LOCATION CONTROL IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

The present invention relates to an improved location process for determining the location of mobile stations when a GSM network is extended by other access networks, for example unlicensed radio access networks. An access network controller supporting a connection with the mobile station sends a location service entity a location request that includes information indicative of at least one positioning method supported by the network element for a particular mobile station. By providing the location service entities with information on the location methods to use, there is no need to configure the location service entities with this information in advance. Moreover, the process is flexible and can be tailored to the network element making the request and thus to the type of connection actually used by the mobile station. There is no need for the location entities to launch several location methods before retrieving sufficiently accurate information since the most suitable methods are communicated in advance.