Method for locating a cellular radiocommunication mobile station, and equipment for implementing the method

• US 5,850,609 A
• Filed: 11/04/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Sugarbroad, Ian, Cellmer, Jean, Ohana, Alain, Duplessis, Phillippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Willis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T.
• Application Number:
  US08/676,264
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/423, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/444, 455/456, 455/457, 455/517, 455/575, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

At least one fixed beacon is associated with a user of a mobile station and emits, with a range (r) substantially smaller than the characteristic dimension (R) of a cell, a radio signal specific to said user. When the mobile station detects the radio signal emitted by the beacon, the station addresses a signal to the communication network indicating that it is within range of the beacon.

Claims

1. Method for locating a cellular radio telephone communication mobile station, comprising associating at least one fixed beacon with a user of the mobile station, emitting from the fixed beacon, with a range (r) substantially smaller than a characteristic dimension (R) of cell, a radio signal specific to said user, and, when the mobile station picks up the radio signal emitted by the beacon, addressing a signal to communication network indicating that the mobile station is within range of the fixed beacon.

2. Method according to claim 1, in which the emitting of the radio signal by the fixed beacon is performed in a same frequency band as communications from the base stations of the communication network to the mobile stations.

3. Method according to claim 2, in which said radio signal is emitted by the beacon according to a format of a channel for broadcasting from a base station of the cellular network to mobile stations.

4. Method according to claim 1, in which the signal addressed to the network by the mobile station to indicate that it is within range of its associated beacon is emitted on a random access channel when setting up a communication involving said mobile station.

5. Method according to claim 1, in which the radio signal emitted by the beacon includes a datum for identifying the beacon allocated to the user and stored in the mobile station, and in which the mobile station emits the signal indicating that it is within range of the beacon only after having checked that the beacon identification datum included in the radio signal which it receives from the beacon corresponds to that which it has in memory.

6. Method according to claim 5, in which the datum for identifying the beacon is stored in a database of the communication network, and is down-loaded from the communication network to the mobile station during a location update.

7. Method according to claim 5, in which the communication network includes a database in which the datum for identifying the beacon is stored together with at least one number of a base station liable to communicate with the mobile station when the later is within range of the fixed beacon, and in which the network checks that the signal emitted by the mobile station to indicate that it is within range of the beacon has been received by a base station whose number is stored correspondingly with the datum for identifying the beacon.

8. Method according to claim 7, in which, in addition to each number of a base station liable to communicate with the mobile station when the latter is within range of the fixed beacon, the datum for identifying the beacon is stored together with a distance bracket which may separate said base station from the mobile station when the latter is within range of the beacon, in which each base station communicating with the mobile station determines the distance which separate it from this mobile station, and in which the network checks compatibility between the determine distance and the stored distance bracket.

9. Method according to claim 7, in which the checking of location by the communication network is performed at the level of a base station controller of the network.

10. Method according to claim 1, in which the emission range (r) of the beacon is less than about 300 meters.

11. Method according to claim 1, in which the emitting power of the beacon is less than about 200 mW.

12. Radio telephone equipment for a user of a cellular radio communication network, comprising a mobile station able to communicate with base stations of the network, at least one fixed beacon emitting, with a range (r) substantially smaller than a characteristic dimension (R) of a cell of the network, a radio signal specific to the user, the mobile station having means to detect the radio signal emitted by the beacon and, in response to the detecting of this radio signal, to address a signal to the base station with which it is communication, indicating that the mobile station is within range of the beacon.

13. Equipment according to claim 12, in which the fixed beacon is constructed inside a common housing together with a device for electrical charging of a battery of the mobile station.

14. Radio beacon for locating a cellular radio telephone communication mobile station, comprising means for emitting, with a range (r) substantially smaller than a characteristic dimension (R) of a radio telephone network cell, a radio signal specific to a user according to a format of a channel for broadcasting from a base station of the cellular network to mobile stations.