System and method for obtaining location information of a subscriber in a wireless communication network

Abstract

Disclosed is a method (500) for obtaining location information of a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network (100). The method includes receiving (502), at a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) (326), a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client (330). Further, the method includes sending (504) a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) (404) for obtaining a destination realm. Furthermore, the method includes sending (506) a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (402) associated with the UE to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME-ID) of an MME (406). Furthermore, the method includes forwarding (508) the PLR to the MME and obtaining (510) the location information of the UE from the MME.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING LOCATION INFORMATIONOF A SUBSCRIBER IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a field of wireless communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for obtaining location information of a subscriber in a wireless communication network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely due to its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.

[0003] With the recent developments in wireless communication networks, a mobile subscriber (or subscriber) is allowed to implement different service plans, communication technologies, or service providers on a single user device. For instance, the subscriber is allowed to use both Fourth Generation (4G) and Fifth Generation (5G) technologies from different service providers in the same user device. Further, the subscriber can obtain services while travelling both inside and outside a geographical area served by a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN). Hence, it is important to update location information of the subscriber in a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Visiting Location Register (VLR).

[0004] Multiple Location Services (LCS) clients require the location information of the subscriber to provide varied services such as voice, message, data, etc. The LCS client communicates with a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) to obtain the location information of the subscriber. The GMLC obtains the location informationof the subscriber by querying a subscriber database (e.g., the HLR) for a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) to which the subscriber is attached.

[0005] In conventional systems, the GMLC receives a request from the LCS client to obtain the location information of the subscriber. The GMLC forwards the request to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to obtain the location information of the subscriber. As the subscriber is served by multiple service providers and utilizes multiple communication technologies on the same device, obtaining the location information of the subscriber is time consuming and increases the latency in the network.

[0006] In light of the aforementioned challenges, there is a need for an improved system and method for obtaining the location information of the subscriber with reduced latency.SUMMARY

[0007] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key / critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0008] In an embodiment, a method for obtaining location information of a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network is disclosed.

[0009] The method includes receiving, by a reception module of a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC), a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client. The method further includes sending, by a transmission module of the GMLC, a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) for obtaining a destination realm. Further, the method includes sending, by the transmission module based on the destination realm, a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) associated with the UE to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME-ID)of a Mobility Management Entity (MME). Furthermore, the method includes forwarding, by the transmission module, the PLR to the MME to obtain the location information of the UE. Thereafter, the method includes obtaining, by the reception module, the location information of the UE from the MME based on the PLR.

[0010] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes obtaining, by the reception module from the MME, a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) of the UE. The MSISDN provides the location information of the UE. Further, the method includes forwarding, by the transmission module, the location information of the UE to the LIM client.

[0011] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes sending, by the transmission module, a request to a Unified Data Management (UDM) to determine subscription information of the UE. Further, the method includes receiving, by the reception module, a response from the UDM based on the request. The response is a positive response if the UE is subscribed to a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless technology and the response is a negative response if the UE is subscribed to a Fourth Generation (4G) wireless technology.

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the MNP request is sent when the UE is subscribed to the 4G wireless technology.

[0013] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes configuring, by a processing module of the GMLC, the MNP request based on the PLR received from the LIM client. Further, the method includes sending, by the transmission module, the MNP request to query the NPDB for obtaining the destination realm, wherein the destination realm comprises information about the HSS associated with the UE.

[0014] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the PLR is forwarded to the MME based on the destination realm and the MME-ID.

[0015] In another embodiment, disclosed is a system for obtaining location information of a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network. Thesystem includes one or more core network entities including a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC). The GMLC includes a reception module configured to receive, a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client. The GMLC further includes a transmission module configured to send a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) for obtaining a destination realm. Further, the transmission module is configured to send, based on the destination realm, a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) associated with the UE to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME-ID) of a Mobility Management Entity (MME). The transmission module is further configured to forward the PLR to the MME to obtain the location information of the UE. Further, the reception module is configured to obtain the location information of the UE from the MME.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for obtaining location information of a subscriber in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a network architecture depicting core network entities, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram depicting a communication between the core network entities for obtaining the location information of the subscriber in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method for obtaining the location information of the subscriber in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.

