LOCATOR SYSTEM FOR TRACKING MOBILE STATION POSITION DURING CELLULAR COMMUNICATION
First Claim
1. A system for determining the location of a mobile station in a cellular communications network, comprising:
- a plurality of locator units fixedly positioned for tracking and measuring communications between a base station and a mobile station initiating an emergency communication, each said locator unit comprising;
receiving means for monitoring a control channel of said base station for detecting and receiving identifying information including an assigned voice channel associated with said particular mobile station initiating said emergency communication;
storage means for storing said identifying information associated with said emergency communication;
controller means for tuning said receiving means to the assigned voice channel associated with said emergency communication for receiving voice and control channel data between said base station and said mobile station;
transmission means operable in a first mode responsive to said receiving means and said controller means for initiating a second communication to a monitor unit based on said stored identifying information, said second communication occurring further including data indicative of the signal strength as a function of distance of said mobile station relative to said particular locator unit;
wherein said monitor unit is responsive to said plurality of locator units for receiving said second communication from each said locator unit and determining and tracking the position of said mobile station based on said received signal strengths and the known positions of said fixed locator units.
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Abstract
A system for determining the location of a mobile station in a cellular communications network, comprising a plurality of locator units fixedly positioned for tracking and measuring communications between a base station and a mobile station initiating an emergency communication, each locator unit comprising a receiving means for monitoring a control channel of the base station for detecting and receiving identifying information including an assigned voice channel associated with the particular mobile station initiating said emergency communication, a storage means for storing the identifying information associated with the emergency communication, a controller means for tuning the receiving means to the assigned voice channel associated with the emergency communication for receiving voice and control channel data between the base station and the mobile station, a transmission means operable in a first mode responsive to the receiving means and the controller means for initiating a second communication to a monitor unit based on the stored identifying information, the second communication occurring further including data indicative of the signal strength as a function of distance of the mobile station relative to the particular locator unit, wherein the monitor unit is responsive to the plurality of locator units for receiving the second communication from each locator unit and determining and tracking the position of the mobile station based on the received signal strengths and the known positions of the fixed locator units.
52 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for determining the location of a mobile station in a cellular communications network, comprising:
a plurality of locator units fixedly positioned for tracking and measuring communications between a base station and a mobile station initiating an emergency communication, each said locator unit comprising;
receiving means for monitoring a control channel of said base station for detecting and receiving identifying information including an assigned voice channel associated with said particular mobile station initiating said emergency communication;
storage means for storing said identifying information associated with said emergency communication;
controller means for tuning said receiving means to the assigned voice channel associated with said emergency communication for receiving voice and control channel data between said base station and said mobile station;
transmission means operable in a first mode responsive to said receiving means and said controller means for initiating a second communication to a monitor unit based on said stored identifying information, said second communication occurring further including data indicative of the signal strength as a function of distance of said mobile station relative to said particular locator unit;
wherein said monitor unit is responsive to said plurality of locator units for receiving said second communication from each said locator unit and determining and tracking the position of said mobile station based on said received signal strengths and the known positions of said fixed locator units.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining the location of a mobile station in a cellular communication network, said method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring via sources at a plurality of fixed positions, a control channel of a particular cell in said cellular network for an emergency communication between a mobile station and a base station;
upon detection of said emergency communication, recording set-up call information associated with said emergency call between said mobile station and said base station;
measuring signal strength of the emergency communication;
originating a second communication from said plurality of fixed positions to a predetermined location in response to said detection, said second communication including the set-up call information associated with said first emergency communication, and a measure of the signal strength of said mobile station as a function of distance from each of said plurality of fixed positions;
receiving said second communication at said predetermined location; and
determining the position of said mobile station based on comparison of the signal strengths associated with said second communication from each of said plurality of fixed positions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for determining the location of a mobile station in a cellular radio network comprising three locator units, each said locator unit fixedly positioned in a same particular cell of said network, and at an equal distance between a base station and the periphery of said cell for tracking and measuring emergency communication between said base station and a mobile station initiating an emergency cellular telephone call, each said locator unit comprising:
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a first receiver for monitoring a reverse control channel of the base station for detecting and receiving identifying information including an assigned voice channel and MIN number associated with said emergency telephone call from the particular mobile station;
memory for storing the identifying information associated with said emergency telephone call;
a second receiver for monitoring a forward control channel for tuning said first receiver to a particular control channel;
a transmitter responsive to both the first and second receivers and operable in a first mode for initiating a second communication signal to a monitor unit based on the identifying information, and including data indicative of the signal strength as a function of distance of the mobile station relative to said particular locator unit, and in a second mode responsive to said monitor unit for transmitting a third communication including voice and signal strength data via said assigned voice channel, and wherein the monitor unit is responsive to the three locator units in said first mode for receiving the second communication including signal strength and identifying information and determining the position of said mobile station based on the received signal strengths and known positions of the fixed locator units, and in said second mode, to said locator unit having the highest signal strength of said plurality of locator units, for receiving said third communication of voice and data; and
wherein said monitor unit includes a computer console and data base containing information associated with said mobile station such that upon receipt of said identifying information, additional information retrieved from said data base is displayed on said console in addition to said position of said mobile station and said voice communication.
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Specification