Location-dependent data collection

• US 7,206,585 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: ROKE Manor Research Limited (Chemring Group PLC)
• Inventors: Gilham, Christopher John, Atkinson, Simon John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D.
• Application Number:
  US10/003,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/433, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/456, 455/450, 340/539.26, 340/870.11, 340/436, 340/531, 340/995.1, 345/810, 715/746
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method is described for collecting location-dependent data in a central data collection point. The method comprises the steps of: collecting location dependent data from a data source, in a nearby portable communications device; transmitting the collected data to a base station of the portable communications device; and communicating the collected data along with a location identifier to the data collection point.

Claims

1. A method for collecting location-specific data from geographically dispersed remote monitoring stations situated at fixed geographic locations, said method comprising:

a monitoring station detecting information regarding ambient conditions at a fixed location at which it is situated;

said monitoring station wirelessly transmitting location-specific data indicative of said information;

receiving the location-specific data in a mobile telephone which is in a standby mode and is carried by a passing user;

said mobile telephone transmitting the location-specific data to a base station of the mobile telephone; and

said base station communicating the location-specific data along with a location identifier to the data collection point.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the location identifier is added to the data by the base station.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the location identifier is included in the data collected from the data source and transmitted to the base station.

4. A method according to claim 1 in which the location identifier is supplied by a location-aware component within the mobile telephone.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile telephone incorporates an environmental sensor as the data source; and

said sensor provides information relating to environmental conditions in an immediate locality of the mobile telephone.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the environmental sensor provides information representing at least one of:

temperature, air pressure, humidity, radiation, air contaminant levels, acoustic noise, magnetic fields, electromagnetic and/or radio signal levels, light levels, pollen count, pheromone levels.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein:

the transmitted data comprises an identifier identifying the mobile telephone, sent with the location identifier; and

the data are used to determine the position and speed of motion of the portable communications device.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein:

mobile telephone is carried in a vehicle; and

collected data are used to derive location, speed and direction information relating to that vehicle.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein data collected from numerous mobile telephones carried in respective vehicles is used to derive average speed and direction information relating to traffic in a certain location.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the derived speed and direction data are used to control traffic in the respective location.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the external data source transmits the data by very short range radio transmission.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the data transmitted by the very short range radio transmission comprises information relating to meter readings.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the transmitted data incorporates an identifier identifying the transmitter, which is used as the location identifier.

14. A method according to claim 4, wherein the location aware component is a GPS receiver built in to the portable communications device.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data are communicated to the data collection point over a telephone network.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing collected data in a memory of the mobile telephone before transmitting it to the base station.