Method for providing communications within a geographic region

• US 5,539,924 A
• Filed: 03/10/1994
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Shaughnessy, Mark L., Naddell, Marc C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US08/209,328
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/34.1, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Communications may be established based on geographic location when a communication resource controller (101) transmits a communication message (119), which includes a message ID (120) a communication payload (121), and a set of geographic coordinates to a plurality of communication units (102, 103). Each of communication units (102, 103) upon receiving the communication message (119), compares its identification code (123) with the message ID (120). If a match occurs, the communication unit (102, 103) then determines its geographic location. Having obtained the geographic location, the unit determines whether its present location is within the area defined by the set of geographic coordinates and, if so, adjust its receiver to receive the communication payload (121).

Claims

1. In a communication system that includes a communication resource controller, a limited number of communication resources that are transceived via an antenna, and a plurality of communication units, a method for providing communications within a geographic region, the method comprises the steps of:

a) allocating, by the communication resource controller, a communication resource to a communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce an allocated communication resource;

b) transmitting, by the communication resource controller, a communication message and a set of geographic coordinates that define a geographic communication area to the communication unit via the allocated communication resource, wherein the communication message includes a message identification code and communication payload and wherein the set of geographic coordinates are independent of radio frequency coverage area of the antenna;

c) upon receiving the communication message, determining, by the communication unit whether the message identification code matches an identification code of the communication unit;

d) when the message identification code matches the identification code of the communication unit, determining, by the communication unit, a location of the communication unit and whether the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area; and

e) when the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area, processing, by the communication unit, the communication payload.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises, ignoring, by the communication unit, the communication payload when the location of the communication unit is not within the geographic communication area.

3. In the method of claim 1, step (e) further comprises receiving data as the communication payload.

4. In the method of claim 1, step (e) further comprises receiving a speech message as the communication payload.

5. In the method of claim 1, step (e) further comprises receiving a graphical image as the communication payload.

6. In the method of claim 1, step (c) further comprises determining whether a target code of the message identification code matches a unit code of the identification code and whether a function code of the message identification code matches one of a set of function codes of the identification code.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises transmitting, by the communication unit, a response to the communication payload.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises transmitting, by the communication unit, the location of the communication unit as the response.

9. In the method of claim 1, step (b) further comprises transmitting as the set of geographic coordinates a geographic point and a first radius that defines a perimeter of the geographic communication area.

10. In the method of claim 1, step (b) further comprises transmitting as the set of geographic coordinates a first set of coordinates that define the geographic communication area and a second set of coordinates that define an exclusion area within the geographic communication area.

11. A method for a communication unit to participate in communications based on geographic location, the method comprises the steps of:

a) receiving, via a communication resource allocated to the communication unit by a communication resource controller and radiated from a transmitting antenna coupled to the communication resource controller, a communication message and a set of geographic coordinates that define a geographic communication area, wherein the communication message includes a message identification code and communication payload and wherein the set of geographic coordinates are independent of radio frequency coverage area of the transmitting antenna;

b) determining whether the message identification code matches an identification code of the communication unit;

c) when the message identification code matches the identification code, determining a location of the communication unit and whether the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area; and

d) when the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area, processing the communication payload.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprises, ignoring the communication payload when the location of the communication unit is not within the geographic communication area.

13. In the method of claim 11, step (d) further comprises receiving data as the communication payload.

14. In the method of claim 11, step (d) further comprises receiving a speech message as the communication payload.

15. In the method of claim 11, step (d) further comprises receiving a graphical image as the communication payload.

16. In the method of claim 11, step (b) further comprises determining whether a target code of the message identification code matches a unit code of the identification code and whether a function code of the message identification code matches one of a set of function codes of the identification code.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprises transmitting, by the communication unit, a response to the communication payload.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises transmitting, by the communication unit, the location of the communication unit as the response.

19. In the method of claim 11, step (a) further comprises transmitting as the set of geographic coordinates a geographic point and a first radius that defines a perimeter of the geographic communication area.

20. In the method of claim 11, step (a) further comprises transmitting as the set of geographic coordinates a first set of coordinates that define the geographic communication area and a second set of coordinates that define an exclusion area within the geographic communication area.

21. In a communication system that includes a communication resource controller, a limited number of communication resources that are transceived via an antenna, and a plurality of communication units, a method for providing communications within a geographic region, the method comprises the steps of:

a) allocating, by the communication resource controller, a communication resource to a group of communication units to produce an allocated communication resource, the group of communication units including at least two of the plurality of communication units;

b) transmitting, by the communication resource controller, a communication message and a set of geographic coordinates that define a geographic communication area simultaneously to the group of communication units via the allocated communication resource, wherein the communication message includes a message identification code and communication payload and wherein the set of geographic coordinates are independent of radio frequency coverage area of the antenna;

c) upon receiving the communication message, determining, by each communication unit of the group of communication units, whether the message identification code matches an identification code of the group of communication units;

d) when the message identification code matches the identification code of the group of communication units, determining, by each communication unit of the group, a present location and whether the present location is within the geographic communication area;

e) processing, by each communication unit of the group within the geographic communication area, the communication payload; and

f) ignoring, by each communication unit of the group outside the geographic communication area, the communication payload.

22. A method for a communication unit to participate in group communications based on geographic location, the method comprises the steps of:

a) receiving, via a communication resource allocated by a communication resource controller to a plurality of communication units that include the communication unit and radiated from a transmitting antenna coupled to the communication resource controller, a communication message and a set of geographic coordinates that define a geographic communication area, wherein the communication message includes a message identification code and communication payload and wherein the set of geographic coordinates are independent of a radio frequency coverage area of the transmitting antenna;

b) determining whether the message identification code matches an identification code of the plurality of communication units;

c) when the message identification code matches the identification code of the plurality of communication units, determining a location of the communication unit and whether the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area;

d) when the location of the communication unit is within the geographic communication area, processing the communication payload; and

e) when the location of the communication unit is outside the geographic communication area, ignoring the communication payload.