Wireless location using network centric location estimators
First Claim
1. A method for locating a mobile communication unit, M, using wireless signal data obtained from transmissions between the mobile communication unit M and one or more of a plurality of terrestrial wireless communication stations, the plurality of communication stations operatively configured for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of mobile communication units including the mobile communication unit M, comprising performing the following steps by computational equipment:
- receiving, for an instance of locating the mobile communication unit M, one or more occurrences of M related location data, each of the occurrences obtained using information obtained from two way wireless transmissions between the mobile communication unit M at a terrestrial location, and one or more of the communication stations;
first obtaining a first location estimate for M from a first location estimator, wherein the first location estimator determines said first location estimate using one or more values, V, obtained using at least a first of the occurrences of the M related location data, wherein each value V is indicative of a difference in arrival times for signals of the wireless transmissions;
(i) between the mobile communication unit M and one of the one or more communication stations, and (ii) between the mobile communication unit M and a different one of the one or more communication stations;
wherein the step of first obtaining determines the first location estimate relative to each of;
(i) a location of the one communication station, and (ii) a location of the different communication station;
second obtaining a second location estimate for M using a second location estimator, wherein the second location estimator determines said second location estimate using at least one of the one or more occurrences, wherein each occurrence of the at least one occurrence is indicative of an angular orientation about one of the communication stations, CS, wherein the angular orientation represents a direction of a wireless transmission to CS from the mobile communication unit M;
determining a resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M, wherein at least one of the following substeps (i) and (ii) is performed;
(i) determining one or more values for indicating which of said first and second location estimates is preferred, and (ii) combining said first and second location estimates for determining said resulting location estimate;
wherein the resulting location estimate identifies a likely location of the mobile communication unit M relative to one or more fixed positions on the earth; and
outputting said resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless location system is disclosed having one or more location centers for locating mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., WIFI, CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS, TDMA, GPRS, and GSM. MS location requests can be processed via, e.g., Internet communication between a network of location centers. A plurality of MS locating technologies may be used, including those based on: two-way TOA and TDOA; pattern recognition; distributed antennas; and reduced coverage base stations. The system includes strategies for: automatically adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; automatically capturing location signal data for enhancing a historical data base retaining predictive location signal data; evaluating MS locations according to heuristics and constraints related to, e.g., terrain, MS velocity and path; and adjusting likely MS locations adaptively and statistically. The system is useful for emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.
638 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for locating a mobile communication unit, M, using wireless signal data obtained from transmissions between the mobile communication unit M and one or more of a plurality of terrestrial wireless communication stations, the plurality of communication stations operatively configured for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of mobile communication units including the mobile communication unit M, comprising performing the following steps by computational equipment:
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receiving, for an instance of locating the mobile communication unit M, one or more occurrences of M related location data, each of the occurrences obtained using information obtained from two way wireless transmissions between the mobile communication unit M at a terrestrial location, and one or more of the communication stations; first obtaining a first location estimate for M from a first location estimator, wherein the first location estimator determines said first location estimate using one or more values, V, obtained using at least a first of the occurrences of the M related location data, wherein each value V is indicative of a difference in arrival times for signals of the wireless transmissions;
(i) between the mobile communication unit M and one of the one or more communication stations, and (ii) between the mobile communication unit M and a different one of the one or more communication stations;wherein the step of first obtaining determines the first location estimate relative to each of;
(i) a location of the one communication station, and (ii) a location of the different communication station;second obtaining a second location estimate for M using a second location estimator, wherein the second location estimator determines said second location estimate using at least one of the one or more occurrences, wherein each occurrence of the at least one occurrence is indicative of an angular orientation about one of the communication stations, CS, wherein the angular orientation represents a direction of a wireless transmission to CS from the mobile communication unit M; determining a resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M, wherein at least one of the following substeps (i) and (ii) is performed;
(i) determining one or more values for indicating which of said first and second location estimates is preferred, and (ii) combining said first and second location estimates for determining said resulting location estimate;wherein the resulting location estimate identifies a likely location of the mobile communication unit M relative to one or more fixed positions on the earth; and outputting said resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A mobile communication unit location system, comprising:
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a network interface for receiving one or more requests from a communications network, wherein each request is for locating, at one or more terrestrial locations, a corresponding mobile communication unit of a plurality of mobile communication units, wherein during an instance of locating the corresponding mobile communication unit, there is two way wireless communication between the corresponding mobile communication unit and at least one of a plurality of terrestrial communication stations; wherein for each of said one or more requests, each of one or more location estimators contacted for the request, determines at least one estimate of a location of the corresponding mobile communication unit for the request; wherein for at least one of the corresponding mobile communication units, M, and for one of said requests, R, for locating the mobile communication unit M, the contacted one or more of the location estimators results in first and second of the location estimates for the request, R, each of said first and second location estimates having one or more of a geographical extent and a location of the mobile communication unit M; wherein the first location estimate of the mobile communication unit M is dependent upon a difference in signal time delays of wireless transmissions between;
