Location information services

Location Information Service

Technical field

The present invention relates to services based on location information related to mobile user equipment.

Background technique

A variety of different technologies can be used to determine the location of the mobile user equipment, and thereby determine the location of the user of the device. For example, according to the known satellite-based GPS (Global Positioning System), fairly accurate geographic location information about the user equipment can be obtained. More accurate location information can be obtained through differential GPS. Another possibility is to use location services associated with cellular communication systems to provide location information.

In the latter case, a cell of the communication system or similar geographically limited radio access entity and related controllers can be used to generate at least one rough location information estimate related to the current location of the mobile user equipment or station, because the cellular communication system Know the cell or service area with which the user equipment is currently connected. The cellular system may be equipped with a location measuring device that provides more accurate location data on mobile user equipment within the service area of the cellular system. The geographic location can also be inferred when the mobile user equipment is located within the coverage of the visited or "external" network. The visited network can transmit the location of the mobile user equipment back to the local network in order to support location services or for routing and charging.

The location data provided by the components of the cellular system can be processed in a specific location service node, which is implemented in the cellular system or connected to the cellular system. The location data can also be processed in user equipment with appropriate processing capabilities. The location service facility provided by the communication system can serve different clients through appropriate interfaces. The location information can be used for various purposes, such as the location of a mobile phone that has made an emergency call, the location of a car or a designated mobile user, and so on.

However, the inventor has discovered that although the client can receive information about the location of the mobile user, the mobile user itself may wish to receive a service using the information provided by the location service, and a new type of service based on location information is required.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a service based on information related to the location of a mobile user.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, the method comprising: grouping a number of devices into a group; determining first location information associated with the location of at least one device in the group of devices; determining a station ) Location-related second location information; process the first and second location information to generate third information based on the location of the station relative to the location of at least one device in the group of devices; and transmit The transmission of the third information is triggered by a predetermined condition.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method that provides information related to transportation means that a user of a station can use. The method includes the following steps: determining information related to the location of at least one transportation means First information; determine second information related to the location of the station; process the first information and second information to obtain third information, which is related to at least one means of transportation that is possible for the user; The station presents the third information to the user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising: a station of a communication system; a number of devices adapted to provide at least one service to users of the station; The device is divided into at least one group of devices; the device for determining the first location information, the first information is related to the location of at least one device; the device for determining the second location information, the second information is related to the location of the station; the first and second information are processed 2. A processing device for generating position information to generate third information, the third information being based on the relative position of the station and the at least one device; and an interface through which the third information is transmitted after the transmission is triggered by a predetermined event.

Description of the drawings

In order to better understand the present invention, the following will illustrate with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a cellular system in which an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented; Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates the present invention One embodiment; Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 shows a user equipment according to another embodiment; Fig. 7 illustrates the possible encryption levels of the Fig. 6 embodiment.

detailed description

Before describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention in more detail, refer to FIG. 1, which is a simplified diagram of a cellular system that provides location services. It should be recognized that although the exemplary communication network shown and described in more detail uses WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) public land mobile network (PLMN) terminology, the proposed solution can also be used to provide The communication between the mobile station and the base station as well as a certain type of location information service in any system. Examples of other communication systems include (but are not limited to) such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) or various GSM-based systems (eg GPRS: General Radio Packet Service), AMPS (American Mobile Phone System) or DAMPS (Digital AMPS) , IMT2000 (International Mobile Communication System 2000) and other standards.

More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a scheme in which three base stations of a cellular system provide omnidirectional radio coverage areas 1, 2 and 3 of the cellular communication network. It should be recognized that a cell may include more than one base station site. A base station equipment or site can also provide more than one cell. The shape of the cell depends on the implementation and can be different from the illustrated omnidirectional shape. The shape and size of the cell can also vary from cell to cell.

