Sender location identifier, method of identifying a sender location and communication system employing the same

• US 7,277,713 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landschaft, Assaf, Mauguee, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US11/175,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/466, 455/456.6, 455/456.1, 455/418, 342/357.07, 342/357.01
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a sender location identifier for use with a short message service (SMS). In one embodiment, the sender location identifier includes a memory configured to provide a unique designator associated with a location of a mobile phone. Additionally, the sender location identifier also includes a sender identification unit coupled to the memory and configured to attach the unique designator to a short message transmission from the location of the mobile phone employing the SMS.

Claims

1. A sender location identifier for use with a short message service (SMS), comprising:

a memory configured to provide a unique designator associated with a location of a mobile phone, wherein said unique designator is a Cell-ID identifying an antenna of a specific cell of a communication network nearest to and servicing said mobile phone; and

a sender identification unit coupled to said memory and configured to automatically attach said unique designator to a short message transmission from said location of said mobile phone employing said SMS.

2. The identifier as recited in claim 1 further comprising a location identification unit coupled to said sender identification unit and configured to identify said location of said mobile phone based on said unique designator.

3. The identifier as recited in claim 2 wherein said location based on said unique designator employs one selected from the group consisting of:

a network database; and

a local database.

4. The identifier as recited in claim 3 wherein said network database and said local database employ a Cell-ID database.

5. The identifier as recited in claim 2 wherein the Internet is employed to identify said location of said mobile phone.

6. The identifier as recited in claim 1 wherein said short message transmission is a text message.

7. A method of identifying a sender location for use with a short message service (SMS), comprising:

providing a unique designator associated with a location of a mobile phone, wherein said unique designator is a Cell-ID identifying a specific cell servicing said mobile phone said Cell-ID identifies an antenna of a communication network nearest to said mobile phone; and

automatically attaching said unique designator to a short message transmission from said location of said mobile phone employing said SMS.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising identifying said location of said mobile phone based on said unique designator.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said location based on said unique designator employs one selected from the group consisting of:

a network database; and

a local database.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said network database and said local database employ a Cell-ID database.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the Internet is employed to identify said location of said mobile phone.

12. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said short message transmission is a text message.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a communication network providing a short message service (SMS);

sending and receiving mobile phones coupled to said communication network;

a sender location identifier for use with said SMS, including;

a memory that provides a unique designator associated with a location of said sending mobile phone wherein said unique designator is a Cell-ID identifying a specific cell servicing said sending mobile phone,

a sender identification unit, coupled to said memory, that automatically attaches said unique designator to a short message transmission from said location of said sending mobile phone employing said SMS, and

a location identification unit, coupled to said sender identification unit and associated with one of said receiving mobile phone and said communication network, that identifies said location of said sending mobile phone based on said unique designator.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said Cell-ID identifies an antenna of said communications network nearest to said sending mobile phone.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein identification of said location based on said unique designator employs one selected from the group consisting of:

a network database; and

a local database.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said network database and said local database employ a Cell-ID database.

17. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the Internet is employed to identify said location of said sending mobile phone.

18. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said short message transmission is a text message.