[0023] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” refers to one embodiment and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

[0025] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[0026] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0027] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.

[0029] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0030] In the present disclosure, various embodiments are described using terms such as extensible radio access network (xRAN), and open-radio access network ORAN)) that are commonly used in communication standards (e.g., 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), but these are merely examples for description. Various embodiments of the disclosure may also be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0031] Several key terms used in the description play pivotal roles in facilitating the system functionality. In order to facilitate an understanding of the description, the key terms are defined below.

[0032] A “Core Network (CN)” in the present disclosure may be a core part of a cellular communication system for providing services to subscribers or end users. The core network offers authentication and authorization and maintains the location of the users to facilitate delivery of services.

[0033] A “Network Function” in the present disclosure may be a processing function in the network, which has defined functional behaviour and defined interfaces. The network function can be implemented either as a network element on a dedicated hardware, as a software instance running on a dedicated hardware, or as a virtualized function instantiated on an appropriate platform, e.g. on a cloud infrastructure.

[0034] An “Authentication Server Function (AUSF)” in the present disclosure may act as an authentication server. The AUSF contains mainly an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication server functionality and acts as storage for keys and provides keying material to a requester NF.

[0035] An “Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)” in the present disclosure may be a key component of the Core Network and handles the registration of the UE to the network. The AMF authenticates the UE and authorizes access to the services. The AMF carries out termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling, NAS ciphering & integrity protection, registration management, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, security context management. The AMF also includes the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF).

[0036] A “Session Management Function (SMF)” in the present disclosure may carry out session management (session establishment, modification and release), UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation & management, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) functions, termination of NAS signalling related to session management, downlink data notification and traffic steering configuration for proper traffic routing.

[0037] A “User Plane Function (UPF)” in the present disclosure may carry out packet routing & forwarding, packet inspection, Quality of Service (QoS) handling, acts as external Packet Data Unit (PDU) session point of interconnect to Data Network (DN), and is an anchor point for intra- & inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility.

[0038] A “NF Repository Function (NRF)” in the present disclosure may discover network function instances. When the NRF receives an NF discovery request from a NF instance, it provides the discovered NF instances. The NRF maintains / supports Profiles of NF instances and their supported services within the network. The NRF maintains / supports Service-Based Interfaces, Management & Maintenance.

[0039] A “Policy Control Function (PCF)” in the present disclosure may carry out unified policy framework, providing policy rules to control plane functions, access subscription information for policy decisions in Unified Data Repository (UDR). The PCF provides a policy framework incorporating network slicing, roaming and mobility management.

[0040] A “Unified Data Management (UDM)” in the present disclosure may store subscriber data and profiles and carries out generation of Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) credentials, user identification handling, access authorization, subscription management.

[0041] A “Service Communication Proxy (SCP)” in the present disclosure may be network function enabling dynamic scaling and management of communication and services in a Fifth Generation (5G) network. The SCP provides an option for Core NFs to communicate indirectly. The SCP provides routing control, load balancing and delegated discovery.

[0042] An “Authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server” in the present disclosure may be a network server that is used for providing access control. Authentication identifies a user. Authorization implements policies that determine which resources and services an authenticated user may access. Accounting keeps track of time and data resources that are used for billing and analysis.

[0043] A “Binding Support Function (BSF)” in the present disclosure may represent a network function for binding a request from the AMF targeting a particular UE to a specific PCF instance.

[0044] A “Network Exposure Function (NEF)” in the present disclosure may be a network function that provides a means to securely expose services and capabilities provided by other network functions.

[0045] A “Diameter Routing Agent (DRA)” in the present disclosure may be a network function to provide real-time routing capabilities to route signalling messages for policy control and charging.

[0046] A “Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)” in the present disclosure provides a Network Slice Selection Application Programming Interface (API) for the AMF for registration, UE Configuration Update and PDU Session Establishment, and NSSAI Availability API.

[0047] A “Charging Function Protocol Converter (CHF-PC)” in the present disclosure may be a protocol converter for converting messages received from the SMF and the PCF to diameter messages before forwarding them to an Online Charging System (OCS).

[0048] A “Equipment Identity Register (EIR)” in the present disclosure may verify a Permanent Equipment Identifier status of the UE to provide network services to the UE.

