after performing registration authorization.
It then sends a positioning request to SGSN (Mobile-Terminated Location Request) and
receives final location estimates from the corresponding entity via the Lg interface.

2.2.5 LCS client

The LCS client provides the mobile subscriber with location dependent services. It inter-
acts with an LCS server to obtain location information of the MS.

2.2.6 HLR
If the HLR is interrogated by a GMLC, it checks the service and privacy subscription of
the effected subscriber. If all subscriptions are met (HLR verifies that the SCCP calling
party address of the GMLC corresponds to a known network element that is authorized
to request MS location information), it sends the SGSN address to the interrogating GM-
LC.
To enable an MS user to control which external LCS clients are allowed to receive the
MS location via an MT-LR, privacy subscription options are provided in the HLR and
downloaded to the SLR.

2.3 LCS Capabilities

The description here summarizes the overall operation and benefits of each commercial
LCS capability currently available.

2.3.1 Mobile Terminating Location Request (MT-LR) with LCS Privacy

Subscription
A mobile terminating location request (MT-LR) is characterized by the fact that the LCS
client is external to the PLMN (e.g., fleet management center). This feature enables an
external location service client to request the location of a specifically identified MS.

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1. If an external LCS client requests the current/last known location of a target MS, the
GMLC sends a "provide subscriber location" message to the SGSN indicated by the
HLR. This message carries the type of location information requested, the MS sub-
scriber's IMSI/MSISDN, and LCS quality of service (QoS) information. For a session
related location request, the message also carries the access point name (APN) on
which the user has established the session. For a value-added LCS client, the mes-
sage will carry the client name and the external identity of the LCS client. For a
PLMN operator LCS client, the message carries the internal identity of the LCS cli-
ent.
2. The SGSN first verifies that a location request is allowed from this GMLC. The
SGSN then verifies LCS barring restrictions in the MS user subscription profile in the
SGSN. In verifying the barring restrictions, barring of the whole location request is
assumed if any part of it is barred or any requirements are not met. If LCS is to be
barred, an error response is returned to the GMLC.
3. If the MS is in stand-by mode, the SGSN/SLR performs paging.
4. The SGSN sends a "perform location request" message to the SMLC. This message
includes the type of location information requested, the requested QoS and routing
area information.
5. When the location information that best meets the requirements of the requested lo-
cation type and QoS has been obtained, the SMLC returns this information to the
SGSN in a "perform location response" message.
6. The SGSN returns the location information and its age to the GMLC. If the SMLC
did not return a successful location estimate, but the privacy checks were success-
fully executed, the SGSN may return the last known location of the target MS, if this
is known, and the LCS client requests the current or last known location.

2.4 Positioning Method

The location information can be requested by a client within the MS, or by a client within
or attached to the PLMN. In addition, LCS can be offered without subscription to basic
telecommunication services and is applicable to any target MS whether or not it sup-
ports LCS.

2.4.1 Positioning by Timing Advance

The standard/enhanced timing advance method has a positioning accuracy in the range
of 0.2 km - 10 km. With enhancements in measured information content and triangula-
tion algorithms, positioning accuracy can be improved down to 100 m in urban area with
high cell density. TA cannot offer stand-alone positioning because of location server in-
volvement in positioning calculations. In combination with GPS receivers, this provides
a superb hybrid positioning solution especially for safety and security applications.

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3 Administration
Administration of the core network nodes is performed either at the remote switch com-
mander (SC) with integrated or connected client terminals (CT) or at the local craft ter-
minal (LCT). The switch commander supports Q3, MML and SNMP. It offers a graphical
user interface and allows a comfortable way of entering tasks and commands.
An overview of the tasks relevant in the context of this document is given below. Detailed
operation instructions can be found in the operation manuals (OMN) or the task manual
(TML)
The SGSN location service can be administered using following commands:
– CR SLCS, MOD SLCS, CAN SLCS, DISP SLCS (create, modify, cancel, display
SGSN location services)

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