PROXIMITY LOCATION SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF FOR LOCATING A COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20090237210A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Ken, Ciesla, Lawrence W., Marics, Monica Ann
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A proximity location system and method thereof for locating a communications device. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) proximity location tag is arranged in a proximity of the communications device and detected thereby. A proximity location key included in the RFID proximity location tag is acquired by the communications device and forwarded to a location information server. The location information is queried for location information associated with the proximity location key. Based on the location information, data transmitted by the communications device is routed to the appropriate receiver of the data. The location information is also provided to the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for locating a communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting data from the communications device to a receiver;

detecting a proximity location tag in a predetermined proximity of the communications device;

sending a proximity location key from the proximity location tag to the communications device;

querying a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key;

routing the data to the receiver based on the location information; and

providing the location information to the receiver.

2. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein the communications device is at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the transmitting step, the data is at least one of voice, text, and video data.

4. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the detecting step, the proximity location tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device that is applied to an object located in the predetermined proximity of the communications device.

5. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the detecting step, the proximity location tag is a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions, and wherein, when executed, the computer-executable instructions provide the proximity location key.

6. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the sending step, the proximity location key is unique to the proximity location tag.

7. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the sending step, the communications device includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component to receive the proximity location key from the proximity location tag.

8. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, further comprising embedding the proximity location key in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-INVITE message and forwarding the SIP-INVITE message, via a call server, to a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC) for processing.

9. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 1, wherein, in the transmitting step, the receiver is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

10. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 8, wherein the VPC extracts the proximity location key from the SIP-INVITE message;

and wherein, in the querying step, the VPC queries the location information server for Master Street Address Guide (MSAG)-valid location information.

11. The method for locating the communications device according to claim 10, wherein, in the routing step, based on the MSAG-valid location information, the VPC routes the data to a predetermined Public Safety Answering Point;

and

wherein, in the providing step, the VPC provides the MSAG-valid location information to the predetermined Public Safety Answering Point.

12. A Proximity Location System, comprising:

a communications device including a transmitter and a detector;

a proximity location tag arranged in a predetermined proximity of the communications device and structured to be detected by the detector, the proximity location tag including a proximity location key to be sent to the communications device;

a location information server including location information associated with the proximity location key;

a receiver structured to receive data from the transmitter of the communications device; and

an intermediate server structured to route the data transmitted from the communications device to the receiver based on the location information and structured to provide the location information from the location information server to the receiver.

13. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, wherein the communications device is at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

14. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice, text, and video data.

15. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, wherein the proximity location tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device applied to an object located in the predetermined proximity of the communications device.

16. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, wherein the proximity location key is unique to the proximity location tag.

17. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, wherein the communication device further includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component structured to receive the proximity location key from the proximity location tag.

18. The Proximity Location System according to claim 12, further comprising a call server;

wherein the intermediate server is a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC);

the proximity location key is embedded in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-INVITE message; and

the communications device is structured to forward the SIP-INVITE message to the VPC via the call server.

19. The Proximity Location System according to claim 18, wherein the location information includes Master Street Address Guide (MSAG)-valid location information;

and wherein the VPC is structured to extract the proximity location key from the SIP-INVITE message and to query the location information server for the MSAG-valid location information.

20. A communications device, comprising:

a detector structured to detect a proximity location tag arranged in a predetermined proximity of the communications device, the proximity location tag including a proximity location key;

an acquisition component structured to acquire the proximity location key from the proximity location tag; and

a transmitter structured to transmit the proximity location key to a location information server that includes location information associated with the location of the communications device.