Method and system for geolocation of wireless transmissions using distributed processors in wireless receiver towers and a method for collecting a fee for processing geolocation requests

• US 20060030332A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Carrott, David T., Kessler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US10/911,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for geolocation of wireless transmitters and a business method for collecting a fee for the geolocation. The system includes multiple cell towers and a central system administrator linked to the cell towers. Each cell tower includes a geolocation processor, capable of performing geolocation calculations for wireless transmitters, and a database. The method includes receiving a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter, identifying the wireless transmitter in the vicinity of a plurality of cell towers, collecting the raw signal information generated by the identified wireless transmitter that is received at the primary cell tower and adjacent cell towers, calculating the geolocation of the wireless transmitter, recording the geolocation information, and disseminating the geolocation information to the requester or a third party. The business method includes receiving a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter, calculating the geolocation, recording the geolocation information, disseminating the geolocation information to the requester or a third party, and charging a fee for processing the geolocation request.

Claims

1. A system for geolocation of wireless transmissions comprising:

multiple cell towers and a central system administrator (CSA) linked to the cell towers, wherein each cell tower includes;

a geolocation processor capable of performing geolocation calculations for wireless transmitters; and

a database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each cell tower further includes a local database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the CSA includes a central processor for:

the uploading and collection of local databases; and

the collection of billing information.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more wireless transmitters.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor comprises a digital processor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor comprises multiple digital processors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor comprises an optical processor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor performs time difference of arrival (TDOA) calculations to determine the geolocation of a wireless transmitter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor performs phase difference of arrival (PDOA) calculations to determine the geolocation of a wireless transmitter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor performs triangulation calculations using transmitter signal readings from a primary cell tower and two or more secondary cell towers to determine the geolocation of a wireless transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the triangulation calculations determine the latitude and longitude of a wireless transmitter.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor performs quad-angulation calculations using transmitter signal readings from a primary cell tower and three or more secondary cell towers to determine the geolocation of a wireless transmitter.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the quad-angulation calculations determine the latitude, longitude, and altitude of a wireless transmitter.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation processor performs calculations to determine the latitude, longitude, altitude, and velocity of a wireless transmitter using transmitter signal readings from a primary cell tower and four or more secondary cell towers.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the local database includes means for storing wireless transmitter identifiers to be automatically geolocated.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the local database includes geolocation requests by wireless transmitter identifier and Geolocation Configuration information, for link to the CSA.

17. A method for geolocation of wireless transmissions comprising:

receiving a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter, the request including an identifier that identifies the wireless transmitter;

identifying the wireless transmitter in the vicinity of a plurality of cell towers;

collecting, from a primary cell tower and adjacent cell towers, raw signal information generated by the identified wireless transmitter;

calculating, based on the collected raw signal information, the geolocation of the wireless transmitter; and

disseminating the geolocation information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising recording the geolocation information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the recording includes storing in a database the geolocation information, which includes the identifier, the calculated geolocation information, a time/date stamp for the geolocation, and the identification of the requester.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the collecting step collects the raw signal information at the primary cell tower.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the identifier is a cell phone number and the identifying includes comparing the identified cell phone number to a list of cell phone numbers contained in a cell tower global database.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein each time a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter is received the request is stored.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein each time a signal is received from a wireless transmitter with an identifier that matches an identifier in the global database, the calculating step calculates the geolocation of the wireless transmitter and the geolocation information is stored in a global database.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the geolocation request is received from a governmental agency.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein each time a geolocation request is received from a wireless transmitter or a “

911”

operator, the calculating step calculates the geolocation of the wireless transmitter and the geolocation information is stored in a local database.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the geolocation request is received from a user of the wireless transmitter.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the geolocation request is generated by a “

911”

call from the wireless transmitter.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a plurality of requests for geolocation information regarding a plurality of wireless transmitters.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising one or more geolocation processors prioritizing the plurality of requests for geolocation information.

30. The method of claim 17 further comprising one or more geolocation processors simultaneously calculating the geolocation of a plurality of wireless transmitters.

31. The method of claim 17 wherein the calculating includes performing time difference of arrival (TDOA) calculations.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the performing TDOA calculations determines a TDOA for the primary cell tower, a TDOA for a first secondary cell tower, and a TDOA for a second secondary cell tower, wherein an intersection of the TDOAs determines the geolocation of the wireless transmitter.

33. The method of claim 17 wherein the calculating includes performing phase difference of arrival (PDOA) calculations.

34. The method of claim 17 wherein the calculating includes determining a region where the wireless transmitter is located.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the determining a region step is performed by comparing intersecting arcs.

36. The method of claim 17 wherein the calculating includes determining a distance of the wireless transmitter from a cell tower based on the power settings of the wireless transmitter.

37. The method of claim 17 wherein the disseminating includes transmitting the geolocation information to a requester.

38. The method of claim 17 wherein the disseminating includes transmitting the geolocation information to a third party.

39. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting the geolocation information regarding the wireless transmitter to a central system administrator (CSA).

40. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a fee for providing the geolocation information.

41. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting instructions for performing the calculating to a geolocation processor.

42. A computer readable medium containing instructions for geolocation of wireless transmissions by:

receiving a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter, the request including an identifier that identifies the wireless transmitter;

identifying the wireless transmitter in the vicinity of a plurality of cell towers;

collecting, from a primary cell tower and adjacent cell towers, raw signal information generated by the identified wireless transmitter;

calculating, based on the collected raw signal information, the geolocation of the wireless transmitter; and

disseminating the geolocation information.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42 wherein one or more digital signal processors perform the calculating.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42 wherein an optical signal processor performs the calculating.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 42 further comprising recording the geolocation information.

46. A method of generating revenue based on geolocation requests comprising:

receiving a request for geolocation of a wireless transmitter;

calculating the geolocation of the wireless transmitter;

disseminating the geolocation information; and

charging a fee for the geolocation transaction.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising recording the geolocation information.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the recording comprises:

storing a record of the geolocation request in a database; and

associating the record of the stored geolocation request with a requester.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the disseminating comprises providing the geolocation information to the requester.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein the disseminating comprises providing the geolocation information to a third party.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein the charging comprises:

accessing the database;

retrieving the stored record of the stored geolocation request and records of any additional geolocation requests associated with the requester;

calculating a fee based on the retrieved records; and

billing an appropriate entity.