[0049] A “Short Message Service Function (SMSF)” in the present disclosure may be a network function to support Short Message Service (SMS) specific functionalities and to interact with gateway / interworking router for relaying the SMS between UE and a Service Centre. The SMSF may send and receive SMS to the AMF via the NAS.

[0050] A “Location Management Function (LMF)” in the present disclosure may be a network function to support location determination for the UE, obtain downlink location measurements or a location estimate from the UE, obtain uplink location measurements from the RAN, and obtain non-UE associated assistance data from the RAN.

[0051] A “Location Services (LCS)” in the present disclosure may provide locationbased services for obtaining location information of the UE to provide emergency services to the UE.

[0052] A “Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC)” in the present disclosure may support the LCS by requesting routing information from a Home Location Register (HLR) or Home Subscriber Server HSS).

[0053] A “Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF)” in the present disclosure may be a network function to collect data from the UE and other network functions to perform network analytics and provide network insights.

[0054] A “Signalling Transfer Point (STP)” in the present disclosure may be a network entity to provide core network connectivity and routing between multiple networks.

[0055] A “Home Subscriber Server (HSS)” in the present disclosure may refer to a centralized database for storing subscriber information and facilitating essential network operations. The HSS supports authentication, authorization and mobility management functions. The HSS is the main subscriber database which provides details of the subscribers to other entities within the network.

[0056] A “Home Location Register (HLR)” in the present disclosure may refer to a database that contains data regarding authorized subscribers using a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) core network. The HLR stores information ranging from phone numbers to current location of the subscriber. The HLR is a database of all active customers of a mobile network, including their number, service entitlement, and number porting history.

[0057] A “Number Portability Database (NPDB)” in the present disclosure may refer to a central database that stores information about telephone numbers that have been ported from one service provider to another while retaining the same number. The NPDB may be essential for ensuring calls and text messages are routed correctly when a ported number is dialled.

[0058] A “Mobile Number Portability (MNP)” in the present disclosure may refer to a service that allows users to switch their mobile network provider without changing their phone number. The MNP may contain information such as Routing Number, Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and Number Portability Status.

[0059] Various aspects of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for obtaining location information of a subscriber in a wireless communication network.

[0060] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the system and the method obtain the location information of the subscriber using optimized network resources thereby reducing latency in the wireless communication network.

[0061] The various aspects including the example aspects are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the various aspects of the disclosure are shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0062] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure relates to the system and the method for obtaining the location information of the subscriber requested by a client. The client may send a request to a gateway that is configured to provide a network-based location. In conventional systems, the gateway may forward the request to a server to obtain the location information of the subscriber, that in turn increases the latency in the network. Therefore, to reduce the latency, the gateway in the present disclosure may directly fetch the location information of the subscriber from a network entity.

[0063] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] The wireless communication network 100 includes coverage regions 106-1 to 106-N (hereinafter cumulatively referred to as the coverage region 106). The coverage region 106 is served by one or more Base Stations (BSs) 102-1 to 102-N. Each base station among the BSs 102-1 to 102-N may have same or similarconfiguration and may also be referred to as “BS 102” or “node 102”. The BSs 102- 1 to 102-N serves one or more User Equipment (UEs) 104-1 to 104-N in the coverage region 106. Each user equipment among the UEs 104-1 to 104-N may have same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “UE 104”. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N are connected to a network 108 to provide one or more services to the UEs 104-1 to 104-N.

[0065] The BS 102 may be at least one relay, and at least one Distributed Unit (DU). Typically, the BS 102 may be a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. The BS 102 has coverage defined to be a predetermined geographic area based on the distance over which a signal may be transmitted. The BS 102 may be referred to as, in addition to “base station”, “access point (AP)”, “evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB)”, “5G node (5th generation node)”, “next generation NodeB (gNB)”, “wireless point”, “transmission / reception point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0066] The UE 104 may be, at least one DU, at least one Mobile Termination (MT) unit, and at least one relay. Typically, the term “user equipment” or “UE” can refer to any component such as “mobile station”, “subscriber station”, “remote terminal”, “wireless terminal”, “receive point”, or “end user device”.

[0067] The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the wireless communication network 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The network 108 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based onone or more communication requests from the various entities of the wireless communication network 100.

[0068] The communication data may be transmitted or received via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Fong Term Evolution (ETE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via at least one communication channel of several communication channels in the network 108. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard which may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a radio frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies.

[0069] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for obtaining the location information of the subscriber in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes the network 108, the BS 102, the UE 104, a plurality of core network entities 202 (hereinafter also referred to as the “core network entity 202”) present inside the network 108, and a database 204.

[0070] The network 108 may comprise the core network entity 202 and may be connected to a wireless access network such as the BS 102 and the UE 104. The core network entity 202 may support a Fourth Generation (4G) wireless technology, a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless technology, and a Sixth Generation (6G) wireless technology. The core network entity 202 may utilize cloud-aligned, Service-Based Architecture (SB A) that spans across all network functions and interactions including authentication, security, session management and aggregation of traffic from the UE 104. The core network entity 202 may enable support for increased throughput demand, reduced latency, and increased reliability as per requirements of various applications and services.

[0071] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network 108 may be coupled to the database 204 that provides data storage space to the core network entity 202. The database 204 may store information related to configuration parameters, location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber and other relevant information needed for the operation of the core network entity 202. The database 204 may correspond to a centralized database system configured to store and manage structured data, such as network-related data and configurations. The database 204 may be a relational database organizing related data such as in a table, or a non-relational database organizing graphical and time series data.

[0072] Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate one example of the system 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. For example, the system 200 may include any number of user devices in any suitable arrangement. Further, in another example, the network 108 may include any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. Further, various components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0073] FIG. 3 illustrates a network architecture 300 depicting the core network entity 202, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The UE 104and the BS 102 may be connected with the network 108 comprising the core network entity 202.

[0074] The network architecture 300 may depict the connections and interfaces between the core network entity 202, the UE 104, and the BS 102. The core network entity 202 may comprise at least one of User Plane Function (UPF) 302, Data Network (DN) 304, Network Exposure Function (NEF) 306, Binding Support Function (BSF) 308, Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) 310, Session Management Function (SMF) 312, Unified Data Management (UDM) 314, Policy Control Function (PCF) 316, Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 318, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 320, 5G-Equipment Identity Register (5G- EIR) 322, Short Message Service Function (SMSF) 324, Gateway Mobile Eocation Centre (GMLC) 326, Location management function (LMF) 328, Location Services Client (LCS) 330, Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) 332, Signaling Transfer Point (STP) 334, Charging Function Protocol Converter (CHF-PC) 336, and Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) 338. Each of the core network entity 202 is interfaced with each other and interfaced with the UE 104 and BS 102 using reference points N1-N52 and NL1-NL7.

[0075] The AMF 310 may be a network function of managing the mobility of the UE 104. The SMF 312 may be a network function of managing a packet data network (PDN) connection provided to the UE 104. The PCF 316 may provide a network function of applying a service policy, a charging policy, and a policy for the PDU session of a mobile communication service provider with the UE 104. The NEF 306 may access information for managing the UE 104 in the network. The NEF 306 may perform subscribing the UE 104 to a mobility management event, a session management event, requesting session-related information, configuring charging information, making a request for changing a PDU session policy, and transmitting small data for the UE 104. The UPF 302 may transmit packets that are transmitted and received by the UE 104 to the network 206. The UPF 302 may also be connected to the DN 304 leading to the Internet. The UDM 314 may be a network function for storing subscription data of the UE 104.

[0076] The GMLC 326 may be a node that provides the functionality required to support location-based services. The GMLC 326 may be integrated with the locationbased services to locate the UE 104 of the subscriber that is connected to the network 108 at a given time. The GMLC 326 may provide network services and authorized third parties with standardized subscriber location information access.

[0077] In one embodiment, the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber may be requested by the LCS 330 (may also be referred to as a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client 330). The LIM client 330 may use the location information to support various legally required or sanctioned services. The LIM client 330 may provide accurate and reliable location information to authorized parties, including emergency services, network operators, and service providers. The location of the subscriber may be used by Law Enforcement (LEAs) and Intelligence Agencies to identify and locate devices. The LEAs may utilize Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MS ISDN), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMS I), and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) as identifiers to identify and locate a subscriber account and manage communication. The LEAs and the Intelligence Agencies may prefer the location of the UE 104 of the subscriber in the form of MSISDN / IMSI, as the IMEI is based on the user device and are not commonly supported by most location-based platforms.

[0078] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram depicting a communication 400 between the plurality of core network entities 202 for obtaining the location information of the subscriber in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] In one embodiment, the GMLC 326 includes a communication interface 408, a processor 410, and a memory 412 coupled to the processor 410. The processor 410 may include one or more modules 414 (hereinafter also referred to as the “modules 414”). The processor 410 may control the operation of the GMLC 326. The processor 410 may also be referred to as a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The memory 412 may provide instructions and data to the processor 410 for performing functions ofthe GMLC 326. The memory 412 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM) and a portion of the memory 412 may also include Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM). The processor 410 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on instructions stored within the memory 412. The communication interface 408 may allow transmission and reception of data between the GMLC 326 and the network 108. The communication interface 408 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and a single or a plurality of transmit antennas electrically coupled to the transmitter and the receiver of the communication interface 408.

[0080] The communication interface 408 may be configured to enable the GMLC 326 to communicate with various entities of the system 200 via the network 108. Examples of the communication interface 408 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and / or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the communication interface 408 may include any device and / or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the GMLC 326 and various other entities of the system 200.

[0081] The processor 410 may include one or more general purpose processors and / or one or more special purpose processors, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a state machine, or ay any type of programmable logic array. The processor 410 may include may include an intelligent hardware device including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, or the like, a graphics-only processing unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a Field- Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 410 may beconfigured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 412 to cause the GMLC 326 to perform various functions.

[0082] The memory 412 may further include, but not limited to, non-transitory machine-readable storage devices such as hard drives, magnetic tape, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-Only Memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, such as ROMs, RAMS, programmable read-only memories PROMs), erasable PROMs (EPROMs), electrically erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, or other type of media / machine -readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

[0083] In addition, the memory may, in some examples, be considered a non- transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory is non-movable. In some examples, the memory may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non- transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.

[0084] Embodiments of the present technology may be described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the technology, and / or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and / or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and / or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed byone or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed methods.

[0085] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer- readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer-readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 412) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).

[0086] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processor 410) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.

[0087] In some embodiments, the core network entity 202 such as the LIM client 330 and the GMLC 326 may communicate with each other to obtain the location information of the UE 104. The GMLC 326 and the UDM 314 may communicate with each other to obtain the subscription information of the UE 104. The GMLC 326 may communicate with external entities to obtain the location information of the UE 104. The communication 400 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by steps 1 through 5.

[0088] The one or more modules 414 may comprise a reception module 416, a transmission module 418, and a processing module 420. In an embodiment, the one or more modules 414 may be combined to a single module or each module of the one or more modules 414 may be further subdivided into different modules with divided responsibilities.

[0089] At step 1 of one or more steps of the communication 400, the LIM client 330 may send a Provide Location Request (PLR) to the reception module 416 of the GMLC 326 to obtain the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber. The LIM client 330 may send the PLR to the GMLC 326 over Leinterface.

[0090] At step 2 of the one or more steps of the communication 400, the transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send a request to the UDM 314 to fetch an AMF Identity of the UE 104 over SLh interface.

[0091] In some embodiments, the subscriber may subscribe to a first wireless technology or a second wireless technology. The first wireless technology may be the 4G technology and the second wireless technology may be the 5G or the 6G wireless technology. If the subscriber belongs to the 5G or the 6G wireless technology, the UDM 314 may send the AMF Identity of the UE 104 to the reception module 416 of the GMLC 326. If the subscriber belongs to the 4G wireless technology, the UDM 314 may send a response to the reception module 416 of the GMLC 326. The response from the UDM 314 may comprise the subscription information of the UE 104 indicating that the UE 104 is subscribed to the 4G technology.

[0092] At step 3 of the one or more steps of the communication 400, upon receiving the response from the UDM 314, the processing module 420 of the GMLC 326 may configure a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request based on the PLR received from the LIM client 330. The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send the MNP request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) 404 to obtain a destination realm. The NPDB 404 may assist in validating and verifying a network service provider of the UE 104 of the subscriber. The MNP request may be configurable based on the LIM client 330. The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send the MNP request to the NPDB 404 to obtain the destination realm over the SLh interface. The destination realm may comprise information about a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 402 associated with the UE 104 of the subscriber.