(i) the mobile communication unit M, and (ii) each of at least two of the terrestrial communication stations;wherein the first location estimate is determined relative to terrestrial locations respectively of a first of the at least two of the communication stations and a different one of the at least two communication stations; wherein the second location estimate of the mobile communication unit M is dependent upon directional data of wireless signals, from the mobile communication unit being located, to at least one of the terrestrial communication stations, CS, for determining a direction from CS toward the mobile communication unit M; a location determiner for determining a resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M, wherein said location determiner receives said first and second location estimates and performs at least one of (i) and (ii) following;
(i) determines information indicative of which of said first and second location estimates is a more likely location of the mobile communication unit M, and (ii) combines said first and second location estimates for determining the resulting location estimate;wherein the resulting location estimate identifies a location of the mobile communication unit M relative to one or more fixed positions on the earth; an output interface for transmitting the resulting location estimate of the mobile communication unit M to a corresponding destination, wherein the corresponding destination also corresponds to one of the requests for locating the mobile communication unit M. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for locating a plurality of mobile communication units using wireless signal measurements obtained from transmissions between said mobile communication units and a plurality of terrestrial communication stations, wherein each of said communication stations includes a transmitter and a receiver for wirelessly communicating with said mobile communication units, comprising:
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receiving, for locating each of a first and a second of the mobile communication units, a corresponding a location request, wherein the first and second mobile communication units are each capable of wireless two way communication with the communication stations; requesting, for locating each of the first and second of the mobile communication units, activation of a corresponding one or more location estimators, wherein (A) and (B) following hold; (A) a first collection of one or more of the corresponding location estimators for locating the first mobile communication unit are activated, wherein when input data to the first collection includes values obtained from wireless signal measurements that are, in turn, obtained via transmissions between said first mobile communication unit and one or more of the communication stations, said corresponding location estimators of the first collection perform at least the techniques (T1), and (T2) following, wherein the first mobile communication unit is an instance of each of the mobile communication unit Mi, for i=1, 2 respectively for each of the techniques (T1) and (T2) hereinbelow; and (B) a second collection of one or more of the corresponding location estimators for locating the second mobile communication unit are activated, wherein when input data to the second collection includes values obtained from wireless signal measurements that are, in turn, obtained via transmissions between said second mobile communication unit and one or more of the communication stations, said corresponding location estimators of the second collection perform at least one of the techniques (T3) and (T4) following, wherein the second mobile communication unit is an instance of at least one of the mobile communication units Mi, for i=3 or 4 for the corresponding at least one of the techniques (T3) and (T4) performed; (T1) a first technique for determining at least one location estimate or locus for locating one or more of the mobile communication units, M1, wherein for locating the mobile communication unit M1, an instance of said corresponding input data indicative of one of;
a time of arrival of wireless signals, and a time difference of arrival of wireless signals transmitted between the mobile communication unit M1 and at least one of the communications stations, CS1, is used for determining a range of the mobile communication unit M1 from CS1, said range varying with varying values of the timing measurements, wherein at least one of the transmitted signals is from the mobile communication unit M1 to CS1, and wherein said first technique outputs the at least one location estimate or locus from a site different from the location of the mobile communication unit M1;(T2) a second technique for determining one or more candidate locations for locating one or more of the mobile communication units, M2, wherein for locating the mobile communication unit M2, each of said candidate locations is determined using, for at least some one of the communication stations, CS2, data indicative of a direction of arrival of a wireless signal received at CS2 and transmitted from the mobile communication unit M2; (T3) a third technique for locating one or more of the mobile communication units, M3, wherein for locating the mobile communication unit M3, a location estimate is determined using a coverage area analysis technique, CA, wherein when CA is supplied with input data obtained from at least one wireless signal transmission between the mobile communication unit M3 and one of the communication stations, CS3, then CA uses an area that is substantially indicative of a coverage area about the communication station CS3 for locating the mobile communication unit M3; (T4) a fourth technique, wherein said fourth technique provides a pattern recognizer for estimating a location of one or more of the mobile communication units, M4, wherein said location estimate for the mobile communication unit M4 is derived from a pattern of multipath wireless signal characteristics for wireless signals communicated between;
(a) one or more of the communication stations, and (b) said mobile communication unit M4;wherein for at least the first mobile communication unit, the step of requesting results in a determination of a first location estimate relative to terrestrial locations respectively of a first of the communication stations and a different one of the communication stations, wherein the first location estimate is dependent upon a corresponding one of the wireless transmissions communicated between the mobile communication unit M and the first communication station; first obtaining, from said one or more location estimators for locating the first mobile communication unit, first location information for locating the first mobile communication unit, wherein the first location information includes;
an instance of the at least one location estimate or locus for locating the first mobile communication unit as an instance of M1 of the first technique, and an instance of the one or more candidate locations for locating the first mobile communication unit that uses the second technique;first determining a first resulting location estimate of the first mobile communication unit using said first location information; second obtaining, from said one or more location estimators for locating the second mobile communication unit, second location information from the corresponding location estimators for locating the second mobile communication unit, wherein the second location information includes at least one of;
a location of the second mobile communication unit that uses the third technique, and a location of the second mobile communication unit that uses the fourth technique; andsecond determining a second resulting location estimate of the second mobile communication unit using said second location information. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification