System and method for locating a mobile telephone handset using a web browser

• US 20050159172A1
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shamanna, Ram M.
• Application Number:
  US10/757,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A system and corresponding method provide a web-based location finder service that enables a user to locate a subscriber'"'"'s mobile telephone handset using a web browser. The web-based location finder service uses a position determination system to determine the location of a mobile telephone handset. A user with permission may use a web browser on a computer, such as a personal computer (PC) or a handheld computer, to log on to the web-based location finder service and conveniently track the location of a mobile telephone handset.

Claims

1. A method for locating a mobile telephone handset using a web browser, the method comprising:

providing an interface for a user to log on to a location finder service and enter a telephone number of a mobile handset to be tracked, wherein the user logs on to the location finder service using a web browser on a computer;

authenticating the user and the telephone number;

passing the telephone number to a position determination system;

determining a location of the mobile handset associated with the telephone number; and

displaying the location of the mobile handset on a display device of the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises accepting messages from the mobile handset through signaling system 7 (SS7) networks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises determining a base station identification of the mobile handset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises triangulating an approximate position of the mobile handset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises determining geosynchronous satellites with which the mobile handset communicates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises calculating a position of a global positioning system (GPS)-enabled mobile handset based on satellite timing signals.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to register one or more mobile handset with the location finder service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to track a mobile handset by paying a fee.

9. A system for locating a mobile telephone handset using a web browser, comprising:

an interface that enables a user to log on to a location finder service and enter a telephone number of a mobile handset to be tracked, the user logging on to the location finder service using a web browser on a computer;

a position determination system operably connected to the interface, the position determination system interacting with a mobile switching center to determine a location of the mobile handset associated with the telephone number;

a display device that displays the location of the mobile handset on the computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface is a world wide web (WWW) interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the position determination system accepts messages from the mobile handset through signaling system 7 (SS7) networks.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the position determination system accepts messages from the mobile handset through transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) networks.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the position determination system determines a base station identification of the mobile handset.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the position determination system triangulates an approximate position of the mobile handset.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the position determination system determines geosynchronous satellites with which the mobile handset communicates.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the display device displays a map of the location of the mobile handset on the computer.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface authenticates the user and the telephone number through username and password verification.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile handset is global positioning system (GPS)-enabled.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile handset is registered with a code-division multiple access (CDMA) carrier.

20. A computer readable medium providing instructions for locating a mobile telephone handset using a web browser, the instructions comprising:

providing an interface for a user to log on to a location finder service and enter a telephone number of a mobile handset to be tracked, wherein the user logs on to the location finder service using a web browser on a computer;

authenticating the user and the telephone number;

passing the telephone number to a position determination system;

determining a location of the mobile handset associated with the telephone number; and

displaying the location of the mobile handset on a display device of the computer.