Location subscription API

[JoachimDahlgren]

Summary

Introduce a new location-subscription API to make it possible for an application to receive device location information events.

Background

In the early days of Device Location is was discussed if it should be possible not only to retrieve location information but also to subscribe to location information. At that time, such API was considered to sensitive to provide. Since then, CAMARA has made great progress in the Identity and Consent working group and there are today guidelines on how to handle API access and consent management in a consistent way https://github.com/camaraproject/IdentityAndConsentManagement/blob/main/documentation/CAMARA-API-access-and-user-consent.md

Use case

While the geofencing-subscription API allow consumers to create subscriptions for their devices to receive notifications when a device enters or exits a specified area, a location-subscription API allows the API consumers to continuously monitor the location of a device. This is useful for tracking devices and valuable goods.

A subscription based API will be more convenient than continuously calling the location-retrieval API.

Implementation

It should be noted that subscribing to location information is supported by the most common location related APIs such as 3GPP SCEF/NEF T8 monitoring events , 3GPP GMLC Nglmc and OMA Mobile Location Protocol.

[jlurien]

Hi @JoachimDahlgren,

I think that proposals for new APIs have now to be submitted first to the API Backlog WG. Eventually, if API is accepted, it would fit within the scope of DeviceLocation WG, but it would be good to know if some operator is interested in implementing this potential new API, or is it something worthy of being considered for sandbox incubation.

As part of the proposal, another aspect to consider is when the events would be triggered. Periodically (time-based) even if the device has not moved, when the difference between the current and the past notified location reaches certain distance, or a mix or both.

Thanks