System and method for locating an end user

• US 7,512,223 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albal, Nandakishore A, Cook, Walter B Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US09/545,446
• Time in Patent Office: 3,280 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391-53915, 34235706-3571, 342/450, 379/37, 379/38, 379/207.12, 455/404.2, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 379/207.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method of assisting an end user is provides. A first assistance request signal is received from a communication device. A communication node determines an assistance center in close proximity to the communication device to provide assistance to the end user. The communication node then forwards a second assistance request signal to the assistance center. The communication node receives a first response signal from assistance center. Finally, the communication node transmits a second response signal to the communication device.

Claims

1. A method of determining the location of an end user comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal from a first communication device at a communication node;

transmitting a second signal from the communication node to a second communication device;

receiving a first response signal from the second communication device at the communication node, the first response signal including an authorization signal, a unique identifying signal, and a geographic location of the second communication device, wherein the geographic location includes a global positioning system coordinate or an infrastructure-based coordinate;

transmitting the geographic location to the first communication device from the communication node in response to the first response signal;

comparing the unique identifying signal to a stored unique identifying signal corresponding to the end user;

determining an assistance center near the second communication device if the unique identifying signal does not match the stored unique identifying signal; and

providing assistance to the end user if the unique identifying signal does not match the stored unique identifying signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of transmitting an identification signal from the first communication device to the communication node when the first signal is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first response signal includes an instruction to transmit the second response signal to the first communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location includes a set of coordinates of the second communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device includes one of a telephone, a paging unit, a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone and an Internet telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication device includes one of a telephone, a paging unit, a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone and an Internet telephone.