Method and apparatus for fixing the location of a fixed wireless terminal in a wireless network

• US 6,775,551 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Link, Charles M. II
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/476,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/410, 455/421, 455/423, 455/424, 455/446, 455/456.1, 455/67.11, 455/425, 455/435.1, 342/450, 342/463, 379/145
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02527 Detecting or resolving anomalies in the radio frequency fingerprints of the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for fixing a location of a fixed wireless terminal. The method includes receiving a first plurality of telecommunication signals at the fixed wireless terminal, generating a first model of a network environment of the fixed wireless terminal based on the first plurality of received signals, receiving a second plurality of telecommunication signals at the fixed wireless terminal, generating a second model of the network environment of the fixed wireless terminal based on the second plurality of received signals, and determining whether the first and second models differ beyond a predetermined limit. The network environment models may be generated according to identification codes sent with each of the plurality of received signals, such as digital verification color codes, digital color codes, or supervisory audio tones. The network environments may also be generated according to the received signal strengths of the received signals or the time difference of the received signals.

Claims

1. A method for fixing a location of a transportable fixed wireless terminal in a fixed wireless network, comprising:

at the transportable fixed wireless terminal;

receiving telecommunication signals transmitted from a first set of base stations;

generating a first model of a network environment of the transportable fixed wireless terminal based on the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations;

receiving telecommunication signals transmitted from a second set of base stations;

generating a second model of the network environment of the transportable fixed wireless terminal based on the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations; and

determining whether the first and second models differ beyond a predetermined limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model of the network environment based on a first set of identification codes in the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations, wherein each identification code in the first set of identification codes is indicative of a different base station included in the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating the second model of the network environment based on a second set of identification codes in the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations, wherein each identification code in the second set of identification codes is indicative of a different base station included in the second set of base stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the first and second models differ beyond a predetermined limit includes comparing the first set of identification codes with the second set of identification codes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model of the network environment based on a first set of digital verification color codes in the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating the second model of the network environment based on a second set of digital verification color codes in the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model of the network environment based on a first set of digital color codes in the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating the second model of the network environment based on a second set of digital color codes in the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model of the network environment based on a first set of supervisory audio tones in the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating the second model of the network environment based on a second set of supervisory audio tones in the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model based on a first set of received signal strengths for the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating the second model based on a second set of received signal strengths for the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the first model includes generating the first model based on a first set of arrival times for the telecommunication signals received from the first set of base stations; and

generating the second model includes generating-the second model based on a second set of arrival times for the telecommunication signals received from the second set of base stations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a remedy when the first and second network environment models differ beyond the predetermined limit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing a remedy includes preventing a user of the fixed wireless terminal from accessing the fixed wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein preventing a user from accessing the fixed wireless network includes preventing the user from accessing the fixed wireless network for a predetermined period of time.

12. A transportable fixed wireless terminal, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving telecommunication signals from one or more base stations;

an interface in communication with the transceiver;

a topology generation module in communication with the transceiver for generating first and second models of a network environment of the transportable fixed wireless terminal based on telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations; and

a topology verification module in communication with the topology generation module for comparing the first and second models.

13. The fixed wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein the topology generation module generates the first and second models based on a characteristic of each of the telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, and an identification code, wherein the identification code is indicative of a base station from which the received signal was transmitted.

14. The fixed wireless terminal of claim 13, wherein the identification code is selected from the group consisting of a digital verification color code, a digital color code, and a supervisory audio tone.

15. The fixed wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein the topology verification module establishes a remedy when the first model and the second model differ beyond a predetermined limit.

16. A transportable fixed wireless terminal, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving telecommunication signals from one or more base stations;

by an interface in communication with the transceiver; and

a controller in communication with the transceiver and the interface, the controller including a computer-readable medium, having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

generate first and second models of a network environment of the transportable fixed wireless terminal based on telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations; and

compare the first and second models.

17. The fixed wireless terminal of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable medium has stored thereon instructions, which when executed by the controller, cause the controller to generate the first and second models based on a characteristic of each of the telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, and an identification code, wherein the identification code is indicative of a base station from which the received signal was transmitted.

18. The fixed wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the identification code is selected from the group consisting of a digital verification color code, a digital color code, and a supervisory audio tone.

19. A wireless network, comprising:

a mobile switching center;

a plurality of base stations in communication with the mobile switching center; and

a transportable fixed wireless terminal in communication with one or more of the plurality of base stations, wherein the transportable fixed wireless terminal includes;

a transceiver for receiving telecommunication signals from the one or more base stations;

an interface in communication with the transceiver;

a topology generation module in communication with the transceiver for generating first and second models of a network environment of the transportable fixed wireless terminal based on telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations; and

a topology verification module in communication with the topology generation module for comparing the first and second models.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the mobile switching center is in communication with a public switched telephone network.

21. The network of claim 19, wherein the topology generation module generates the first and second models based on a characteristic of each of the telecommunication signals received from the one or more base stations, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, and an identification code, wherein the identification code is indicative of a base station from which the received signal was transmitted.

22. The network of claim 21, wherein the identification code is selected from the group consisting of a digital verification color code, a digital color code, and a supervisory audio tone.

23. The network of claim 19, wherein the topology verification module establishes a remedy when the first model and the second model differ beyond a predetermined limit.