In Figure 1, radio coverage areas 1, 2, and 3 are served by corresponding base stations 4, 5, and 6, respectively. It should be recognized that in some systems, for example, in systems that provide third-generation communication services, a base station may be referred to as a Node B. For the sake of clarity, this specification uses the term base station for all types of stations that can transmit signals to and/or receive signals from user equipment. More specifically, the base stations 4-6 are all arranged to transmit signals to and receive signals from the mobile user equipment (UE) 7 through wireless communication. Similarly, the user equipment 7 can transmit signals to and receive signals from the corresponding base station. User equipment is also commonly referred to as a mobile station (MS). In general, several mobile stations will communicate with each base station, but for the sake of clarity, only one mobile station 7 is shown in the figure.

The base stations 4-6 are respectively connected to a network controller 10, and in the exemplified PLMN system, the network controller 10 is a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). Note that more than one controller is generally set up in a cellular network. The radio network controller 10 can be connected to an appropriate core network entity of the cellular system, such as an MSC (Mobile Switching Center) and/or SGSN (Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node) 11 through an appropriate interface device.

The mobile station 7 can move from one cell coverage to another cell coverage. Thus when the mobile station freely moves from one location (base station coverage area or cell coverage area) to another location (to another coverage area) and also freely moves in one coverage area, the location of the mobile station 7 changes with time .

Figure 1 also shows a location service (LCS) node 12 that provides location services for different applications or clients 8 (only one client is shown for clarity). Generally speaking, LCS can be defined as an entity that can provide information about the geographic location of a mobile station. The geographic location can be determined based on the location of the mobile station relative to the base station of the mobile communication network. For example, the geographic location of the base station and/or mobile station can be determined by X and Y coordinates or by latitude and longitude. One possibility is to use the relationship between the determined radius and the angle, for example, according to a spherical coordinate system. It is also possible to determine the position of the base station and/or mobile station in the vertical direction. For example, when providing position information in the vertical direction, the Z coordinate may be used. For example, a vertical position may be required in a mountainous environment or in a city with tall buildings.

In FIG. 1, the node 12 is shown to include a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) provided on the core network side of the communication system. The location service node 12 is arranged to receive predetermined information about the location of the mobile station 7 from the cellular system through appropriate interface means. The location service node is adapted to process this information in order to determine the geographic location of the mobile station. The information received by the node 12 may include the identity of the mobile station 7 (for example, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier: IMSI) or a temporary identifier (for example, Temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identifier: TIMSI). It can also provide the identity of the cell, or the identity of the service area (including one cell or several cells) serving the mobile station and/or the precise mode of measurement by means of one or several location measuring devices (not shown in the figure) Information associated with location measurement data. The node 12 processes the information and/or some other predetermined parameters, and/or the processor device 13 performs appropriate calculations to determine and output the geographic location of the designated mobile station 7.

The location service node 12 may be implemented in a core network and is arranged to receive location information from the radio access network through an MSC and/or SGSN 11 connected to the access network by means of appropriate interface means. Use one or more appropriate techniques (some of which will be briefly described below) or any other appropriate technique to obtain positioning information. This information can be processed in a predetermined manner and then provided to the LCS client 8.

It should be recognized that the various components of the location service function can be implemented anywhere in the communication system. The location service implementation can also be distributed among several components of the system. The LCS node can also be an external node of the cellular system. According to one embodiment, a mobile station or user equipment provides a location service node. The mobile station has a location service processing function, which can generate the location information of the mobile station and transmit the location information to the client. The mobile station is also equipped with terminal equipment (integrated in or connected to the mobile station device). The location information can be based on the use of information provided by a system separate from the communication system, for example, with the help of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

The LCS server node 12 may be composed of several location service components and carriers required to serve the LCS client 8. The LCS server node 12 may provide a platform capable of supporting location-based services in parallel with other communication services such as voice, data, messaging, other telecommunication services, user application, and auxiliary services. If the confidentiality considerations of the target mobile station are all satisfied, the LCS server node 12 can use the location information of the target mobile station designated by the LCS client 8 to respond to the location request from the correctly authorized LCS client 8. Thus, the LCS server 12 can provide the client 8 with the current or latest geographic location (if available) of the target mobile station on request or periodically, or provide an error indication to the client 8 if the positioning fails, and optionally Provide the reason for the failure. A more detailed description of the LCS nodes that can be used in the embodiments of the present invention can be found in the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) technical specification "Location Services" (3GPP TS23.171 and GSM03.71).

The LCS client 8 is a logical functional entity that can request location information about one or more target mobile stations to an entity that provides a location service function, such as the LCS server node 12 or a mobile station device. The LCS client 8 may be an entity other than the PLMN. The client 8 may also be an internal client (ILCS), that is, it resides in any entity or node (including a mobile station) in the PLMN. The LCS has the right to receive at least some information about the location (or location history) of the mobile station 7. With the help of its LCS client reservation profile, the LCS server generally knows the special requirements and characteristics of the LCS client 8. The restrictions related to a specific LCS related to each target mobile station can also be specified in the target mobile station reservation profile. The location service feature also allows the location of the target mobile station to be determined at any time, as discussed later in this description.

The client 8 may include a service that provides information about several mobile entities, such as mobile stations, or requires location information of one or more mobile stations for its operation. The location information related to the station can be classified and/or filtered according to the location of the station. According to one embodiment, users are divided into one or more "location service groups". This group can be composed of predetermined types of users, such as salespersons, maintenance personnel, delivery trucks, transportation vehicles (such as taxis, buses, trains, airplanes), or any other group of mobile user equipment that needs to be located, and can be based on Appropriate standards are boiled down.

Grouping can also be dynamic. For example, the list that defines a group can be dynamically changed according to the movement information of the mobile station. The list that defines the group can be arranged hierarchically. The links between the lists may be changed according to predetermined rules, for example, according to the movement and/or time of the listed mobile stations.

A more specific example of grouping will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, where the group is constituted by means of transportation such as buses and/or trains.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a possible grouping, in which a mobile station 7 subscribing to a cellular system can use a service provided by a service providing entity A, which will be referred to as a device below. The mobile station 7 is within the service providing range, and the service providing range in FIG. 2 is in the shape of a circle 17 having a predetermined diameter, for example, 1 km. The device A is equipped with a radio module 23 for communication through a wireless communication system. The communication system may be the same as or different from the communication system related to the mobile station 7. Device A can also communicate via a fixed line connection. Information about the location of the mobile station and/or device A is provided to the location service node 12.

The LCS client or processing entity 8 is provided with a GroupA table 14 listing the devices A belonging to a group. The processing entity may include more than one table, such as another table 15 for the GroupB device. Each group can be divided into multiple subgroups. The location information is transmitted from the LCS 12 to the processing entity 8 upon request or periodically within a predetermined interval or in response to a predetermined event (for example, location update).

In some embodiments, it is also advantageous to be able to adjust the transmission frequency of location information. For example, if the booking device wishes to contact another device (target device), it can inquire about location services more frequently. After finding the location of the mobile station, more accurate information related to the location of the mobile station can also be requested. Depending on the location of the reserved device and/or target device, the density of queries can be dynamically increased/decreased.

The processing entity may include an IN service, which is provided with predetermined information of the list device A subscribing to the IN service. The Intelligent Network (IN) service can always monitor the location of the users of the GroupA list 14. When a predetermined mobile station (or multiple predetermined mobile stations) is close enough to at least one member of the list, the IN service will notify the mobile station 7 and/or one or more users A. In FIG. 2, this condition is satisfied by the group A devices 20 in the service range 17 of the mobile station 7.

