Positioning system having an RF-measurements databank

• US 5,960,341 A
• Filed: 09/24/1996
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation), U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Gregory Eugene, LeBlanc, Frederick Warren, Uysal, Alparslan Mehmet
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/718,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/427, 455/456, 455/556, 455/434
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/045 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An improved positioning system and method for use in a wireless communication system including a plurality of base stations each having a corresponding coverage area. Scaled contour shapes are generated having minimum and maximum boundaries based upon determined RF measurements of each of the base stations. The intersections of the contour shapes define a bounding polygon area that describes the position of a mobile unit in terms of minimum and maximum error estimate. Once the bounding polygon area has been defined, the latitude and longitude of the center of the polygon area is determined whereupon corresponding street addresses may be obtained through reference to one or more databases.

Claims

1. A positioning system, comprising:

at least one base station operative to receive calls originating from one or more mobile units over air interface channels;

a control unit;

an RF measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for the at least one base station, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the RF measurements databank and the control unit, the LAP operative to access the location databank and determine and forward the location of the mobile unit to the control unit.

2. A positioning system as in claim 1, wherein the mobile units are residential cordless telephones.

3. A positioning system for use with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), comprising:

at least one base station operative to receive calls originating from one or more mobile units over air interface channels;

a control unit in electrical communication with the PSTN, the control unit operative to receive calls forwarded by the at least one base station, temporarily suspend call processing, and generate a call information request signal;

an RF measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for the at least one base station, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the RF measurements databank and the control unit, the LAP operative to receive the call information request signal, access the location databank and determine and forward the location of the mobile unit to the control unit, whereupon the call will be forwarded to the PSTN along with the determined mobile unit location.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said control unit is a Radio Port Controller (RPC).

5. A system as in claim 3, wherein said control unit is a PCS Switching Center (PSC).

6. A system as in claim 3, wherein said control unit comprises a Radio Port Controller (RPC) and a PCS Switching Center (PSC) so as to permit location determination of both PCS and cellular calls.

7. A positioning system as in claim 3, wherein said LAP is an Intelligent Peripheral (IP).

8. For use in a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) having at least one End Central Office provided in electrical communication with a plurality of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPS) and an Automatic Location Identification/Data Management System (ALI/DM) database via an E9-1-1 selective router, a location transport system for routing E9-1-1 calls from mobile units, comprising:

a plurality of base stations, each having a pseudo directory number uniquely associated with it and stored in the ALI/DM database along with its location, each of the base stations further operative to receive calls originating from a plurality of said mobile units over air interface channels;

a control unit in electrical communication with the base stations, the control unit operative to receive calls forwarded by the base stations, temporarily suspend call processing, and generate a call information request signal;

an RF measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for each of the base stations, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the RF measurements databank and the control unit, the LAP operative to receive the call information request signal, access the location databank and determine and forward the location of the mobile unit to the control unit, whereupon the call will be forwarded to one of said PSAP'"'"'s in accordance with the pseudo directory number of the corresponding base station along with its determined location and the location of the mobile unit that originated the call.

9. A location transport system as in claim 8, further comprising a Voice Synthesizer (VS) in electrical communication with the PSAP'"'"'S, the VS operative to audibly announce the location of the mobile unit that originated the call.

10. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein the location of the mobile unit is forwarded to the PSAP as a text description.

11. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein the location of the mobile unit is forwarded to the PSAP as a video description.

12. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein the location of the mobile unit is forwarded to the PSAP as both a text and video description.

13. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein the location of the mobile unit is forwarded to the PSAP as a data point description.

14. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein the location of the mobile unit is forwarded to the user'"'"'s mobile unit via a digital data stream or audibly.

15. A location transport system as in claim 8, wherein said LAP is an Intelligent Peripheral (IP).

16. For use in an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) having an End Central Office provided in electrical communication with at least one secondary party, a location transport system for routing calls originating from or terminating at mobile units, comprising:

a plurality of base stations, each of the base stations operative to receive calls originating from or terminating at a plurality of said mobile units over air interface channels;

a control unit in electrical communication with the base stations, the control unit operative to receive calls forwarded by the base stations, temporarily suspend call processing, and generate a call information request signal;

an RF measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for each of the base stations, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the RF measurements databank and the control unit, the LAP operative to receive the call information request signal, access the location databank and determine and forward the location of the mobile unit to the control unit, whereupon the call will be forwarded along with the determined location of the mobile unit that originated or received the call.

17. A location transport system as in claim 16, further comprising a modem in electrical communication with the LAP to receive the determined location of the mobile unit.

18. A positioning system, comprising:

a control unit;

at least one base station in electrical communication with the control unit;

a Service Transfer Point (STP);

a Service Control Point (SCP) in electrical communication with the STP;

a Service Switching Point (SSP) in electrical communication with the control unit and the STP, the SSP operative to temporarily suspend call processing and send a call information request signal to the SCP via the STP so as to invoke said SLP;

an RF measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for the at least one base station, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the control unit, the RF measurements databank and the SCP, the LAP operative to access the location databank and determine and forward the location of the mobile unit to the control unit at the request of the SLP.

19. A positioning system, comprising:

at least one base station operative to receive calls originating from one or more Personal Digital Assistance (PDAs) over air interface channels;

a control unit in electrical communication with the at least one base station;

an RP measurements databank having stored therein real-time RF measurements for the at least one base station, including its link budget; and

a Location Adjunct Processor (LAP) in electrical communication with the RF measurements databank and the control unit, the LAP operative to access the location databank at the request of the PDA and determine and forward the location of the PDA to the PDA via the control unit and the at least one base station.