[0093] The NPDB 404 may be adapted to return information to identify service provider of the network, such as a Location Routing Number (LRN), realm identifier, domain identifier, a routing number, the destination realm, a service provider identifier, or any other information suitable for identifying the network or the service provider that serves the UE 104 of the subscriber. The GMLC 326 may be responsible for determining the location of the UE 104.

[0094] At step 4 of the one or more steps of the communication 400, the transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send a User Data Request (UDR) to the HSS 402 to retrieve Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME -ID) of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 406 associated with the UE 104 of the subscriber. The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may request routing information from the Home Location Register (HLR) or the HSS 402. The HSS 402 may be a centralized database to store and manage subscriber-related information in the network 108. The HSS 402 may be used for authentication, authorization, and managing subscriber services. The MME 406 may be responsible for managing the mobility and identity of the UE 104. The MME 406 may assign temporary identifiers to the UE 104 and may keep track of the location and registration status of the UE 104.

[0095] The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may refrain from sending the UDR to the HSS 402 for obtaining the MSISDN of the UE 104, thereby reducing latency in the network 108. The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send the UDR to the HSS 402 over the SLh interface to retrieve the MME-ID of the MME 406 associated with the UE 104. To determine the location of the UE 104, the processing module 420 of the GMLC 326 may identify the MME 406 to which the UE 104 is latched. As the MME 406 may perform authentication with the HSS 402, the HSS may be aware of the MME 406 to which the UE 104 is currently latched. The transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may send the UDR to the HSS 402 for requesting a Routing Information. Upon receiving the UDR, the HSS 402 may respond with the Routing Information comprising the MME-ID of the UE 104.

[0096] At step 5 of the one or more steps of the communication 400, upon receiving the MME-ID from the HSS 402, the transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 may forward the PLR to the MME 406 over SLg interface to fetch the location of the UE 104 including the MS ISDN of the UE 104. The reception module 416 of the GMLC 326 may receive the location information along with the MSISDN from the MME 406 and forward the location information to the LIM client 330. In conventional systems, the GMLC 326 may send the UDR to the HSS 402 to retrieve the MSISDN of the UE 104 of the subscriber, that in turn increases the latency in the network 108. Hence, to reduce the latency, the transmission module 418 of the GMLC 326 in the present disclosure may directly fetch the MSISDN of the UE 104 of the subscriber from the MME 406.

[0097] In conventional systems, for obtaining location information of the subscriber, the latency is observed in a range of 10-15 seconds. In the present disclosure, the MSISDN of the UE 104 of the subscriber is fetched directly from the MME 406, thereby reducing the latency by a significant amount. Preferably, in the present disclosure, the latency is in a range of 3-5 seconds.

[0098] In some aspects of the present disclosure, to compute the location of the UE 104, the MME 406 may send the PLR to an Enhanced- Serving Mobile Location Centre (ESMLC) (not shown). The ESMLC may be utilized for international inroaming subscribers or in case of emergency situations. The ESMLC may compute the current location of the UE 104 by standard positioning procedure and transmits the location information of the UE 104 back to the MME 406. The MME 406 may transmit the location information of the UE 104 to the GMLC 326 which provides it further to the LIM Client 330.

[0099] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method 500 for obtaining location information of the subscriber in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 510.

[0100] At block 502, the processor 410 may receive the PLR from the LIM client 330 to obtain the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber.

[0101] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 410 may be configured to send a request to UDM 314 to determine subscription information of the UE 104. Further, the processor 410 may be configured to receive a response from the UDM 314 based on the request. The response may be a positive response if the UE 104 is subscribed to the 5G wireless technology and the response is a negative response if the UE is subscribed to a Fourth Generation (4G) wireless technology.

[0102] The UDM 314 may send the response comprising the subscription information of the UE 104 indicating that the UE 104 is subscribed to the first wireless technology.

[0103] In some aspects of the present disclosure, responsive to the PLR and the response from the UDM 314, the processor 410 may generate a first query requesting routing information that identifies the service provider or the HSS 404 to which the UE 104 of the subscriber is subscribed. The GMLC 326 may send the first query as the MNP towards the NPDB 404 serving the UE 104 of the subscriber using the first wireless technology.