Before explaining the operation of the embodiment adopting the IN scheme in more detail, first briefly explain the term "intelligent network". In order to increase the flexibility and competitiveness of the communication network architecture, the IN concept is proposed. Existing IN solutions provide communication network operators with the possibility to implement powerful new services in their networks in a fast and cost-effective manner. The basic principles and operations of IN applications are well known, so they will not be explained in more detail here. Generally, it is sufficient to note that the IN architecture includes a (service) switching point (SSP) that triggers a call relative to the IN service and a (service) control point (SCP) that provides the service. A more detailed description of the general principles of IN can be found in the recommended standards of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), such as the IN CapabilitySet CS-1 published in 1993. The IN concept can be implemented in a fixed landline network such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), or in a radio communication network such as the public land mobile network (PLMN).

An IN-based embodiment can be implemented so that CAMEL SCP (CSE: CAMEL Service Environment) periodically asks the GMLC for the location of users belonging to the list. CAMEL is the abbreviation of "Customized Application of Mobile Network Enhanced Logic". CAMEL Service Environment (CES) provides an execution environment in CAMEL SCP that executes service logic. SCP stands for the "Service Control Point" of the Intelligent Network (IN).

The operation may be arranged so that whenever a user of the service (i.e. mobile station 7 in FIG. 2) is detected at a predetermined position or distance relative to one or more members of the group (i.e., device A in FIG. 2), Use cellular systems to deliver appropriate information. The data can be sent in any suitable format. The transmission may include voice, text or video data or any other data or any combination of these data. With the aid of another protocol implemented on the cellular communication system, data can be transparently sent to the cellular system. For example, the transmission between the service entity 8 and the mobile station and/or the device A is based on the wireless application protocol (WAP), or the transmission control protocol (TCP), and/or the internet protocol (IP) or Based on IPV6. Packet-switched cellular systems such as UMTS or GRPS can also realize the transfer of packet data to and from wireless stations. The communication medium of the location information service transfer between the mobile station and the service can also be based on other communication devices other than the communication system subscribed by the mobile station. For example, the mobile station may be equipped with an auxiliary data transfer device. Data can be transmitted based on a short-range radio link such as a BluetoothTM link or an infrared link. The subscription to the list in the service provider entity 8 may be based on a mutual agreement between the mobile user and the target device.

The service can be based on using a predetermined distance as a condition to trigger the notification procedure. As shown in Figure 2, it is also possible to determine, for example, more than one distance radius, whose intersection leads to the transmission of a notification. Another distance is illustrated by the dashed line 18. Subsequent operations can cause notifications to be delivered over distances of, for example, 2 kilometers and 1 kilometer, or different groups can use different distances as trigger events. The update frequency in the inner ring 17 may be different from the update frequency in the outer ring 18. In FIG. 2, the device 20 is within the first radius, and the device 21 is within the second distance, and the device 23 is outside the larger service notification range determined by the circle 18.

According to different user categories, a group of devices can be divided into several subgroups. This division can be based on the roles of the reservation device A (for example, salesperson, administrator, delivery truck, maintenance person, supervisor, inspector, etc.). The subscription device A can also dynamically record user profiles or roles that they are interested in.

According to one embodiment, the location information can be divided into several different accurate categories. The service may request information of a predetermined accuracy, depending on the purpose for which it uses the information. For example, the service can start the information provider by first requiring only the rough location of the mobile station. At this stage, the accuracy of the location information can be at the network level or at the location area level. It is possible to request rough location information from the identification location register (HLR) of a specific mobile station or similar entity of the communication system, that is, it is not necessary to send a request to the LCS12. If it is determined that the rough location is within a predetermined range, the service can request more precise information from LCS12. A possible hierarchical order of accuracy levels may be: 1) network level, 2) location range level, 3) cell level, and 4) geographic location from the location server.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the location service feature is used to provide information related to the means of transportation available to the mobile user will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. This embodiment can also be extended to the reservation of seats in the selected means of transport and/or the issuance of tickets. The embodiment described below utilizes the characteristics of the cellular system of the public land mobile network to provide information associated with different public transportation systems and/or ticket sales.

