System and method for providing location information

• US 10,136,303 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Betsch, Regis
• Application Number:
  US13/345,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A computer implemented method for determining the location of a target device is disclosed. A locate request is received for the target device. The locate request is forwarded. A locate for the target device in response to the locate request is received, the locate including a location and a location accuracy. The received location accuracy is compared with an accuracy threshold, and a calculated location of the target device is forwarded when the received location accuracy is not within the accuracy threshold.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a location of a first device comprising:

receiving a locate request for the first device from a second device via a network;

forwarding the locate request for the first device;

receiving a locate for the first device in response to the locate request, the locate including a location and a location accuracy, the location including a latitude and longitude;

comparing the received location accuracy with an accuracy threshold;

forwarding to a telecommunication carrier system a set of repeat locate requests for the first device when the received location accuracy is not within the accuracy threshold;

receiving a set of locates for the first device, the set of locates comprising a plurality of locations and plurality of location accuracies, the plurality of locations comprising latitudes and longitudes;

calculating a location of the first device based on the set of locates, wherein calculating the location of the first device comprises determining a weighted centroid of the set of locates; and

forwarding the calculated location of the first device to the second device;

wherein the weighted centroid is;

CentroidLatitude=Σ

(S−

accuracy_i)/(S*(N−

1))* latitude_i;

and

CentroidLongitude=Σ

(S−

accuracy_i)/(S*(N−

1))* longitude_i;

where S=Σ

accuracy_i, with the summation taken over i=1 to N;

where N is the number of locates in the set of locates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the received location of the first device when the location accuracy is within the accuracy threshold.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the set of repeat locate requests comprising at least seven (7) serially performed locate requests.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a locate loading on the telecommunication carrier system; and

determining the number of locate requests to be forwarded based on the determined locate loading on the telecommunication carrier system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a historic record of locate request times for the first device;

comparing the time of the locate request to the times of prior requests stored in the historic record; and

determining the accuracy threshold based on the comparison of the time of the locate request and the times of the prior requests.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the repeat locate requests are performed serially, wherein it is determined that the telecommunication carrier system completes the processing of a particular location request prior to initiating a subsequent location request.

7. A location server for determining a location of a first device comprising a processor for performing a computer-implemented method, the method including:

receiving a locate for the first device in response to a locate request from a second device via a network, the locate including a location and a location accuracy, the location including a latitude and longitude;

comparing the received location accuracy with an accuracy threshold;

forwarding to a telecommunication carrier system a set of repeat locate requests for the first device when the received location accuracy is not within the accuracy threshold;

receiving a set of locates for the first device, the set of locates comprising a plurality of locations and plurality of location accuracies, the plurality of locations comprising latitudes and longitudes;

calculating a location of the first device based on the set of locates, the calculating the location comprising determining a weighted centroid of the set of locates; and

forwarding the calculated location of the first device to the second device;

wherein the weighted centroid is;

CentroidLatitude=Σ

(S−

accuracy_i)/(S*(N−

1))*latitude_i;

and

CentroidLongitude=Σ

(S−

accuracy_i)/(S*(N−

1))*longitude_i;

where S=Σ

accuracy_i, with the summation taken over i=1 to N;

where N is the number of locates in the set of locates.

8. The location server of claim 7, wherein the computer-implemented method further includes forwarding the received location of the first device when the location accuracy is within the accuracy threshold.

9. The location server of claim 7, wherein in the method for performance by the processor the repeat locate requests are performed serially, wherein it is determined that the telecommunication carrier system completes the processing of a particular location request prior to initiating a subsequent location request.