Emergency location method for a wireless location system

• US 6,172,644 B1
• Filed: 01/12/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Holding, Inc. (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: TruePosition Incorporated
• Inventors: Stilp, Louis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/229,130
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450, 342/457, 342/357.01
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/026 of associated receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0215 Interference
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0218 Multipath in signal reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02216 Timing or synchronisation of the receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0246 involving frequency difference of arrival or Doppler measurements G01S5/02685 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0268 by deriving positions from different combinations of signals or of estimated positions in a single positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for use in locating a mobile transmitter in an emergency situation comprises the steps of (a) upon determining that the emergency situation exists, monitoring a bandwidth of a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal transmitted by the mobile transmitter; (b) determining whether the bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold; (c) if the bandwidth exceeds the predetermined threshold, measuring the location of the mobile transmitter; and (d) if the bandwidth does not exceed the predetermined threshold, performing a predetermined action to increase the bandwidth and subsequently measuring the location of the mobile transmitter.

Claims

1. A method for use in a Wireless Location System in locating a mobile transmitter, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the bandwidth of a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal;

(b) determining whether said bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

(c) calculating the location of said mobile transmitter if and only if said bandwidth exceeds said predetermined threshold.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user, the method further comprises the step of, prior to step (c) and after determining in step (b) that said bandwidth does not exceed said threshold, taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal with a larger bandwidth.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising asking said user to dial a number of at least 9 digits.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct said user to dial a number of at least 9 digits.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined threshold is within the range of approximately 8 to 12 KHz.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said predetermined threshold is approximately 10 KHz.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user and the method further comprises the step of, prior to step (c) and after determining in step (b) that said bandwidth does not exceed said threshold, taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal of increased bandwidth.

8. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the method further comprises sending an audit message to the mobile transmitter.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the audit message is sent automatically to the mobile transmitter upon command from the wireless location system.

10. A method for use in a Wireless Location System in locating a mobile transmitter in an emergency situation, comprising the steps of:

(a) upon determining that said emergency situation exists, monitoring a bandwidth of a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal transmitted by said mobile transmitter;

(b) determining whether said bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold;

(c) if said bandwidth exceeds said predetermined threshold, measuring the location of said mobile transmitter; and

(d) if said bandwidth does not exceed said predetermined threshold, performing a predetermined action to increase said bandwidth and subsequently measuring the location of said mobile transmitter.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user and said predetermined action comprises requesting the user to take an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal comprising a prescribed number of bits.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined action comprises asking said user to a number of at least 9 digits.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined action comprises asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct said user to dial a number of at least 9 digits.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said predetermined threshold is within the range of approximately 8 to 12 KHz.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said predetermined threshold is approximately 10 KHz.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user and said predetermined action comprises requesting the user to take an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal comprising a prescribed number of bits.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said predetermined action comprises asking said user to dial a 9-digit number.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said predetermined action comprises asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct said user to dial a 9-digit number.

19. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said predetermined action comprises sending an audit message to the mobile transmitter.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the audit message is sent automatically to the mobile transmitter upon command from the wireless location system.

21. A wireless location system, comprising:

(a) means for monitoring the bandwidth of a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal from a mobile transmitter;

(b) means for determining whether said bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

(c) means for calculating the location of said mobile transmitter if and only if said bandwidth exceeds said predetermined threshold.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user, the system further comprising means for taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal with a larger bandwidth.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising means for asking said user to dial a number of at least 9 digits.

24. A system as recited in claim 22, further comprising means for asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct said user to dial a number of at least 9 digits.

25. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein said predetermined threshold is within the range of approximately 8 to 12 KHz.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein said predetermined threshold is approximately 10 KHz.

27. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein said mobile transmitter is carried by a user and the system further comprises means for taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit an RVC signal of increased bandwidth.

28. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the system further comprises means for sending an audit message to the mobile transmitter.

29. A system as recited in claim 28, comprising means for sending the audit message automatically to the mobile transmitter upon command.

30. A method for use in a wireless location system for locating a mobile transmitter transmitting a signal with a bandwidth, wherein the mobile transmitter is carried by a user, comprising the acts of:

monitoring the bandwidth;

determining whether the bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold;

calculating location only if the bandwidth exceeds the threshold;

taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal with a larger bandwidth.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the action comprises asking the user to dial at least 9 digits.

32. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the action comprises asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct the user to dial 9 digits.

33. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the action comprises causing the sending of an audit message to the mobile transmitter.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the audit message is sent automatically upon command from the wireless location system.

35. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the predetermined threshold is within the range of 8 KHz to 12 KHz.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the predetermined threshold is approximately 10 KHz.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the mobile transmitter is carried by a user, and further comprising taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal with a larger bandwidth.

38. A method for use in a wireless location system for locating a mobile transmitter, comprising:

determining that an emergency situation exists;

monitoring the bandwidth of a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal from the mobile transmitter;

determining whether the bandwidth exceeds a predetermined threshold;

measuring the location of the mobile transmitter if the bandwidth does exceed the threshold; and

, if the bandwidth is less than the threshold, performing a predetermined action to increase the bandwidth and then measuring the location of the mobile transmitter.

39. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the mobile transmitter is carried by a user, and further comprising taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal with a prescribed number of bits.

40. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the action comprises asking the user to dial at least 9 digits.

41. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the action comprises asking an emergency dispatcher to instruct the user to dial 9 digits.

42. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the action comprises causing an audit message to be sent to the mobile transmitter.

43. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein the audit message is sent automatically upon command from the wireless location system.

44. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein the predetermined threshold is within range of 8 KHz to 12 KHz.

45. A method as recited in claim 44, wherein the predetermined threshold is approximately 10 KHz.

46. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the mobile transmitter is carried by a user, and further comprising taking an action to cause the mobile transmitter to transmit a reverse voice channel (RVC) signal with a larger bandwidth.