Location processing system

• US 7,228,139 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: On Board Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: On Board Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Wortham, Larry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/766,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 4564561-4566, 456/457, 456/404.2, 379/67.1, 379/77, 340/531, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 342/450, 342/457, 342/463, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A device for determining the location of a communication device includes a network interface, a signal enhancement module, a tone decoder, and a translator. The network interface is capable of receiving a location message comprising a plurality of signal tones. The signal enhancement module is capable of modifying selected signal tones, the selected signal tones having a frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies. The tone decoder is capable of decoding the modified signal tones into a plurality of decoded values. The translator is capable of determining a location of a user based on at least the decoded values.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a mobile device comprising:

receiving a location message from a communication network, wherein the location message comprises a plurality of signal tones;

modifying a selected subset of the plurality of signal tones, wherein the selected subset comprises signal tones having a frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies;

decoding the modified signal tones into a plurality of decoded values; and

determining a location of a user based on at least the plurality of decoded values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones comprises setting a volume of the signal tones in the selected subset to a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones comprises:

increasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is below a predetermined minimum; and

decreasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is above a predetermined maximum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location comprises:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of decoded values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and conforms to National Marine Electronics Association Standard 1083 (“

NMEA-1083”

).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location comprises:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and conforms to the SiRF binary protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of frequencies includes only frequencies between 300 and 3500 Hz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of signal tones comprise a plurality of Dual Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) tones, the DTMF tones identifying the location of a position locating device communicated through a mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location message comprises a plurality of DTMF tones and wherein receiving a location message comprises:

receiving voice communication on a voice channel established between the user and the operator, and

receiving simultaneously the location message on the voice channel.

9. A device for determining the location of a communication device comprising:

a network interface that receives a location message comprising a plurality of signal tones;

a signal enhancement module that modifies a selected subset of the plurality of signal tones, wherein the selected subset comprises signal tones having a frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies;

a tone decoder that decodes the modified signal tones into a plurality of decoded values; and

a translator that determines a location of a user based on at least the decoded values.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the signal enhancement module modifies the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones by setting a volume of all the signal tones in the selected subset to a predetermined value.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the signal enhancement module modifies the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones by:

increasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is below a predetermined minimum; and

decreasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is above a predetermined maximum.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the translator determines the location by:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of decoded values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and that conforms to National Marine Electronics Association Standard 1083 (“

NMEA-1083”

).

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the translator determines the location by:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and that conforms to the SiRF binary protocol.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined range of frequencies includes only frequencies between 300 and 3500 Hz.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of signal tones comprise a plurality of Dual Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) tones, the DTMF tones identifying the location of a position locating device communicated through a mobile communication device.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the location message comprises a plurality of DTMF tones and wherein the network interface receives a location message by:

receiving voice communication on a voice channel established between the user and the operator; and

receiving simultaneously the location message on the voice channel.

17. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, wherein the computer program, when executed:

receives a location message from a communication network, wherein the location message comprises a plurality of signal tones;

modifies a selected subset of the plurality of signal tones, wherein the selected subset comprises signal tones having a frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies; and

decodes the modified signal tones into a plurality of decoded values; and

determines a location of a user based on at least the plurality of decoded values.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer program modifies the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones by setting a volume of the signal tones in the selected subset to a predetermined value.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer program modifies the selected subset of the plurality of signal tones by:

increasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is below a predetermined minimum; and

decreasing a volume of each signal tone in the selected subset for which the volume is above a predetermined maximum.

20. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer program determines the location by:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of decoded values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and conforms to National Marine Electronics Association Standard 1083 (“

NMEA-1083”

).

21. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the computer program determines the location by:

determining the location of the user based on at least the plurality of values, and

generating a location output that includes the location of the user and conforms to the SiRF binary protocol.

22. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the predetermined range of frequencies includes only frequencies between 300 and 3500 Hz.

23. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the plurality of signal tones comprise a plurality of Dual Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) tones, the DTMF tones identifying the location of a position locating device communicated through a mobile communication device.

24. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the location message comprises a plurality of DTMF tones and wherein the computer program receives the location message by:

receiving voice communication on a voice channel established between the user and the operator, and

receiving simultaneously the location message on the voice channel.