Method and apparatus for enhanced 911 location using power control in a wireless system

• US 20060084447A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Winters, Jack Harriman, Sollenberger, Nelson Ray
• Granted Patent: US 8,174,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method of locating a mobile telephone includes steps of receiving, transmitting, increasing and determining. In the receiving step, a first base station receives a call from a mobile telephone, the call including a dialed number and a TDMA signal. In the transmitting step, the base station transmits a control message to the mobile telephone when the dialed number meets a predetermined criterion, such as being 911. The control message instructs the mobile telephone to transmit the TDMA signal at a maximum power. In the increasing step, the mobile telephone increases the TDMA signal to maximum power in response to the control message. Then in the determining step, location information for the mobile telephone is determined based on at least one characteristic of the TDMA signal received at at least one of the first base station and other base stations. In an alternate embodiment, the method is practiced in a mobile telephone and the power level is automatically increased in response to the dialed number meeting a predetermined criterion.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of selecting a transmitter power for a mobile telephone, comprising:

receiving a telephone number; and

transmitting a control message, in response to the telephone number meeting a predetermined criterion, wherein the control message is associated with selection of a transmitter power for a mobile telephone.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a mobile identification number (MIN) from the mobile telephone;

querying a user profile database with the MIN to determine whether to invoke a transmitter control function; and

invoking the transmitter control function based on the query.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the received telephone number is a dialed number from the mobile telephone.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the received telephone number is a MIN.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the received telephone number is a called number.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmitter control function is associated with an increased transmitter power.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmitter control function is associated with a decreased transmitter power.