Proximity location system and method thereof for locating a communications device

• US 9,508,254 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Ciesla, Lawrence W., Davis, Ken, Marics, Monica Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US13/593,595
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.15, 340/539.21, 340/505, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/577, 340/692, 340/815.45, 340/825.5, 340/539.12, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 128/903, 128/904, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A proximity location system and method thereof for locating a communications device. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) proximity location tag is arranged in a proximity of the communications device and detected thereby. A proximity location key included in the RFID proximity location tag is acquired by the communications device and forwarded to a location information server. The location information is queried for location information associated with the proximity location key. Based on the location information, data transmitted by the communications device is routed to the appropriate receiver of the data. The location information is also provided to the receiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

simultaneously detecting, by a communication device, a plurality of proximity location tags, when the communication device is proximate to the plurality of proximity location tag, each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprising a proximity location key identifying a location of one of the plurality of proximity location tags;

automatically adjusting, by the communication device, a radio frequency output of the communication device to limit a size of a radio frequency envelope of the communication device until a closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags is detected;

receiving, by the communication device, a proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags;

embedding, by the communication device, the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag in a message and forwarding the message to a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC);

querying, by the VPC, a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag;

providing, by the VPC, the location information to a receiver;

when out of range of any proximity location tags, determining, by the communications device, that the location of the communications device is unknown until the communications device detects one or more proximity location tags.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data from the communications device to the receiver, wherein

the data comprises at least one of voice, text, and video data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device that is applied to an object located in the predetermined proximity of the communications device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, and wherein, when executed, the computer-executable instructions are configured to provide the proximity location key.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag is unique to the closest proximity location tag.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component configured to receive the proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag of the closest proximity location tag.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VPC is configured to extract the proximity location key from the message.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VPC is configured to query the location information server for Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VPC is configured to route data to a predetermined Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information.

12. A system, comprising:

a plurality of proximity location tags, each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprising a proximity location key identifying a location of one of the plurality of proximity location tags;

a communication device configured to

automatically adjust a radio frequency output of the communication device to limit a size of a radio frequency envelope of the communication device until a closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags is detected,

receive a proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags, when the communication device is proximate to the plurality of proximity location tags, and

embed the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag in a message; and

a Voice over Internet Protocol Position Center (VPC) configured to receive the message from the communication device, query a location information server for location information associated with the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag, and transmit the location information and to a receiver;

wherein the location information comprises Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information, and the VPC is configured to extract the proximity location key from the message and to query the location information server for the MSAG-valid location information.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communications device comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the data comprises at least one of voice, text, and video data.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprise a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device applied to an object located in a predetermined proximity of the communications device.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the proximity location key of the closest proximity location tag is unique to the closest proximity location tag.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communication device further comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) component configured to receive the proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the closest proximity location tag is located in a predetermined proximity of the communications device.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a detector configured to

detect a plurality of proximity location tags when the apparatus is proximate to the plurality of proximity location tags, each of the plurality of proximity location tags comprising a proximity location key identifying a location of one of the plurality of proximity location tags, and

automatically adjust a radio frequency output of the communication device to limit a size of a radio frequency envelope of the communication device until a closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags is detected;

an acquisition component configured to receive a proximity location key from the closest proximity location tag of the plurality of proximity location tags; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a message comprising the proximity location key to a voice over internet protocol position center (VPC);

wherein the location comprises Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) valid location information, and the VPC is configured to extract the proximity location key from the message and to query the location information server for the MSAG-valid location information.