Wireless Terminal Location Tracking via Application Data Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for locating wireless communication terminals in wireless networks lack the capability for real-time, high-resolution tracking, especially when dealing with encrypted communications and frequent location data updates.
Innovation Solution
A system that monitors and decodes Internet Protocol (IP) traffic between wireless communication terminals and servers providing location-based services, identifying interactions and extracting location data to track terminal locations, even in encrypted communications, using techniques like SSL inspection and correlation with identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current location tracking methods are used, then basic location information can be obtained, but real-time high-resolution tracking capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts location data directly from application-level communication between terminals and location-based service servers, separating the location tracking function from traditional network signaling. This extraction approach enables access to high-resolution location information that terminals voluntarily provide to applications, achieving both high accuracy and real-time tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a monitoring system that acts as an intermediary to intercept and analyze communication traffic between terminals and servers. This intermediary captures location data during normal application operations without requiring changes to terminal or server infrastructure, enabling real-time tracking while maintaining service functionality
2Reliability
If encrypted communication protocols are used, then communication security is improved, but location data extraction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system performs preliminary actions by intercepting and decrypting communication traffic before location data extraction. By establishing decryption capabilities in advance and analyzing the structure of location-based service API calls, the system can identify and extract location parameters from encrypted streams without breaking overall communication security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by targeting specific portions of encrypted communication - namely the application data layer where location information is embedded. The system selectively decrypts and analyzes only the relevant data segments containing location parameters while leaving other encrypted communications intact, thus extracting location data without compromising overall communication security
3Productivity
If traditional location tracking methods are used, then basic tracking functionality is provided, but frequent location data updates cannot be processed efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of application-level communications, allowing the system to capture location data updates as they occur during normal terminal operations. This continuous passive monitoring eliminates the need for periodic polling or active location requests, processing frequent location updates in real-time without adding overhead or time delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the terminal's own location-based service communications to provide tracking data. Since terminals already exchange location information with servers for application functionality, the monitoring system simply intercepts these self-generated location updates, converting existing service traffic into tracking data without requiring additional processing time or resources
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for tracking the locations of wireless communication terminals such as mobile phones. A location system monitors communication conducted between a wireless communication terminal and a wireless communication network. The monitoring system may monitor the communication by intercepting one or more of the interfaces or links between network elements. The location system decodes the monitored communication, and identifies an interaction between the terminal and a server that provides the terminal with a location-based service. The identification may be performed, for example, by detecting a data pattern that is indicative of the Application Programming Interface (API) of the location-based service. The monitoring system then finds location data in the decoded communication between the terminal and the server. The monitoring system extracts this location data and uses it to track the location of the terminal.