[0104] In some embodiments, the NPDB 404 may route the first query from the processor 410, on an individual number by number basis, to subscriber databases owned by the service providers to which subscriber identifier numbers, for instance, the MSISDNs have been respectively ported.

[0105] At block 504, the processor 410 may send the MNP request to query the NPDB 404 for obtaining the destination realm. The processor 410 may send the MNP request based on the response from the UDM. The processor 410 may send the MNP request when the UE 104 is subscribed to the 4G wireless technology.

[0106] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 410 may configure the MNP request based on the PLR received from the LIM client 330. Further, the processor 410 may send the MNP request to query the NPDB 404 for obtaining thedestination realm. The destination realm may comprise information about the HSS402 associated with the UE 104.

[0107] At block 506, the processor 410 may send, based on the destination realm, the User Data Request (UDR) to the HSS 402 associated with the UE 104 to obtain the MME-ID of the MME 406.

[0108] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 410 may generate a second query to a subscriber database, for instance, the HSS 402 of the identified service provider using the routing information obtained from the NPDB 404. The second query may request address information identifying an address of a serving node, for instance the MME-ID of the MME 406 that is serving the UE 104 of the subscriber. The MME 406 may provide the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber.

[0109] At block 508, the processor 410 may forward the PLR to the MME 406 to obtain the location information of the UE 104. The processor 410 may forward the PLR to the MME 406 based on the destination realm and the MME-ID.

[0110] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 410 may obtain the MSISDN of the UE 104 from the MME 406. The MSISDN may provide the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber.

[0111] At block 510, the processor 410 may obtain the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber from the MME 406.

[0112] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 410 may forward the location information of the UE 104 of the subscriber to the LIM client 330.

[0113] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the GMLC 326 may be configured to verify the identity of the LIM client 330. Upon verifying the identity of the LIM client 330, the GMLC 326 may provide the location of the UE 104 if the MSISDN of the UE 104 is stored in the database 210. The GMLC 326 may provide the location based on the previous PLR received from the LIM client 330 or the LCS 330.Otherwise, the GMLC 326 may send the first query as the MNP to the NPDB 404 and the second query as the UDR to the HSS 402. Upon receiving the UDR, the HSS 402 may verify whether the GMLC 326 is authorized to request the location information of the UE 104. If the GMLC 326 is not authorized, the HSS 402 may return an error response. Otherwise, the HSS 402 may return the one or several of the network addresses of the current MME 406 of the UE 104.

[0114] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the GMLC 326 may first transform the location information of the UE 104, for instance, universal location co-ordinates provided by the MME 406 into some local geographic system. The GMLC 326 may transmit the location information of the UE 104 to the LIM client 330 along with to an information about the positioning method used.

[0115] Referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by embodiments disclosed herein may include reducing the latency in the network by fetching the location information and the MSISDN of the UE from the MME instead of fetching the MSISDN from the HSS. The GMLC refrains from sending the UDR to the HSS for obtaining the MSISDN of the UE, thereby reducing latency in the network. Also, the GMLC utilizes the SLg interface to interact with the MME providing direct access to the location information for various positioning procedures and for various services like navigation, tracking, and emergency location reporting.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0117] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certainT1 elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0118] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0119] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:100 - Wireless communication network102 - Base Station (BS) or Radio Access Network (RAN)102-1 to 102-N - One or more BSs104 - User Equipment (UE)104-1 to 104-N -One or more UEs106-1 to 106-N - Coverage region108 - Network200 - System for obtaining location information of a subscriber202 - Core network entities / Core network entity204 - Database300 - Network architecture depicting the core network entities 202302 - User Plane Function (UPF)304 - Data Network (DN)306 - Network Exposure Function (NEF)308 - Binding Support Function (BSF)310 - Access and Mobility management Function (AMF)312 - Session Management Function (SMF)314 - Unified Data Management (UDM)316 - Policy Control Function (PCF)318 - Authentication Server Function (AUSF)320 - Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)322 - Fifth Generation-Equipment Identity Register (5G-EIR)324 - Short Message Service Function (SMSF)326 - Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC)328 - Location management function (LMF)330 - Location Services Client (LCS) / Lawful Intercept and Monitoring(LIM) client332 - Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF)334 - Signalling Transfer Point (STP)336 - Charging Function-Protocol Converter (CHF-PC)338 - Diameter Routing Agent (DRA)400 - Communication between the core network entities 202402 - Home Subscriber Server (HSS)404 - Number Portability Database (NPDB)406 - Mobility Management Entity (MME)408 - Communication Interface410 - Processor412 - Memory414 - One or more modules416 - Reception module418 - Transmission module 420 - Processing module500 - Method for obtaining location information of the subscriber 502-510 - Operation steps of the method 500