Figure 4 illustrates an example of a transportation ticketing service based on a cellular system. For the sake of simplicity, this example will focus on bus ticket sales, but it can also be combined with any other means of transportation, such as trains, subways, taxis, minibuses, airplanes, or any on-demand transportation service. .

In the embodiment described below, the conditions that need to be met in order to trigger information transmission with respect to the user include a request from the user of the mobile station. In other words, the mobile user first uses his mobile handset to request the nearest bus to arrive at the bus stop. The mobile user may have entered the bus stop or he/she is near the bus stop (for example, it is 17 in FIG. 2 within the service). The request is transmitted to the transportation center 30 through the PLMN network 19 for further processing.

As described later, the location of the mobile user and the bus 31 can be obtained from the location server (LCS) 12 of the cellular system or any independent positioning system, such as GPS16. By accessing the LCS, the transportation center 30 or any other corresponding service provider center can receive updated information about the location of one or several buses 31 (depending on the application). In other words, the mobile user location and bus location information are determined at this stage, and the information is processed in the transportation center.

Whenever the bus is located and determined to be within a predetermined distance from the mobile user, the location information and other predetermined data can also be automatically sent to the mobile user. In addition, the data of the mobile user requesting transportation can be transmitted to the nearest bus or other possible transportation means. The data can be transmitted by using, for example, short-range radio link technology (such as BluetoothTM) or other arbitrary inter-node communication means and reference-based positioning methods.

Generate an appropriate message and transmit it to the mobile station. The message is based on processing the location information of the mobile user and at least one bus or any other means of transportation. The message may include information related to the nearest bus, such as bus number, arrival time, destination, route, nearest bus stop, and so on. The message is sent from the transportation center to the user's mobile station through a cellular network or any other communication system that provides a wireless medium to its mobile users. This can be achieved, for example, by using an application based on an IP interface such as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), or by a circuit-switched or packet-switched communication medium such as an IP network or a local short-range radio link. On the other hand, the message can be generated in the transportation means and sent from the transportation means to the user's mobile station through a suitable communication medium.

Mobile users can use the received information in different ways. The user can use the response as a basis for travel plans (for example, answering questions such as "What kind of transportation should I use?", "When should I go to the bus stop?", "Which bus stop should I go to?" Kind of problem).

According to another embodiment described below, the PLMN communication system 19 fully supports the transportation vehicle ticketing procedure. In other words, with the help of the communication system, buses can be selected, and tickets can be booked, paid, and delivered to users. According to this embodiment, if the information in the message sent to the mobile station meets the requirements stated by the mobile user, the user may want to use the mobile station to reserve a seat on the bus 31 or pay for travel. For example, a user can use a mobile handset to send a request for a bus ticket to a transportation center. In his/her next phone bill, the mobile user can be charged for the ticket, or he/she can use WAP banking service, Internet banking service, SMS (short message service) banking service or any other electronic payment means to pay. Then the transportation center 30 can accept the ticket reservation and/or payment, and send information to the mobile user so that the ticket is confirmed and/or provide necessary information to the mobile station so that the user can board the bus. This information may include, for example, the scheduled time, the validity of the ticket, the departure station, the destination, the date, the bus number, and so on. If the user wants to cancel the ticket, he can also cancel the ticket.

Service providers can also provide mobile users with "leading the way" services to take the users to the nearest (or appropriate) bus stop or other locations where the mobile users can take transportation. For example, an area map can be displayed on the display of the mobile device. Relevant guide data (such as street names and possible obvious signs) can be marked on the map followed by the user. Taxis or other means of transportation on request can also use leading services to find mobile users requesting transportation services.

