Mobile radio device having adaptive position transmitting capabilities

• US 20020193124A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bradley J. Hamilton, William E. Rodgers
• Inventors: Hamilton, Bradley J., Rodgers, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,600,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An Adaptive Position Transmission Algorithm (APTA) for mobile radio device where position information is required, using any transmission medium such as high frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF), Satellite Communications (SATCOM), etc. A mobile radio device employing the APTA provides accurate and automatic position reporting and thus, in a tactical environment improves situation awareness and reduces the probability of fratricide. A mobile radio device employing the APTA also reduces the number of options available to the user thereby simplifying the operation thereof while improving overall performance in most applications. The APTA accomplishes this by monitoring position, time and radio network parameters to determine when stand alone messages will be transmitted. The APTA factors radio network loading with movement and periodic thresholds. As radio network loading increases, the movement and periodic thresholds are increased to reduce the impact of position reporting on the radio network. The APTA also incorporates a time limit which prevents the radio from transmitting too often. This time limit is based on radio network loading.

Claims

1. A system for automatically transmitting position messages across a radio network, comprising:

mobile radio means for communicating with said radio network, said radio means including first means responsive to movement of said radio means for periodically sending stand alone messages when said radio means is stationary and second means operating simultaneously with said first means, for limiting the frequency at which said stand alone messages are sent as said radio means movement speed increases.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising net activity means operating simultaneously with said first and second means, for limiting the frequency at which said stand alone messages are sent when activity on said radio network exceeds a predetermined value.

3. A method for automatically transmitting position messages across a radio network with a mobile radio device, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating the start of a predetermined time limit;

resetting a predetermined periodic time interval;

setting a movement starting point which is equal to said radio device'"'"'s current position;

determining whether a position message in voice and data has been transmitted; and

repeating said initiating, resetting, setting, and determining steps when a position message in voice and data has been transmitted.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a stand alone position message was transmitted within said predetermined time limit when a position message in voice and data has not been transmitted and

restarting said predetermined time limit when a stand alone position message has been transmitted.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said periodic time interval has expired when a stand alone position message has not been transmitted within said predetermined time limit and

transmitting a stand alone position message from said radio device which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said predetermined periodic time interval has expired.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

restarting said predetermined time limit;

resetting said predetermined periodic time interval; and

resetting said movement starting point in accordance with said radio device'"'"'s new current position.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said radio device'"'"'s distance from said movement starting point has achieved a predetermined distance threshold when said predetermined periodic time interval has not expired and

transmitting a stand alone position message from said radio device which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said distance from said movement starting point achieves said predetermined distance threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of restarting said predetermined time limit when said distance from said movement starting point is less than said predetermined distance threshold.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

restarting said predetermined time limit;

resetting said predetermined periodic time interval; and

resetting said movement starting point in accordance with said radio device'"'"'s new current position.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of initiating includes starting a predetermined time period and further comprising the step of checking whether said predetermined time period has lapsed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of determining whether a position message in voice and data has been transmitted is performed when said predetermined time period has not lapsed and said step of repeating includes repeating said checking step.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of measuring radio network activity over said predetermined time period when said predetermined time period has lapsed, to determine idle time on said radio network.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said mobile radio device has two structural configurations and further comprising the steps of:

determining which of said two structural configurations said radio device is in and

selectively increasing said predetermined distance threshold, said predetermined time limit and said predetermined periodic time interval in accordance with said determined one of said two structural configurations when said idle time on said radio network is less than a predetermined value.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a stand alone position message was transmitted within said predetermined time limit when a position message in voice and data has not been transmitted and

restarting said predetermined time limit when a stand alone position message has been transmitted.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said periodic time interval has expired when a stand alone position message has not been transmitted within said predetermined time limit and

transmitting a stand alone position message from said radio device which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said predetermined periodic time interval has expired.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

restarting said predetermined time limit;

resetting said predetermined periodic time interval; and

resetting said movement starting point in accordance with said radio device'"'"'s new current position.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said radio device'"'"'s distance from said movement starting point has achieved a predetermined distance threshold when said predetermined periodic time interval has not expired and

transmitting a stand alone position message from said radio device which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said distance from said movement starting point achieves said predetermined distance threshold.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of restarting said predetermined time limit when said distance from said movement starting point is less than said predetermined distance threshold.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

restarting said predetermined time limit;

resetting said predetermined periodic time interval; and

resetting said movement starting point in accordance with said radio device'"'"'s new current position.

20. A mobile radio device for automatically transmitting position messages across a radio network;

said mobile radio device comprising;

receiver means for receiving navigation data;

scheduler means for initiating the start of a predetermined time limit;

periodic means for resetting a predetermined periodic time interval;

movement threshold means for setting a movement starting point which is equal to said radio device'"'"'s current position;

means for determining whether a position message in voice and data has been transmitted; and

transmitter means for transmitting position messages in voice and data and stand alone position messages.

21. The mobile radio device according to claim 20, further comprising:

means for determining whether a stand alone position message was transmitted within said predetermined time limit by said transmitter means when a position message in voice and data has not been transmitted and

means for causing said scheduler means to restart said predetermined time limit when a stand alone position message has been transmitted by said transmitter means.

22. The mobile radio device according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining whether said periodic time interval has expired when a stand alone position message has not been transmitted within said predetermined time limit and

means for causing said transmitter means to transmit a stand alone position message which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said predetermined periodic time interval has expired.

23. The mobile radio device according to claim 22, further comprising means for causing said scheduler means to restart said predetermined time limit, for causing said periodic means to reset said predetermined periodic time interval;

and for causing said movement threshold means to reset said movement starting point in accordance with said radio device'"'"'s new current position.

24. The mobile radio device according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining whether said radio device'"'"'s distance from said movement starting point has achieved a predetermined distance threshold when said predetermined periodic time interval has not expired and

means for causing said transmitter means to transmit a stand alone position message which identifies said radio device'"'"'s new current position when said distance from said movement starting point achieves said predetermined distance threshold.

25. The mobile radio device according to claim 24, further comprising means for causing said scheduler means to restart said predetermined time limit when said distance from said movement starting point is less than said predetermined distance threshold.

26. The mobile radio device according to claim 20, wherein said schedules means includes means for starting a predetermined time period and further comprising means for checking whether said predetermined time period has lapsed.

27. The mobile radio device according to claim 26, wherein said means for determining whether a position message in voice and data has been transmitted is operative when said predetermined time period has not lapsed.

28. The mobile radio device according to claim 26, further comprising means for measuring radio network activity over said predetermined time period when said predetermined time period has lapsed, to determine idle time on said radio network.

29. The mobile radio device according to claim 28, wherein said mobile radio device has one of at least two predetermined configurations and further comprising:

means for determining which of said at least two predetermined configurations said radio device is in and

means for selectively increasing said predetermined distance threshold, said predetermined time limit and said predetermined periodic time interval in accordance with said determined one of said at least two predetermined configurations when said idle time on said radio network is less than a predetermined value.

30. The mobile radio device according to claim 20, wherein said mobile radio device comprises a Combat Net Radio.