Location beacon system

• US 6,745,036 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Smaak, Marc, Forde, Brian J., Weinmann, Paul C., Dunne, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US09/464,005
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/500, 455/457, 455/524, 455/526, 455/421, 455/11.1, 455/462, 455/7, 455/13.1, 455/513, 455/522, 455/422, 342/457, 342/387, 342/463, 701/300, 340/988, 340/989-994, 340/7.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/00 Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location system for establishing the position of a portable terminal that transmits identity information indicative of the identity of the individual terminal is provided. The portable terminals transmit their identity information at a first predetermined power level. The system includes location beacons having a known position and the beacons are capable of receiving the identity information transmitted by the portable terminals. Each location beacon generates an output signal when identity information of a portable terminal is received at that beacon with a power level greater than a predetermined threshold value, which value may be set independently for each beacon. The output signal is indicative that such a portable terminal is within a particular distance range of the beacon and the output signal is made available to a control unit. By providing the control unit with information relating to the position of each of the location beacons, it is possible to establish the position of a particular portable terminal as being within a given range of that known beacon position when the beacon receives identity information associated with that portable terminal with a power level greater than the beacon threshold value. In one embodiment the portable terminals are DECT handsets.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a portable terminal operable to perform a wireless transmission of an identity signal including an identity of said portable terminal;

a first location beacon operable to receive the identity signal and to perform a transmission of a first beacon signal in response to a reception of the identity signal wherein the identity signal is at a first power level greater than a first predetermined threshold value, the transmission of the first beacon signal by said first location beacon being indicative of said portable terminable being within a first distance range from said first location beacon, the first beacon signal including the identity of the portable terminal; and

a base station operable to receive the first beacon signal and to perform a wireless communication with said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic,

wherein the wireless communication between said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the first beacon signal.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central control unit;

wherein said base station is further operable to perform a transmission of the first beacon signal to said central control station, the first beacon signal further including the first power level;

wherein said central control station is operable to calculate a location of said portable terminal based on the first power level; and

wherein the wireless communication be said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the calculated location of said portable terminal.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central control unit operable to set the first predetermined threshold value, said central control unit further operable to communicate a setting of the first predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said first location beacon.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, comprising:

a central control unit operable to control a general operation of said telecommunications system under a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second location beacon operable to receive the identity signal and to perform a transmission of a second beacon signal in response to a reception of the identity signal wherein the identity signal is at a second power level greater than a second predetermined threshold value, the transmission of the second beacon signal by said second location beacon being indicative of said portable tenable being within a second distance range from said second location beacon, the second beacon signal including the identity of said portable terminal;

wherein said base station is further operable to receive the second beacon signal; and

wherein the wireless communication between said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the first beacon signal and the second beacon signal.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 5, further comprising:

a central control unit;

wherein said base station is further operable to perform a transmission of the first beacon signal and the second beacon signal to said central control station, the first beacon signal further including the first power level, the second beacon signal further including the second power level;

wherein said central control station is operable to calculate a location of said portable terminal based on the first power level and the second power level; and

wherein the wireless communication between said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the calculated location of said portable terminal.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 5, further comprising:

a central control unit operable to set the first predetermined threshold value and the second predetermined threshold value,

wherein said central control unit is further operable to communicate a first setting of the first predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said first location beacon and to communicate a second setting of the second predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said second location beacon.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined threshold value and the second predetermined threshold value are identical.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 5, further comprising:

a central control unit operable to control a general operation of said telecommunications system under a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 5, further comprising:

a third location beacon operable to receive the identity signal and to perform a transmission of a third beacon signal in response to a reception of the identity signal wherein the identity signal is at a third power level greater than a third predetermined threshold value, the transmission of the third beacon signal by said third location beacon being indicative of said portable terminable being within a third distance range from said third location beacon, the third beacon signal including the identity of said portable terminal;

wherein said base station is further operable to receive the third beacon signal, and

wherein the wireless communication between said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the first beacon signal, the second beacon signal, and the third beacon signal.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

a central control unit;

wherein said base station is further operable to perform a transmission of the first beacon signal, the second beacon signal and the third beacon signal to said central control station, the first beacon signal further including the first power level, the second beacon signal further including the second power level, the third beacon signal further including the third power level;

wherein said central control station is operable to calculate a location of said portable terminal based on the first power level, the second power level, and the third power level; and

wherein the wireless communications between said base station and said portable terminal involving the exchange of traffic is based on the calculated location of said portable terminal.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

a central control unit operable to set the first predetermined threshold value, the second predetermined threshold value and the third predetermines threshold value,

wherein said central control unit is further operable to communicate a first setting of the first predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said first location beacon, to communicate a second setting of the second predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said second location beacon, and to communicate a third setting of the third predetermined threshold value by said central control unit to said third location beacon.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein first predetermined threshold value and the second predetermined threshold value are identical.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

a central control unit operable to control a general operation of said telecommunications system under a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard.