Locator system

• US 8,285,247 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bryan Holland
• Original Assignee: Bryan Holland
• Inventors: Holland, Bryan, Brisson, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/126,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/521, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/500, 455/517, 4554141-4144, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A locator system is disclosed. An e911-enabled wireless network including a switching center is configured receive a request to generate location information regarding a remote mobile station, and send said location information to a subscriber only after obtaining consent from the remote mobile station.

Claims

1. A locator system for a mobile locator device comprising:

the mobile locator device including

an antenna operable for at least one of sending or receiving signals from a plurality of transmitters for use in radiolocation,

a wireless communication interface operable to communicate with an E911-enabled wireless network, the E911-enabled wireless network operable to store a current location of the mobile locator device, and

a CPU configured to periodically participate in a location-determination process of the current location of the mobile locator device for storage in the E911-enabled wireless network; and

a server computer having a CPU and computer readable medium storing a server-software program, the software program configured to

receive a request from a client for the current location of the mobile locator device,

receive a current location of the mobile locator device from the E911-enabled wireless network, and

provide the current location to the client in response to the request from the client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile locator device is further configured to participate in the location-determination process at predetermined intervals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-determination process includes a GPS process.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile locator device is further configured to calculate the current location data using a secondary location method if insufficient GPS data is received to complete the GPS process.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-determination process includes a Time Difference of Arrival process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-determination process includes an Assisted GPS process.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPU is further configured to provide to the E911-enabled wireless network an indicator for determining whether an E911 call is an emergency that should be routed to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or a commercial 911 call that should be routed a second computer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell sector.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell tower.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is further configured to provide the current location data to the client only after the client is authorized to receive the current location data.

11. A method for locating and tracking a mobile locator device comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one signal for use in use in radiolocation;

calculating a current location data of the mobile locator device based on the at least one signal for use in radiolocation;

storing the current location data in an E911-enabled wireless network, the E911-enabled wireless network operable to store a current location of the mobile locator device;

receiving a request from a client for the present location of the mobile locator device;

retrieving the current location data of the mobile locator device from the E911-enabled wireless network; and

providing the current location data to the client in response to the request from the client,

wherein the mobile locator device is not provided with any information regarding the request for the position data of the mobile locator device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of repeating the calculation of the current location data at predetermined intervals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile locate device includes a Subscriber identity Module (SIM card) and the step of calculating the current location data is performed by the SIM card.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the current location data utilizes GPS data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of calculating the current location data using a secondary location method if insufficient GPS data is received.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the current location data includes a Time Difference of Arrival process.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the current location data includes an Assisted GPS process.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing to the E911-enabled wireless network an indicator for determining whether an E911 call is an emergency that should be routed to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or a commercial 911 call that should be routed a second computer.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the current location data of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell sector.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the current location data of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell tower.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

storing the current location data of the mobile locate device when there is no connectivity with the E911 wireless network; and

transmitting the stored current location data when connectivity with the E911 wireless network is restored.

22. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of authorizing the client to receive the current location data of the mobile locator device, wherein the step of providing the current location data is performed selectively in response to a result of the authorizing step.

23. A mobile locator device comprising:

an antenna operable for at least one of sending or receiving signals from a plurality of transmitters for use in radiolocation,

a wireless communication interface operable to communicate with an E911-enabled wireless network, the E911-enabled wireless network operable to store a current location of the mobile locator device, and

a CPU configured to participate in a location-determination process of the current location of the mobile locator device for storage in the E911-enabled wireless network,

wherein a server computer is configured to receive the current location data stored in the E911-enabled wireless network and provide the position data to a client in response to a request from the client, and

wherein the mobile locator device is not provided with information regarding the request for the position data of the mobile locator device.

24. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the mobile locator device is further configured to participate in the location-determination process at predetermined intervals.

25. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the location-determination process includes a GPS process.

26. The mobile locator device of claim 25, wherein the mobile locator device is further configured to calculate the current location data using a secondary location method if insufficient GPS data is received to complete the GPS process.

27. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the location-determination process includes a Time Difference of Arrival process.

28. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the CPU is further configured to provide to the E911-enabled wireless network an indicator for determining whether an E911 call is an emergency that should be routed to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or a commercial 911 call that should be routed a second computer.

29. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the current location of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell sector.

30. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the current location of the mobile locator device corresponds to a cell tower.

31. The mobile locator device of claim 23, wherein the CPU of the mobile locator device is further configured to store current location data of the mobile locate device when there is no connectivity with the E911-enabled wireless network and transmit the stored current location data when connectivity with the E911-enabled wireless network is restored.