Method and apparatus for embedding global positioning system (GPS) data in mobile telephone call data

• US 6,795,698 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Kumor, Jan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/547,530
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/405, 455/414, 455/403, 342/357.01, 342/357.07, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 701/211, 701/213, 701/215, 701/214, 704/223, 704/219
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a mobile telephone, position data are obtained from an integral Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver (10) and edited in an editor (14) to provide a fixed number of bits of position and velocity data every second. The data are stored in a buffer (18) until voice samples become available and are then embedded in successive voice samples such that only a small percentage of bits in each voice sample are affected by the presence of the position data. The position and velocity data may be recovered at a receiver at a fixed location or at another mobile location.

Claims

1. A method for automatically providing location data for cellular telephones using Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) protocols, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining position data using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver integrated into a GSM cellular telephone;

editing and formatting the position data to contain a fixed number of bits of data each second, wherein the fixed number of bits represents position data for three orthogonal directions, velocity data for the same three directions, and a figure of merit indicative of reliability of the data;

storing the position data in a buffer;

processing samples of voice data for transmission from the GSM cellular telephone;

embedding position data in successive samples of voice data;

transmitting the successive samples of voice data, including the embedded position data;

receiving successive samples of voice data and embedded position data at a cellular telephone receiver; and

recovering the embedded position data from the successive samples of received voice data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixed number of bits per second are formatted as nineteen 16-bit words, including nine words of position data, nine words of velocity data and one word containing the figure of merit.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the position data is obtained at the same rate that the voice data is processed.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of embedding position data comprises overriding position data on samples of voice data.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of overriding voice data comprises overriding between 0 and 35% of voice data.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of overriding voice data comprises overriding about 6% of voice data.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of storing position data comprises storing position data until voice data samples are available.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein position data is obtained periodically, such that editing, formatting and embedding position data occurs only when position data is obtained.

9. A cellular telephone using Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) protocols, comprising:

voice sampling module;

a GSM voice compression module utilizing a Regular Pulse Excitation/Long-Term Predictor (RPE/LTP);

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver integrated into the telephone, for generating GPS position data;

a GPS data editor for reformatting the GPS position data;

a GPS data buffer for temporarily storing GPS data until voice samples become available;

a GPS data injection module, for encoding GPS data into successive samples of voice data, by replacing selected bits of voice data with GPS data;

a transmitter, for transmitting the successive samples of voice data;

a receiver, for receiving voice data transmitted from another cellular telephone; and

a GPS data recovery module, for recovering embedded position and velocity data from successive voice samples received.

10. The cellular telephone as recited in claim 9 wherein the GPS data injection module replaces between 0% and 35% of voice data with position data.

11. The cellular telephone as recited in claim 9 wherein the GPS data injection module replaces about 6% of voice data with position data.

12. A method for automatically providing location data for cellular telephones using Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) protocols, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining position data using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver integrated into a GSM cellular telephone;

editing and formatting the position data to contain a fixed number of bits of data each second, wherein the fixed number of bits represents position data for three orthogonal directions;

storing the position data in a buffer;

processing samples of voice data for transmission from the GSM cellular telephone;

embedding the position data into successive samples of voice data by replacing selected bits of voice data with position data;

transmitting the successive samples of voice data, including the embedded position data;

receiving successive samples of voice data and embedded position data at a cellular telephone receiver; and

recovering the embedded position data from the successive samples of voice received data.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the fixed number of bits further represents velocity data for the same three directions, and a figure of merit indicative of reliability of the data.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the fixed number of bits per second are formatted as nineteen 16-bit words, including nine words of position data, nine words of velocity data and one word containing the figure of merit.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the position data is obtained at the same rate that the voice data is processed.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of embedding position data comprises overriding position data on samples of voice data.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of overriding voice data comprises overriding between 0 and 35% of voice data.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of overriding voice data comprises overriding about 6% of voice data.

19. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of storing position data comprises storing position data until voice data samples are available.

20. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein position data is obtained periodically, such that editing, formatting and embedding position data occurs only when position data is obtained.