Monitoring of call information in a wireless location system

• US 20020039904A1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Published: 04/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,782,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/026 of associated receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/01 Determining conditions which influence positioning, e.g. radio environment, state of motion or energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

In an overlay Wireless Location System, an Abis interface is monitored to obtain information used to locate GSM phones. Signaling links of the Abis interface are passively monitored to obtain certain information, such as control and traffic channel assignment, called number, and mobile identification, which is not available from the GSM air interface of the reverse channel. This approach also applies to IDEN and can be broadened to include CDMA systems where the GSM architecture has been used and the system includes a separated BTS to BSC interface.

Claims

1. A mobile station (MS) management method for a wireless location system (WLS) that estimates the geographic location of said mobile transmitter, wherein the WLS overlays at least a portion of the geographic area of a wireless communications system, wherein the WLS includes radio resources and location processing resources, and wherein the wireless communications system includes base transceiver station (BTS) equipment connected to base station controller (BSC) equipment, comprising the steps of:

continuously monitoring the communications between at least one BTS and at least one BSC,

extracting MS information from the monitored communications, and

forwarding the extracted MS information to the WLS.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the extracted MS information may include the mobile station identification (MSID), the called number dialed by the user of the MS, the contents of messages sent to the MS or from the MS, or frequency assignment information sent to the MS.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the extracted MS information may include any of the following presently in use by the MS:

the control channel, the traffic channel, the mobile directory number (MDN), the Electronic Serial Number (ESN), the Mobile Identity Number (MIN), the Mobile Subscriber Identification (MSI), the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), the temporary mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), or the mobile station international ISDN number (MSISDN).

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the WLS uses the extracted MS information to determine whether to perform location processing for said MS.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the WLS uses the extracted MS information to determine which radio resources to use in performing location processing for said MS.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the WLS uses the extracted MS information to determine which location processing resources to use in performing location processing for said MS.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the WLS stores the extracted MS information in a database.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the WLS removes the extracted MS information from the database after the extracted MS information is no longer valid.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the extracted MS information is determined to be no longer valid because the MS is no longer registered with the wireless communications system.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the extracted MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the extracted MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired without an update to the extracted MS information.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the WLS discards the extracted MS information if the extracted MS information does not match any of a set of predetermined criteria.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the set of predetermined criteria includes information about the identity of the MS or the number called by the user of the MS.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the MS information includes one or more of the following:

a mobile station identification (MSID), a called number, contents of messages sent to the MS or from the MS, and/or frequency assignment information sent to the MS.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the MS information includes one or more of the following presently in use by the MS:

control channel, traffic channel, mobile directory number (MDN), Electronic Serial Number (ESN), Mobile Identity Number (MIN), Mobile Subscriber Identification (MSI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), temporary mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and/or mobile station international ISDN number (MSISDN).

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the WLS stores the MS information in a database.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the WLS removes the MS information from the database after the MS information is no longer valid.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because the MS is no longer registered with the wireless communications system.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired.

21. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired without an update to the MS information.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the WLS discards the MS information if the MS information does not match any of a set of predetermined criteria.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the set of predetermined criteria includes information about the identity of the MS or the number called by the user of the MS.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the MS information includes one or more of the following:

a mobile station identification (MSID), a called number, contents of messages sent to the MS or from the MS, and/or frequency assignment information sent to the MS.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the MS information includes one or more of the following presently in use by the MS:

control channel, traffic channel, mobile directory number (MDN), Electronic Serial Number (ESN), Mobile Identity Number (MIN), Mobile Subscriber Identification (MSI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), temporary mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and/or mobile station international ISDN number (MSISDN).

27. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising a database, wherein the WLS stores the MS information in said database.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the WLS removes the MS information from the database after the MS information is no longer valid.

29. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because the MS is no longer registered with the wireless communications system.

30. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired.

31. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the MS information is determined to be no longer valid because a predetermined period of time has expired without an update to the MS information.

32. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the WLS discards the MS information if the MS information does not match any of a set of predetermined criteria.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein the set of predetermined criteria includes information about the identity of the MS or the number called by the user of the MS.

14. A method for use in a wireless location system (WLS), wherein the WLS overlays at least a portion of a wireless communications system that includes base transceiver station (BTS) equipment operatively coupled to base station controller (BSC) equipment via an interface, comprising the steps of:

monitoring communications on the interface between at least one BTS and at least one BSC;

identifying certain prescribed mobile station (MS) information from the monitored communications;

forwarding the MS information to the WLS; and

using the MS information to determine whether to perform location processing for said MS and/or to determine which radio resources to use in performing location processing for said MS and/or to determine which location processing resources to use in performing location processing for said MS.

24. A wireless location system (WLS) that overlays at least a portion of a wireless communications system that includes base transceiver station (BTS) equipment operatively coupled to base station controller (BSC) equipment via an interface, comprising:

means for monitoring communications on the interface between at least one BTS and at least one BSC;

means for identifying certain prescribed mobile station (MS) information from the monitored communications; and

means for using the MS information to determine whether to perform location processing for said MS and/or to determine which radio resources to use in performing location processing for said MS and/or to determine which location processing resources to use in performing location processing for said MS.