Two-way pager and method for communicating preset messages over the global system for mobile communications (GSM/GPRS) network

• US 20060258372A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hans Peter Naegeli
• Original Assignee: Hans Peter Naegeli
• Inventors: Naegeli, Hans Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/430,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060258372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system for transmitting messages from one or more dispatcher stations to and from one or more stand-alone, two-way pagers via a radio frequency communication channel, namely, the short message service (SMS) of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM/GPRS) cellular telephone network. The paging system of the present invention utilizes a communications protocol which allows a dispatcher station and a pager of the paging system to communicate over the GSM/GPRS network in a predetermined manner. When the dispatcher station sends a message to a pager of the present invention, the message may contain steering codes which inform the pager of the manner in which the message is to be treated. For example, if the message is time-critical, the pager is notified by the steering code that a response to the message must be transmitted within a predetermined time integral. If the pager does not transmit a response within the predetermined time interval, the pager is not allowed to respond to the message. The steering codes may also require that the user can respond with a preprogrammed answer which has been previously stored in the memory of the pager. The two-way pager allows the central station to determine the geographical location of the pager.

Claims

1. A method of geographically locating a two-way pager designed to communicate over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM/GPRS) network, said pager having a data processor capable of recognizing any steering code in a GSM/GPRS message received by the pager over a network and implementing the order contained in the steering code, said method comprising a central location sending a steering code over the GSM/GPRS network to said two-way pager to send a signal over the GSM/GPRS network, said pager sending the signal, said signal being received by receiving antennas in at least three known locations, the location of the pager being completed by location algorithms.

2. The method of claim 1, in which said steering code is sent from a central location to a selected plurality of pagers, with each pager sending a signal with the location of each pager being computed by location algorithms.

3. A method of geographically locating a two-way pager designed to communicate over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM/GPRS) network, said method comprising computing the location of the pager by triangulation computations based upon signals sent from the two-way pager and received by antennae in at least three known locations.

4. A method of determining whether a plurality of two-way pagers designed to communicate over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM/GPRS) network are in a defined geographical area, each said pager having a data processor capable of recognizing any steering code in a GSM/GPRS message received by the pager over a network and implementing the order contained in the steering code,

said method comprising defining the geographic area,

said method comprising a central location sending a steering code over the GSM/GPRS network to said two-way pager to send a signal over the GSM/GPRS network, said pager sending the signal, said signal being received by receiving antennae in at least three known locations, the location of the pager being computed by triangulation algorithms, analyzing the geographic location of each pager and determining the identification of the pagers in the defined geographic area as reporting the identification.