System and method for identifying the position of mobile terminals

• US 20050119007A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Stola, Loris, Filizola, Davide
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system 10 and corresponding method for locating mobile terminals 12 following a location request whereto is associated information whose content depends on the position and characteristics of the mobile terminal 12 to be located. The system 10 comprises a cellular phone location centre (MLC centre) 15 able to locate the mobile terminals 12, in selective fashion, as the type and reliability of the received information vary. The system 10 and corresponding method allow, by means of the MLC centre 15, to select, among a plurality of location engines, a determined engine suited to manage the received information and selectively to identify both the position of the mobile terminal 12 and accuracy indicators relating to the type of locating operation performed.

Claims

1. System for identifying the position of mobile terminals (12) in a determined territory comprising

devices (12, 14, 27) able to transmit information having a content that depends on the position of said mobile terminals (12) ;

at least a reference centre (15) able to process said information on the basis of reference data for the purpose of identify the position of said mobile terminals (12);

characterised in that said reference centre (15) comprises

validating modules able to selectively check and validate said information; and

locating modules able to be selectively activated to identify the position of said mobile terminals (12) on the basis of said validated information;

2. System as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that said reference centre (15) comprises

accuracy modules, able to determine values of accuracy associated to the identified position of said mobile terminals (12).

3. System as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that

said mobile terminals (12) comprise said devices (27).

4. System as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that

said mobile terminals (12) belong to different family types of mobile terminals {12);

and in that

said information comprises an informative content that depends on said different family types.

8. Mobile terminal for the system as claimed in claim 1, comprising

measuring modules (22, 25) able to obtain information that depend on the position of the mobile terminal (12);

characterised by

checking modules (27) able to determine an informative content of said information that depends on characteristic parameters of said mobile terminals (12);

transmitting circuits (22, 27) able to selectively transmit said information.

5. Method for identifying the position of mobile terminals (12) in a determined territory comprising the step of

transmitting information having a content that depends on the position of said mobile terminals (12);

characterised by the steps of

checking and validating by means of a reference centre (15) said information on the basis of reference data;

selectively associating corresponding locating modules to the validated information;

identifying the position of said mobile terminals (12) on the basis of said locating modules selectively associated to said validated information.

6. Method as claimed in claim 5 characterised by the additional step of

determining values of accuracy of the identified position of said mobile terminals (12) on the basis of said locating modules.

7. Method as claimed in claim 5 characterised in that the step of transmitting information comprises the steps of

selectively identifying characteristic parameters of said mobile terminals (12);

transmitting information having an informative content that depends on said characteristic parameters of said mobile terminals (12).

17. Computer product able to be directly loaded into the internal memory of a digital computer and comprising portions of software code for implementing the method as claimed in claim 5 when said product is made to run on a computer.

9. Reference centre for identifying the position of mobile terminals (12) comprising

receiving modules able to receive information having a content that depends on the position of the mobile terminals (12)

processing modules able to determine the position of the mobile terminals (12) on the basis of said information and of reference data regarding network equipment (14) able to serve said mobile terminals (12) in a determined territory;

characterized in that said processing modules comprise

validating modules able to selectively check and validate said information; and

locating modules able to be selectively activated to identify the position of said mobile terminals {12) on the basis of said validated information

10. Reference centre as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that said locating modules comprise

at least a locating engine able to identify the position of the mobile terminals (12) on the basis of validated information comprising an identifying code able to identify a determined apparatus (16) able to serve a mobile terminal (12).

11. Reference centre as claimed in claim 10 characterised in that said locating engine is able to identify said position associating to said identifying code a determined cell centroid.

12. Reference centre as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that said locating modules comprise

at least a locating engine able to identify the position of the mobile terminals (12) on the basis of validated information comprising RP measurements.

13. Reference centre as claimed in claim 12 characterised in that said locating engine is able to identify said position in an angular sector having dimensions determined on the basis of said RF measurements and of said reference data.

14. Reference centre as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that said locating modules comprise

at least a locating engine able to identify the position of the mobile terminals (12) on the basis of validated information containing RF measurements and a parameter. (TA) indicative of the distance of a mobile terminal from the apparatus (16) able to serve the mobile terminal.

15. Reference centre as claimed in claim 14 characterised in that said locating engine is able to identify the position of said mobile terminal in an angular corona having dimensions determined on the basis of said RF measurements, of said parameter and of said reference data.

16. Reference centre as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that said processing modules comprise

accuracy modules able to determine values of accuracy of location of said mobile terminals (12) on the basis of corresponding characteristics of said locating modules.