METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING LOCATION INFORMATION FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES

• US 20110039515A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burke, Scott B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• 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: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Emergency Services architecture for determining the location of a wireless caller. The architecture leverages a synchronization feature of GSM networks of the Base Station Subsystem (BSS) to enable employment of sparse networks by removing WLS (Wireless Location Sensor) equipment from selected cell sites. Thus, the location of a wireless caller within a sparse site can be determined. Sparse network location services can be provided further utilizing Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) technology, and other network-based location technologies such as Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD) and Angle of Arrival (AOA). Hybrid network-based/handset-based location technologies may also be used with the disclosed invention.

Claims

1. A system that determines a location of a mobile station, comprising:

a synchronization component that facilitates synchronization of at least one sparse transceiver station with at least one non-sparse transceiver station within a wireless communication network; and

a wireless location sensor (WLS) that obtains timing information, associated with the mobile station connected to the at least one sparse transceiver station, in accordance with the synchronization,

wherein the timing information is employed to determine the location of the mobile station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-sparse transceiver station calculates an angle of arrival (AOA) of the mobile station.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one non-sparse transceiver station calculates intersection location information based on a direction of arrival of the mobile station at the at least one non-sparse transceiver station.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising, a Global Positioning System (GPS) system that identifies at least one of a latitude or longitude associated with the location of the mobile station based in part on the timing information and the intersection location information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the GPS system is coupled to the at least one non-sparse transceiver station.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the GPS system is operatively coupled to a Geolocation Control System (GCS) at least one of connected to or residing within a Mobile Switching Center (MSC).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-sparse transceiver station transmits a signal to the mobile station, in response to which the mobile station computes a time difference of the received signal by employing Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD) technology.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising, a Global Positioning System (GPS) system that identifies at least one of a latitude or longitude associated with the location of the mobile station based in part on the timing information and the time difference.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the GPS system is coupled to the at least one non-sparse transceiver station.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the GPS system is coupled to a Geolocation Control System (GCS) operatively connected to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC).

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is at least one of a code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), or ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

12. A method for determining a location of a mobile station within a wireless communication network, comprising:

synchronizing at least one sparse site with one or more non-sparse sites;

determining timing information in accordance with the synchronization; and

in response to receiving an emergency call from the mobile station in the at least one sparse site, determining the location of the mobile station based on the timing information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, identifying the location of the mobile station based on the timing information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifying includes identifying at least one of a latitude or longitude of the mobile station.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the timing information includes generating the timing information based on intersection location information received from the one or more non-sparse sites by employing an Angle of Arrival (AOA) technology.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the location includes calculating the location of the mobile station based on the intersection location information.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the timing information includes generating the timing information based on time difference information received from the mobile station, in response to a signal transmitted to the mobile station from the one or more non-sparse sites.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the location includes calculating the location of the mobile station based on the time difference information.

19. A system for wireless caller location determination, comprising:

means for synchronizing at least one sparse site with one or more non-sparse sites; and

means for determining timing information based on the synchronization to identify a location of a mobile station, if an emergency call is received from the mobile station in the at least one sparse site.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for determining generates the timing information by employing at least one of a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) technology, an Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD) technology, or an Angle of Arrival (AOA) technology.