Patent ID: 7139820

Claim:
In a location requesting device, a method for obtaining location information related to a target device, the method comprising the steps of: Transmitting a location request message onto a network towards the target device, the location request message requesting location information in relation to the target device, wherein the location request contains a specification of location information parameters that identify different types of location information requested by the location request message, each different type of location information corresponding to location information that can be provided from a different location information service, wherein the location request message contains a target device identifier and contains a time to return identifier, and wherein the step of transmitting the location request message comprises step of: configuring the specification of the location information parameters in the location request message to include a specification of the location information parameter for each type of location information that is be returned in a location signature message from a corresponding location information service, Specially, the limitation calculating a value for the time to return identifier based upon a propagation distance between the location requesting device and the target device, the value fro the time to return identifier indicating a metric that determines how close the location request message is propagated in the network toward the target device before a node in the network that receives the location request message cancels further propagation of the location request message and produces a location signature message that is returned to the location requesting device; and forwarding the location request message onto the network towards the target device specified by the target device identifier; receiving a location signature message, the location signature message containing location information associated with a plurality of different location information services, each location information service providing location information having a different location granularity in relation to the target device; and processing the location information for at least one of the location information services in the location signature message to device a location of the target device in relation to at least one desired location granularity.