Mobile computing device geographic location determination

• US 8,693,454 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Annamalai, Magesh, Caldwell, Christopher E., Chapman, Simon, Joul, Christopher Harvey, Mueller, Justin, Linkola, Janne P., Pottle, John Foster, Jensen, Ryan Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US13/396,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 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: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A wireless connection between a mobile device and an IP-based wireless telecommunications network is established when the mobile device registers with a network controller (NC) through an access point (AP). When a geographical position is needed for the mobile device (e.g., a 911 call), messages are exchanged between the NC and a serving mobile location center (SMLC), where the SMLC retrieves information from a database that is used to identify the geographic position of the mobile device. The database can store a variety of information related to mobile devices such as: last known position, IP address, MAC address, a mobile or subscriber identifier (such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)), last CGI, etc. The geographical position is communicated back to the NC, which can then forward the position information to a switch for processing such as for 911 calls.

Claims

1. A method of estimating a location of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from a first mobile device comprising a first access point identifier associated with an access point used by the first mobile device and a first cellular tower identifier associated with a cellular tower used by the first mobile device, wherein the access point has an IP address;

storing a relationship between the first access point identifier and the first cellular tower identifier based on the first message;

receiving a second message from a second mobile device comprising a second access point identifier associated with the access point, the access point used by the second mobile device to access an IP-based network;

determining that the access point is associated with the cell tower based at least in part upon the stored relationship; and

,

determining a location of the cell tower;

estimating the location of the second mobile device based at least in part on a location of the cell tower.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the location of the second mobile device comprises:

determining whether a location of an address associated with the second mobile device is within a predetermined distance from the estimated location of the access point; and

if the location of the address is within the predetermined distance from the location of the access point, selecting the location of the address as the estimated location of the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the location of the second mobile device comprises:

determining whether a location of an address associated with the second mobile device is within a predetermined distance from the location of the cell tower; and

if the location of the address is within the predetermined distance from the location of the cell tower, selecting the location of the address as the estimated location of the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the estimated location of the second mobile device; and

providing the estimated location of the second mobile device in response to the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell tower used by the first mobile device was used during, or within a predefined time limit of, the use of the access point by the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first message comprises an indicator from the first mobile device indicating whether the first mobile device used the cell tower during, or within a predefined time limit of, the use of the access point.

7. A method of routing a call received from a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from a first mobile device comprising a first access point identifier associated with an access point used by the first mobile device and a first cellular tower identifier associated with a cellular tower used by the first mobile device, wherein the access point has an IP address;

storing a relationship between the first access point identifier and the first cellular tower identifier based on the first message;

receiving a call from a second mobile device over an IP-based network via the access point;

determining that the access point is associated with the cell tower based at least in part upon the stored relationship;

determining a location of the cell tower; and

routing the call based at least in part on a location of the associated cell tower.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a location of an address associated with the second mobile device is within a predetermined distance from the determined location of the access point; and

routing the call based at least in part on the location of the address associated with the second mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein routing the call based at least in part on a location of the associated cell tower comprises:

determining that a location of an address associated with the second mobile device is within a predetermined distance from a location of the cell tower;

selecting the location of the address as the location of the second mobile device; and

routing the call based at least in part upon the selected location.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the location of the address is not within the predetermined distance from the location of the cell tower;

selecting the location of the cell tower as the location of the second mobile device; and

routing the call based at least in part upon the selected location.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the location of the address as the estimated location of the second mobile device includes selecting a latitude and a longitude of the address as the estimated location of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the address associated with the second mobile device is an address of a user of the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first access point identifier and the second access point identifier are the same access point identifier.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

creating a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the second mobile device; and

establishing a connection with the second mobile device using the FQDN.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein establishing a connection with the second mobile device using the FQDN includes performing a domain name server (DNS) query using the FQDN.

16. A system for estimating a location of a mobile device, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to;

receive a first message from a first mobile device comprising a first access point identifier associated with an access point used by the first mobile device and a first cellular tower identifier associated with a cellular tower used by the first mobile device, wherein the access point has an IP address;

store a relationship between the first access point identifier and the first cellular tower identifier based on the first message;

receive a second message from a second mobile device comprising a second access point identifier associated with the access point, the access point used by the second mobile device to access an IP-based network

determine that the access point is associated with the cell tower based at least in part upon the stored relationship;

determine a location of the cell tower; and

estimate the location of the second mobile device based at least in part on a location of the cell tower.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cell tower used by the first mobile device was used during, or within a predefined time limit of, the use of the access point by the first mobile device, and wherein the first message comprises an indicator from the first mobile device indicating whether the first mobile device used the cell tower during, or within a predefined time limit of, the use of the access point.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computer system to:

receive a first message from a first mobile device comprising a first access point identifier associated with an access point used by the first mobile device and a first cellular tower identifier associated with a cellular tower used by the first mobile device, wherein the access point has an IP address;

store a relationship between the first access point identifier and the first cellular tower identifier based on the first message;

receive a second message from a second mobile device comprising a second access point identifier associated with the access point, the access point used by the second mobile device to access an IP-based network determine that the access point is associated with the cell tower based at least in part upon the stored relationship;

determine a location of the cell tower; and

estimate the location of the second mobile device based at least in part on a location of the cell tower.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first message comprises an indicator from the first mobile device indicating whether the first mobile device used the cell tower during, or within a predefined time limit of, the use of the access point.