While transmitting the information to the wireless mobile station 7, the transportation center 30 may transmit the same information or a set of predetermined information to the ticket vending machine 32 of the bus 31. If the user is one of several possible buses, the information can be sent to the ticket vending machines of all possible buses. The transmission with respect to the ticket vending machine 32 can be accomplished through the same cellular network as the mobile station, or through another network. The ticket vending machine 32 is connected to an appropriate radio receiving device capable of receiving information and/or transmitting to the transportation center 30.

An appropriate communication medium can be provided for local communication between the mobile station 7 and the ticket vending device 32. The communication medium can be based on an infrared link or a short-range radio link, such as BluetoothTM. When passengers get on the bus, the mobile station can communicate with the ticket vending machine to provide an integrity check of the reserved ticket information. The ticket vending machine 32 may send the inspection result to the transportation center 30. This can include all relevant ticket information. The information of the ticket can be stored in the memory of the mobile handset until the ticket is valid, so that the ticket checking terminal or the ticket inspector can check the ticket if necessary.

The ticket vending machine can send information related to the boarding and/or getting off of the mobile user to the transportation center. If when the mobile user purchases the ticket, he/she has not paid, the invoice can be based on this report. Invoicing can be done directly, or by using the accounting service provided by the operator of the communication system or the service provider that provides location services to issue the invoice over the phone.

This solution is suitable for extending the time limit of the ticket, for example, after the passenger has reached the final destination or the validity period of the ticket has expired.

In addition, without requiring the user to access the communication network 19, the user can be provided with a ticket for the required means of transportation. That is, travel-specific communication with a ticket vending machine in a transportation center or a means of transportation or, for example, a ticket vending machine in a bus stop or a train station. In this embodiment, the ticket information can be downloaded to the mobile station in advance through communication with the transportation center. Tickets can be booked for a specific period of time/paid for a specific period of time (such as package tickets, monthly travel passes). The reservation/payment request may include any form of information required for the purchase of a regular travel pass. The pass may include a proximity card or the like. When a passenger takes a means of transportation, the passenger communicates with the ticket vending machine to download the required ticket information. The information of the used ticket can be kept until the validity period of the ticket expires. Each time a passenger uses a ticket, the number of tickets downloaded in the mobile station will be reduced by one. If needed, this can also be done by the transportation center.

According to one embodiment, the ticket vending machine is equipped with a location information processing facility, that is, it can provide a location service function and provide location information required for the location service.

Another embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. The payment of the ticket can be realized by using a personal identification module (PIM) integrated into the mobile device 7. Reliability and security are important features of personal identification card/data solutions. The embodiment described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 enables the user to use the identification card/data whenever he/she needs to use the identification card/data, and can determine that the signaling through the PLMN network is sufficient to safely transmit the identification data .

The first premise principle supports the proposed architecture. Figure 6 illustrates a structure including a personal identification card integrated in a mobile handset, namely a user equipment (UE). As shown in Figure 6, in addition to the subscriber identity module (SIM), the user equipment includes an independent personal identity module (PIM), which is designed for when the user intends to request services from the municipality or any other regulatory agency When the mobile users personal application is specified. The proposed PIM can also be logically separated, but physically integrated into the SIM card, and vice versa.

PIM can include several different capabilities. For example, PIM may have a variable personal identification code (PIC). That is, whenever a user wants to access municipal services, he/she must log in with the user-specific PIC. PIM may also have a higher priority than SIM. That is, the PIC of the PIM is suitable to have a higher priority than the PIN of the SIM, meaning that if a mobile user logs in with the PIC, he/she has been approved to use the SIM and PIM to access. If he/she logs in with a PIN code, he/she is only approved for SIM access, that is, only communication is allowed, and access to any municipal services or other services is not allowed.

PIM can also be determined to contain the so-called "minimum stored data", that is, PIM can include the minimum amount of personal data, such as the holder's name, his/her birthday, ID number, nationality, and so on. The minimum storage data can be fixed on the PIM from the beginning. In addition to minimum storage data, PIM can also include "variable storage data" features. In other words, the required data can be downloaded to PIM from the network/service provider. Such applications may include, for example, download money, various transportation tickets, visas and other permits or work permits, prescriptions, user-specific health services, and so on. Authorized management agencies should also be able to delete such data online.