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (500) for obtaining location information of a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network, the method (500) comprising: receiving (502), by a reception module (416) of a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) (326), a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client (330); sending (504), by a transmission module (418) of the GMLC (326), a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) (404) for obtaining a destination realm; sending (506), by the transmission module (418) based on the destination realm, a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (402) associated with the UE (104) to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME- ID) of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) (406); forwarding (508), by the transmission module (418) the PLR to the MME (406) to obtain the location information of the UE (104); and obtaining (510), by the reception module (416), the location information of the UE (104) from the MME (406) based on the PLR.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the reception module (416) from the MME (406), a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) of the UE (104), wherein the MSISDN provides the location information of the UE (104); and forwarding, by the transmission module (418), the location information of the UE (104) to the LIM client (330).

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the transmission module (418), a request to a Unified Data Management (UDM) (314) to determine subscription information of the UE (104); andreceiving, by the reception module (416), a response from the UDM (314) based on the request, wherein the response is a positive response if the UE (104) is subscribed to a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless technology and the response is a negative response if the UE (104) is subscribed to a Fourth Generation (4G) wireless technology.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the MNP request is sent when the UE (104) is subscribed to the 4G wireless technology.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: configuring, by a processing module (420) of the GMLC (326), the MNP request based on the PLR received from the LIM client (330); and sending, by the transmission module (418), the MNP request to query the NPDB (404) for obtaining the destination realm, wherein the destination realm comprises information about the HSS (402) associated with the UE (104).

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PLR is forwarded to the MME (406) based on the destination realm and the MME-ID.

7. A system (200) obtaining location information of a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network, the system (200) comprising: one or more core network entities (202) including a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) (326), the GMLC (326) includes: a reception module (416) configured to receive, a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client (330); and a transmission module (418) configured to: send a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) (404) for obtaining a destination realm;send, based on the destination realm, a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (402) associated with the UE (104) to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME -ID) of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) (406); and forward the PLR to the MME (406) to obtain the location information of the UE (104), wherein the reception module (416) is further configured to obtain the location information of the UE (104) from the MME (406).

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the reception module (416) is further configured to obtain, from the MME (406), a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) of the UE (104), wherein the MSISDN provides the location information of the UE (104); and the transmission module (418) is further configured to forward the location information of the UE (104) to the LIM client (330).

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the transmission module (418) is further configured to send, a request to a Unified Data Management (UDM) (314) to determine subscription information of the UE (104); and the reception module (416) is further configured to receive a response from the UDM (314) based on the request, wherein the response is a positive response if the UE (104) is subscribed to a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless technology and the response is a negative response if the UE (104) is subscribed to a Fourth Generation (4G) wireless technology.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the MNP request is sent when the UE (104) is subscribed to the 4G wireless technology.

11. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:a processing module (420) configured to configure the MNP request based on the PLR received from the LIM client (330), wherein the transmission module ( 18) is further configured to send the MNP request to query the NPDB (404) for obtaining the destination realm, wherein the destination realm comprises information about the HSS (402) associated with the UE (104).

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the PLR is forwarded to the MME (406) based on the destination realm and the MME-ID.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processor performs operations comprising: receiving, at a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) (326), a Provide Location Request (PLR) from a Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) client (330); sending a Mobile Number Portability (MNP) request to query a Number Portability Database (NPDB) (404) for obtaining a destination realm; sending, based on the destination realm, a User Data Request (UDR) to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (402) associated with a User Equipment (UE) (104) to obtain Mobility Management Entity Identity (MME-ID) of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) (406); forwarding the PLR to the MME (406) to obtain a location information of the UE (104); and obtaining the location information of the UE (104) from the MME (406).

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