Systems and methods for distributed processing of location information associated with emergency 911 wireless transmissions

• US 7,577,421 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tarsus Trust Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tarsus Trust Company Limited
• Inventors: Gould, Lawrence A., Stangle, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh C
• Application Number:
  US10/983,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/404.1, 455/456.1, 370/328, 701/300, 340/990
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods to locate and recover objects equipped with tracking devices by determining the location information of the object. The system employs multiple radio direction finding (RDF) devices, which is capable of determining the angle of arrival of a radio signal. The MSC sends a request along with radio information to a location processor, which controls the RDF devices. The system also employs a theft detection device, which is capable of placing a wireless telephone call to a monitoring center. The theft detection device connects to and receives instructions from the monitoring center, which retrieves the instructions from a primary database server. If the primary database server is unavailable, the request for information is sent to a secondary database server.

Claims

1. A method for providing assistance to an owner of a vehicle equipped with a theft detection device, the method comprising:

Receiving a call from the theft detection device at a monitoring center;

Receiving information about triggering event;

Receiving a list of prescribed actions from a primary database server;

Requesting a location processor to determine the location of the theft detection device;

Receiving radio signal information related to the call from a mobile switching center;

Sending radio signals information to a plurality of radio direction finding devices;

Receiving angular information from at least two radio direction finding devices

And employing a triangulation method to calculate the location of the theft detection device.

2. A method of claim 1 further comprising:

Retrieving a list of prescribed actions from the primary database server; and

transmitting prescribed actions to the theft detection device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Placing a call to a roadside service center; and

transmitting the location information to the roadside service center.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Recording actions taken by the monitoring center.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

Requesting the list of prescribed actions from a secondary database server does not supply the requested list of actions.

6. A method for providing assistance to an owner of a vehicle of the type having a selectively activatable air bag, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a selectively activatable panic switch;

associating a first action with the sensed activation of said air bag;

associating a second action with the sensed activation of said panic switch;

storing said first and second actions;

sensing the occurrence of one of said first and second actions;

locating said vehicle only by the use of a cellular telephone system upon the sensed occurrence of one of said first and second actions;

associating a first reaction to said first action;

associating a second reaction to said second action;

after locating said vehicle, determining the identity of said sensed action; and

performing the associated reaction of said sensed action.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of location said vehicle comprises a triangulation method.