PIM also includes the ability to continuously record the actions performed by the user. PIM can store a specific number of prior operations or predetermined types of operations. The data history also includes the location of the UE where the PIM was visited, such as the place where the ticket was paid. This function will be a certain type of X-file of PIM. X-file can be defined as a component of PIM for saving historical data. For example, when a mobile user uses a mobile station to pay for travel expenses or make other arbitrary payments, the location, date and time, amount and purpose of the payment, etc. can be saved on the X-file.

PIM can also be removed from the user's device. The PIM can be easily physically removed without disturbing the SIM. This can ensure that even if no connection is provided for the mobile station (MS) or when the MS is turned off, the user still has an identification card/data that can be read by an appropriate regulatory agency by using a reading device. Therefore, when there is no connection to the management organization through the PLMN network, the user can use his/her PIC to directly access the server. If he/she can access the communication network, she/he is still allowed to access the municipal network by using PIC during the flight. This means that the PIM module can be used independently. For example, when the user arrives at the airport, he/she may have an electronic ticket in PIM. However, when the user arrives at the airport, he/she may not have a connection to the PLMN network. The user can take out the PIM from the mobile station and use the information stored in it.

If there is no network connection, but there is an infrared link or a short-range radio link, the user can use the link and log in with his/her PIC.

Figure 7 illustrates one possible encryption level for a PIM embodiment. The PIM solution can be supported by various levels of encryption that have been applied in the cellular network system. These encryptions include signaling encryption, that is, integrity checking, user data encryption, and PIM-specific encryption.

The principle of the mobile personal identification module (PIM) described above can be implemented in any location-based service environment. Applications can include, for example, downloading money, various transportation tickets, visas and other permits or work permits, and any other municipal services, in which mobile users use their hands or use advanced algorithms to randomly request mobile lotteries for a specific series of lottery tickets, etc. . The user can select a specific number by hand or by using the features supported by the mobile device.

As mentioned above, taking into account the specific characteristics of different means of transportation, mobile ticketing can be applied to any form of transportation, that is, buses, taxis, trains, and so on.

As briefly mentioned above, for the location determination process, in determining the location of the mobile station and other entities, other information sources other than the information provided by the LCS node 8 may also be used. The geographic location can be obtained from an external source, such as the well-known satellite-based GPS (Global Positioning System). More accurate location information can be obtained through differential GPS. In addition to GPS, any other similar system that can provide reliable location information can also be used for these purposes. Some mobile stations may also have additional (independent) information sources of the aforementioned type of location information. By using the results of different position measurement and/or determination techniques, the accuracy of position determination is improved.

It should be appreciated that although the communication interfaces between various devices and communication systems are mentioned above, the group of devices and/or stations can also transmit and/or receive information signals through fixed connections. For example, one or more stations can be temporarily connected to the communication system through cables used for data transmission purposes.

When applied to transportation means, the embodiments of the present invention enable a mobile user to receive information about possible transportation means into his/her mobile terminal. The user does not have to enter any specific information about his location. The embodiment can also realize the ticketless operation of the transportation system. In addition, the embodiments can also be used in services that provide transportation on request, because the transportation center can provide the service provider with accurate information for route planning. The user can be billed in the user's phone bill, or the user can use any form of electronic payment. The electronic payment can be initiated by the mobile station. Embodiments may utilize mobile value-added services such as LCS and IN services. The embodiment can improve the usability of the mobile station. By using the features of the cellular positioning system, the embodiment can also effectively simplify fleet management.

It should be appreciated that although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to mobile stations, the embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to other suitable types of user equipment.

It should be pointed out here that although exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described above, some changes and modifications can be made to the disclosed solutions without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.