science

Mobile Location Protocol

Mobile Location Protocol is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mobile Location Protocol rather than just read about it. In short: The Mobile Location Protocol (MLP) is an application-level protocol for receiving the position of Mobile Stations (MS: mobile phones, wireless devices, etc.) independent of underlying network technology. The MLP serves as the interface between a Location Server and a location-based application.

Key takeaways

Mobile Location Protocol belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mobile Location Protocol to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mobile Location Protocol from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Mobile Location Protocol (MLP) is an application-level protocol for receiving the position of Mobile Stations (MS: mobile phones, wireless devices, etc.) independent of underlying network technology. The MLP serves as the interface between a Location Server and a location-based application. Basic MLP Services are based on location services defined by 3GPP. The Mobile Location Protocol (MLP) is described in LIF TS 101 Specification.

Background The purpose of this technology is to define a simple and secure access method that allows mobile application to query location information from a wireless network, regardless of its underlying network technology and positioning methods. The MLP can be used by a location-based application to request mobile station location information from a location server (GMLC/MPC or other entity in the wireless network). This protocol has been prepared by Location Interoperability Forum (LIF: Open Mobile Alliance in nowadays) to provide a simple and secure API (Application Programmer’s Interface), but also could be used for other kinds of location servers and entities in the wireless network. The API is based on XML and is defined to be transported in HTTP or SOAP. Only mapping to HTTP is defined in present days. For security reasons Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) cryptographic protocols can be used to carry HTTP (HTTPS). Apart from HTTPS Mobile Location Protocol which uses authentication by user and password, the information is carried in header part of MLP message.

Features Last draft of MLP specification is OMA-TS-MLP v 3.3 from March 2009. Version 3.3 provides these features:

Standard Location Immediate Service (SLIS) Used for requesting the location of one or more Mobile Subscribers (MS). It is used when immediate response is required. Response can be returned in more than one message if the request contained more Mobile Subscribers.

Emergency Location Immediate Service (ELIS) Used for requesting the location of one or more MS involved in an emergency call. Response can be returned in more than one message if the server supports it.

Standard Location Reporting Service (SLRS) This service is initiated by MS by sending Mobile Originated Location Request [TS23271] through wireless network. It is performed when Mobile Subscriber wants an LCS client to receive MS location.

Emergency Location Reporting Service (ELRS) This service is initiated by network when MS initiates or releases emergency call. Report is generated and sent from Location Server to predefined LCS client.

Triggered Location Reporting Service (TLRS) This service is used when LCS client wants to track several MS. Triggers can be timers or MS events like change of location.

Historic Location Immediate Service (HLIS) This service is used to request reporting of historic locations of one MS when large amount of data is expected.

Common Element Definitions Source:

Function Element Definitions <!ELEMENT add_info (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT eme_event (eme_pos+)> <!ATTLIST eme_event eme_trigger (EME_ORG | EME_REL) #REQUIRED> <!ELEMENT tlrr_event (time | area_change | ms_action)> <!ELEMENT ms_action EMPTY> <!ATTLIST ms_action type (MS_AVAIL) #REQUIRED> <!ELEMENT interval (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT loc_type EMPTY> <!ATTLIST loc_type type (CURRENT | LAST | CURRENT_OR_LAST | INITIAL) "CURRENT"> <!ELEMENT poserr (result, time)> <!ELEMENT prio EMPTY> <!ATTLIST prio type (NORMAL | HIGH) "NORMAL"> <!ELEMENT pushaddr (url)> <!ELEMENT req_id (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT result (#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST result resid CDATA #REQUIRED> <!ELEMENT start_time (#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST start_time utc_off CDATA "0000"> <!ELEMENT stop_time (#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST stop_time utc_off CDATA "0000"> <!ELEMENT time (#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST time utc_off CDATA "0000"> <!ELEMENT url (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT Time_remaining (#PCDATA)>

Location Element Definitions <!ELEMENT pos (msid, (pd | poserr), gsm_net_param?)> <!ELEMENT eme_pos (msid, esrd?, esrk?, (pd | poserr))> <!ELEMENT trl_pos (msid, (pd | poserr))> <!ELEMENT trl_pos <!ATTLIST trl_trigger (TIMER | PERIODIC | MS_AVAIL) <!ELEMENT pd (time, shape, (alt, alt_acc?)?, speed?, direction?, lev_conf?)> <!ELEMENT alt (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT alt_acc (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT direction (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT easting (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT geo_info (coord_sys, datum, format? Zone?)> <!ELEMENT coord_sys (#PCDATA) <!ELEMENT datum (#PCDATA) <!ELEMENT format (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT lat (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT ll_point (lat, long)> <!ELEMENT long (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT northing (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT utm_point (easting, northing, zone, zone_des)> <!ELEMENT speed (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT x (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT xy_point (x, y)> <!ELEMENT y (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT zone (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT zone_des (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT lev_conf (#PCDATA)>

Shape Element Definitions <!ELEMENT shape (point | circle | circ_arc | ellipse | polygon )> <!ELEMENT point (ll_point | utm_point | xy_point)> <!ELEMENT angle (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT circ_arc (point, in_rad, out_rad, start_angle, stop_angle)> <!ELEMENT circle (point, rad)> <!ELEMENT ellipse (point, angle, semi_major, semi_minor)> <!ELEMENT in_rad (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT out_rad (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT polygon (point+)> <!ELEMENT rad (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT semi_major (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT semi_minor (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT start_angle (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT stop_angle (#PCDATA)>

Quality of Position Element Definitions <!ELEMENT eqop (resp_req?, resp_timer?, (ll_acc | hor_acc)?, alt_acc?, max_loc_age?)> <!ELEMENT qop ((ll_acc | hor_acc)?, alt_acc?)> <!ELEMENT ll_acc (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT hor_acc (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT resp_req EMPTY> <!ATTLIST resp_req type (NO_DELAY | LOW_DELAY | DELAY_TOL) "DELAY_TOL"> <!ELEMENT resp_timer (#PCDATA)>

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mobile Location Protocol

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mobile Location Protocol claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mobile Location Protocol before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mobile Location Protocol ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mobile Location Protocol

In research: Mobile Location Protocol appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mobile Location Protocol in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mobile Location Protocol is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Wireless, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mobile Location Protocol outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mobile Location Protocol in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mobile Location Protocol means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mobile Location Protocol out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mobile Location Protocol in simple terms?

Why does Mobile Location Protocol matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mobile Location Protocol?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mobile Location Protocol.