Tasking and reporting method and implementation for wireless appliance location systems

• US 8,032,149 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allen Telecom LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beck, Andrew, Gravely, Thomas Booker, Kennedy, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US10/230,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,323 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554561-457, 455/426.1, 455/448, 455/454, 455/552.1, 4554321-433, 4554351-4352, 455/456, 455/406, 455/560, 370/352
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A system and method for determining the location of a mobile appliance where the tasking of the system to determine the location of the mobile appliance utilizes a first communications protocol standard and the reporting of the location of the mobile appliance utilizes a second communications protocol standard, where the first and second communication protocol standards are not the same and can include any of the commonly used communication protocol standards including TIA defined standards, ETSI standards, and SMR/ESMR defined standards.

Claims

1. A method of determining the location of a mobile appliance with positioning determining equipment (PDE) and providing the location to a mobile positioning location center (MPLC) in a wireless communication system having plural base stations for communicating with the mobile appliance and a base station controller for managing the plural base stations, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a call request from a mobile appliance;

(b) processing the call request at the base station controller using a plurality of interfaces defined by a first predetermined wireless air interface communications protocol standard;

(c) detecting a call of interest by monitoring one of the plurality of interfaces;

(d) retrieving call request information for the detected call of interest;

(e) identifying the mobile appliance to be located from the retrieved call and channel assignment request information;

(f) determining the geographic coordinate location of the identified mobile appliance with the PDE;

(g) reporting the determined geographic coordinate location of the identified mobile appliance from the PDE to the MPLC using a second predetermined wireless air interface communications protocol standard, where the first and second predetermined wireless air interface communication protocol standards are not the same wireless air interface communications protocol standards.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the first predetermined communications protocol standard is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) air interface standard.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second communications protocol standard is a Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) air interface standard.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein one of the plural interfaces is Abis.

5. A mobile appliance location determining system comprising:

a mobile appliance;

plural base stations for communication with the mobile appliance using an air interface defined by a first predetermined wireless air interface protocol standard;

a base station controller operably connected to said plural base stations by a first wireline interface defined by said first predetermined wireless air interface communications protocol standard;

positioning determining equipment (PDE) operably connected to said first wireline interface for receiving information from said plural base stations and for determining the geographic coordinate location of the mobile appliance as a function of the information received via said wireline interface;

a mobile positioning location center generally connected to said PDE by a second wireline interface defined by a second predetermined wireless air interface protocol standard for receiving said determined geographic coordinate location therefrom, said second predetermined wireless air interface protocol standard differing from said first predetermined wireless air interface protocol standard.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said first predetermined protocol standard is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said second predetermined protocol standard is a Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standard.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said second wireline interface is E5.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said first wireline interface is Abis.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein said first predetermined protocol standard is a Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR)/Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio (ESMR) standard.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said second predetermined protocol standard is a Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standard.