Providing graphical location information for mobile resources using a data-enabled network

• US 6,662,016 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Buckham, Kevin, Melli, Tony, Fitch, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/565,761
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 455/457, 455/456, 455/456.1, 701/208-213
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

The inventive system relates to applications for providing graphical display information regarding mobile resources. In the illustrated embodiment, the system (100) provides graphical location information regarding one or more mobile resources (110, 120 and/or 130). The graphical location information is provided via a display (147) associated with a client platform (140). The display includes mapping information and mobile resource marker information transmitted from a server (170) to the client platform (140) via the Internet (180). The mapping information and marker information are provided in separate message sets thereby providing certain processing advantages.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing location information regarding mobile resources in a data enabled network, comprising the steps of:

providing a server node associated with at least one wireless communication network assisted location finding system;

said server node being in selective communication with a client node via the data enabled network;

receiving, at the server node, network location information regarding a mobile resource location, said network location information being obtained using said at least one network assisted location finding system, wherein said network location information is based on the location of said mobile resource in relation to at least one fixed ground-based wireless network structure having a known geographic location;

accessing at the server node, geographical mapping information for an area including said mobile resource location;

processing said network location information regarding said mobile resource location, at said server node, to generate marker information defining a graphical representation of said mobile resource location, wherein said marker information represents said network location information so as to permit graphical combination of said marker information with said mapping information;

first transmitting in a first message set, said mapping information from said server node to said client node;

second transmitting in a second message set, said marker information from said server node to said client node; and

wherein said mapping information and said marker information can be combined at said client node to generate a graphical display indicating said mobile resource location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises obtaining first information relating to a geographical location of said mobile resource and second information regarding uncertainty with respect to said geographic location.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises determining said network location information at least partially based on a triangulation method wherein a plurality ground-based wireless communication network structures having known locations are utilized to determine said network location information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising successively transmitting marker information representing locations of said mobile resource at successive times for combination at said client node with said mapping information of said first message set.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said locations are all within said area.