System and method for reporting the location of a mobile telecommunications unit to an authorized terminator telecommunications unit

• US 6,151,505 A
• Filed: 07/03/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Stephens, Gary Boyd, Larkins, John Pruett
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aoki, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US08/887,725
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 701/23, 701/200, 701/2.1, 701/207, 701/211, 701/213, 701/300, 340/988
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method of providing a terminator telecommunications unit with the geographic location of a mobile telecommunications unit, where the terminator unit may then provide directions to the mobile unit in voice format or non-voice data format so the mobile unit can use the directions to arrive at the location of the terminator unit.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telecommunications unit with the geographic location of a mobile telecommunications unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a wireless mobile telecommunications unit;

(b) providing a terminator telecommunications unit located at a destination of said mobile unit;

(c) initiating a telephone call by said mobile unit to said terminator unit through a wireless serving switch;

(d) providing a voice communications path between said terminator unit and said wireless serving switch;

(e) providing a data communications path different from said voice communications path between said terminator unit and said wireless serving switch; and

(f) providing a geographic location device connected to said wireless serving switch;

(g) providing a service platform in communication with said geographic location determination device, for receiving the geographic data and providing the geographic data to said terminator unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said step of providing voice communications is accomplished, said mobile unit provides an authentication code.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said mobile unit with directional information from said terminator unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said step of providing voice communications is accomplished, said mobile unit provides an identification of said mobile unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said terminator unit comprises a computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said terminator unit comprises a telephone device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing geographic data is accomplished such that said data is continuously updated in near real-time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile unit comprises a wireless telecommunications device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said wireless device comprises a telephone device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said wireless device comprises a computer.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said directional information provided to said mobile unit is in a voice format.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic location data is provided to said terminator unit in voice format.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said voice communications path utilizes the wireless serving switch and a public switched telephone network.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said data communication path utilizes the wireless serving switch and said service platform.

13. A system for providing a telecommunications unit with a geographic location of a mobile telecommunications unit, comprising:

(a) a mobile telecommunications unit;

(b) a terminator telecommunications unit located at a destination of said mobile unit;

(c) a wireless switching system for establishing a wireless connection to the mobile telecommunications unit;

(d) a geographic location determination device in communication with the mobile unit through said wireless switching system for receiving information from said mobile unit and converting the information into geographic data representing the geographic location of said mobile unit; and

(e) a service platform in communication with said said geographic location determination device, for receiving the geographic data and providing the geographic data to said terminator unit;

wherein a voice communications path is provided between said mobile unit and said terminator unit; and

wherein a data communications different from said voice communications path is provided between said terminator unit and said mobile unit wireless switching system, said data communications path for providing said geographic data to said terminator unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said geographic data is provided to said terminator unit in voice format.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said mobile unit originates a telecommunications message to said terminator unit and provides an authentication code.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said terminator unit comprises a computer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said mobile unit comprises a wireless telecommunications device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless device comprises a telephone device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless device comprises a computer.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said terminator unit comprises a telephone device.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein said geographic data provided is continuously updated in near real-time.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein said voice communications path utilizes the wireless serving switch and a public switched telephone network.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein said data communications path utilizes the wireless serving switch and said service platform.