System and method for position equipment dusting in search and rescue operations

• US 20060293023A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Levitan, Benjamin Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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

Abstract

A wireless communication system useful in locating users of mobile communication units (MUs) in emergency situations. In one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of aircraft-deployable, wireless position determining equipment (PDE) to generate position information from an emergency call request received from an MU, and a wireless mobile positioning center (MPC) on board an aircraft adapted to determine the location of the MU from the position information received from the PDE. In another embodiment, the PDE are adapted to transmit a message to elicit a response from the MU to acquire position information. In another embodiment, the PDE are adapted to receive periodic messages from the MU to acquire position information. In another embodiment, a mobile switching center (MSC) assists a GPS-capable MU in determining its location by providing it the information on the GPS satellites visible within the area covered by its base station and sector.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of position determining equipment (PDE) to generate time stamp information associated with a received emergency call request from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU), and transmit said time stamp information via a wireless medium; and

a mobile positioning center (MPC) adapted to receive said time stamp information from said plurality of position determining equipment by way of said wireless medium, and determine an approximate location of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) from said time stamp information.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said mobile positioning center (MPC) is deployed on an aircraft.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein said aircraft comprises a helicopter or an airplane.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said position determining equipment comprises a deployable parachute.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said position determining equipment is incorporated into a housing made of a material of sufficient strength to protect the position determining equipment from ground impact from at least a parachute-assisted descent.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein said housing includes indicia that provide instruction to a user of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU).

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said position determining equipment comprises an alerting device.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein said alerting device comprises any one or more of the following:

a sound-emitting device;

a light-emitting device; and

/or

a smoke-emitting device.

9. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of position determining equipment (PDE) adapted to generate information associated with a received emergency call request from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU), and transmit information via a wireless medium; and

a mobile positioning center (MPC) adapted to receive said information from said plurality of position determining equipment (PDE) by way of said wireless medium, and determine an approximate location of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) from said information.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein said information relates to a time of arrival of said emergency call request at each of said plurality of position determining equipment (PDE).

11. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein said information relates to an angle of arrival of said emergency call request at each of said plurality of position determining equipment (PDE).

12. A position determining equipment, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to said antenna; and

a time stamp module adapted to generate time information associated with a receipt of an emergency call request received from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said antenna and said RF interface.

13. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising a demodulator to demodulate a received signal carrying said emergency call request.

14. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising an alerting device.

15. The position determining equipment of claim 14, wherein said alerting device comprises any one or more of the following:

a sound-emitting device;

a light-emitting device; and

/or

a smoke-emitting device.

16. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising a parachute deployment unit.

17. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising a processor adapted to send said time information to a mobile positioning center (MPC) by way of said RF interface and said antenna.

18. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising a processor adapted to establish a first voice communication link to said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU).

19. The position determining equipment of claim 18, further comprising a computer readable medium for storing a pre-recorded message, and wherein said processor is adapted to send said pre-recorded message to said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said first voice communication link.

20. The position determining equipment of claim 19, wherein said processor is adapted to establish a second voice communication link to a mobile positioning center (MPC), wherein said processor is adapted to receive first voice communications from said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said first voice communication link and send said first voice communications to said mobile positioning center (MPC) by way of said second voice communication link, and wherein said processor is adapted to receive second voice communications from said mobile positioning center (MPC) by way of said second voice communication link and send said second voice communications to said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said first voice communication link.

21. The position determining equipment of claim 12, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to determine location information associated with the position determining equipment; and

a processor adapted to transmit said location information by way of said RF interface and antenna.

22. A position determining equipment, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to said antenna; and

a module adapted to generate information associated with a receipt of an emergency call request received from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said antenna and said RF interface, wherein said information is used to determine an approximate location of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU).

23. The position determining equipment of claim 22, wherein said information relates to an angle of arrival of a signal carrying said emergency call request.

24. A position determining equipment, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to said antenna; and

a processor adapted to transmit a signal used by emergency-calling mobile units (MUs) in determining their own respective approximate locations.

25. A mobile positioning center (MPC), comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to said antenna; and

a processor adapted to receive time information associated with a receipt of an emergency call request by a position determining equipment (PDE) from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said antenna and said RF interface, and to determine an approximate location information of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU).

26. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 25, further comprising a demodulator to demodulate a received signal carrying said time information.

27. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 25, further comprising an output device adapted to inform a user of said approximate location information.

28. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 27, wherein said output device comprises a display and/or a speaker.

29. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 25, wherein said processor is adapted to assist in forming a voice communication link with said position determining equipment.

30. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 29, wherein said processor is adapted to receive voice communications from said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said voice communication link, and send voice communications to said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said voice communication link.

31. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 25, further comprising an input device.

32. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 31, wherein said input device comprises any one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

a pointing device; and

/or

a microphone.

33. A mobile positioning center (MPC), comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to said antenna; and

a processor adapted to receive information associated with a receipt of an emergency call request by a position determining equipment (PDE) from an emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) by way of said antenna and said RF interface, and to determine an approximate location of said emergency-calling mobile unit (MU) from said information.

34. The mobile positioning center (MPC) of claim 33, wherein information relates to an angle of arrival of a signal carrying said emergency call request at said position determining equipment.

35. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of position determining equipment (PDE) wherein at least one of said position determining equipment (PDE) is adapted to transmit a message adapted to elicit a response from a mobile unit (MU);

wherein each of said plurality of positioning determining equipment (PDE) is adapted to;

receive said response from said mobile unit (MU);

generate information related to said response from said mobile unit (MU); and

transmit said information; and

a mobile positioning center adapted to;

receive said information from said plurality of said position determining equipment (PDE); and

determine an approximate location of said mobile unit (MU) from said information.

36. The wireless communication system of claim 35, wherein said information relates to a time of receipt of said response from said mobile unit (MU) by said corresponding position determining equipment (PDE).

37. The wireless communication system of claim 35, wherein said at least one of said positioning determining equipment (PDE) is adapted to transmit said response-eliciting message while descending from an aircraft.

38. The wireless communication system of claim 37, wherein said at least one of said positioning determining equipment (PDE) is adapted to determine its current location while descending from said aircraft.

39. The wireless communication system of claim 35, wherein said response-eliciting message comprises a paging message.

40. The wireless communication system of claim 35, wherein response-eliciting message comprises a registration request.

41. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of position determining equipment (PDE) wherein each of said plurality of positioning determining equipment (PDE) is adapted to;

receive periodic messages from said mobile unit (MU);

generate information related to at least one of said periodic messages from said mobile unit (MU); and

transmit said information; and

a mobile positioning center adapted to;

receive said information from said plurality of said position determining equipment (PDE); and

determine an approximate location of said mobile unit (MU) from said information.

42. The wireless communication system of claim 41, wherein said periodic message comprises a registration request message.

43. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of base stations; and

a mobile switching center (MSC) adapted to;

receive an emergency call request from a mobile unit by way of one of said plurality of base stations;

establish a voice communication link between said mobile unit and a public safety answer point (PSAP);

determine from which base station said emergency call was received; and

send information related to a set of GPS satellites associated with said base station to said mobile unit by way of said base station.

44. The wireless communication system of claim 43, wherein said mobile switching center (MSC) is further adapted to:

receive information related to a present location of said mobile unit; and

send said information to said public safety answer point (PSAP).

45. The wireless communication system of claim 43, wherein said information related to a set of GPS satellites is further associated with a sector of said base station from which said emergency call was received.