Proximity location system and method thereof for locating a communications device

• US 10,555,110 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Ciesla, Lawrence W., Davis, Ken, Marics, Monica Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mirza F
• Application Number:
  US15/805,780
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A proximity location system and method thereof for locating a communications device. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) proximity location tag is arranged in a proximity of the communications device and detected thereby. A proximity location key included in the RFID proximity location tag is acquired by the communications device and forwarded to a location information server. The location information is queried for location information associated with the proximity location key. Based on the location information, data transmitted by the communications device is routed to the appropriate receiver of the data. The location information is also provided to the receiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a communication device, a proximity location key from a closest proximity location tag of a plurality of proximity location tags, the proximity location key is unique to the closest proximity location tag;

forwarding, by the communication device, the proximity location key in a message to a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC);

providing, by the VPC, the location information to a receiver based on the message;

querying, by the VPC, a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag, wherein the VPC is configured to query the location information server for Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information; and

as the communications device changes location, when the communications device senses that it is no longer in sufficient proximity to any proximity location tags, determining, by the communications device, that the location of the communications device is unknown until the communications device detects one or more proximity location tags.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting data from the communications device to the receiver, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice, text, and video data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device that is applied to an object located in the predetermined proximity of the communications device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, and wherein, when executed, the computer-executable instructions are configured to provide the proximity location key.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component configured to receive the proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag of the closest proximity location tag.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VPC is configured to extract the proximity location key from the message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VPC is configured to route data to a predetermined Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information.

10. A system, comprising:

a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC);

a receiver; and

a communication device configured to;

receive a proximity location key from a closest proximity location tag of a plurality of proximity location tags, the proximity location key is unique to the closest proximity location tag;

forward the proximity location key in a message to the VPC;

query, by the VPC, a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag, wherein the VPC is configured to query the location information server for Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information; and

determine that the location of the communications device is unknown until the communications device detects one or more proximity location tags, when the communications device senses that it is no longer in sufficient proximity to any proximity location tags, as the communications device changes location;

wherein the VPC is configured to provide the location information to the receiver based on the message.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communications device comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communications device transmits data to the receiver, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice, text, and video data.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device applied to an object located in a predetermined proximity of the communications device.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication device further comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component configured to receive the proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the closest proximity location tag is located in a predetermined proximity of the communications device.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication device is configured to receive the proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag when the communication device is proximate to the plurality of proximity location tags.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition component configured to receive a proximity location key from a closest proximity location tag of a plurality of proximity location tags, the proximity location key is unique to the closest proximity location tag;

a transmitter configured to transmit the proximity location key in a message to a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC);

the VPC configured to query a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag, wherein the VPC is configured to query the location information server for Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information; and

a detector configured to determine that the location of the apparatus is unknown until the apparatus detects one or more proximity location tags, when the communications device senses that it is no longer in sufficient proximity to any proximity location tags, as the apparatus changes location.