Systems and methods for detecting and controlling wireless transmission devices

• US 9,608,765 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2016
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Binj Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Binj Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Noonan, Joseph S., Giordano, Carl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US15/049,119
• Time in Patent Office: 401 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/419, 455/455, 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/80 Jamming or countermeasure characterized by its function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for managing wireless transmitting devices in which a wireless transmission from a transmission device is detected within or about a set area and an allowability of the transmission device to continue transmitting is based on an identification information, of the device, a location of the device and a number being called by the device.

Claims

1. A wireless device management system comprising:

at least one frequency transmission unit;

at least one receiving unit;

a processor in communication with each of said at least one frequency transmission units and said receiving units and in communication with a memory, the memory including code which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to;

receive from a base station information regarding each of a plurality of wireless devices located within an area covered by said base station, wherein the wireless devices are in one of;

an active communication state and an inactive communication state;

identify each of said wireless devices within a known range about the wireless management system;

determine an expected received power of a reference signal transmitted by the base station at each location of the wireless devices within the known range about the wireless management system;

transmit a signal having a received signal power at each of said wireless device greater than the expected received power of the reference signal;

receive a transmission signal from each of the wireless devices within the known range; and

retain control of each of the wireless devices within the known range, wherein said wireless devices within the known range are prevented from connecting to said base station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further executing code to:

extract identification information associated with each of the wireless devices; and

determine a location of each of the wireless devices based on said received transmission signal.

3. The system of claim 2, the processor further executing code to:

identify which of said wireless devices within the known range satisfies at least one criterion associated with at least one object within the known region; and

prevent forwarding of communication to the identified wireless devices.

4. The system of claim 3, the processor further executing code to:

identify a caller contacting one of said identified wireless communication devices.

5. The system of claim 1, the processor further executing code to:

prevent forwarding of communications with each of the wireless devices within the known range.

6. The system of claim 4, the processor further executing code to:

determine a direction associated with the identified caller.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said identification information of said wireless devices comprises at least one of:

a transmission frequency, a transmission identification number, a transmission time of arrival, a transmission type, a transmission characteristics, a transmission location, a transmission amplitude, a transmission width, a transmission frequency range, and a unique identifier.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal is one of:

a jamming signal and a command signal.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one antenna connected to corresponding ones of said at least one receiving unit, wherein said location of corresponding ones of said wireless devices are determined based on at least one of;

an amplitude received on a plurality of said receiving antennas and reception on at least one of said receiving antenna having a known angular orientation.

10. The system of claim 1, the processor further executing code to:

determine an allowability of each of the wireless devices within the known range.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein allowability is indicated as not-allowed within a predetermined range about the wireless management system, said predetermined range being less than the known range.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein transmission of the signal is performed on a sector basis.

13. The system of claim 1, the processor further executing code to:

identify each of the wireless devices in said inactive communication state within the known range.

14. The system of claim 13, the processor further executing code to:

prevent forwarding of communications to the identified wireless devices in said inactive communication state.

15. The system of claim 14, the processor further executing code to:

identify a caller contacting one of said identified wireless communication devices in said inactive communication state.

16. The system of claim 15, the processor further executing code to:

determine a direction associated with the identified caller.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein a signal power of the transmitted signal is based on a positional relationship between the base station and the wireless management system.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless management system is mounted on a vehicle.

19. A method operable in a wireless management system for managing wireless communication devices, said method comprising;

receiving an identification of each of a plurality of wireless devices associated with a base station, the base station controlling wireless devices within a set area;

determining which of said plurality of wireless devices is within a known range of a location within the set area;

identify which of said plurality of wireless devices within said known range is in an inactive communication state;

transmit a signal to each of the wireless devices within said known range in said inactive communication state, wherein a received power of the transmitted signal at the wireless device is greater than a signal power of a signal associated with the base station at the wireless device; and

receive transmission signals from each of the wireless devices in said inactive state, wherein said transmission signals are responsive to the corresponding transmitted signal; and

retain control of each of the wireless devices in said inactive state.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

preventing communications to and from said wireless devices in said inactive state.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

identifying a caller attempting to communicate with one of said wireless devices in said inactive state.

22. A wireless management system controlling wireless devices within a set area, the system comprising:

a plurality of remotely located directional antenna, wherein an intersection of a coverage pattern of the plurality of remotely located directional antenna define the set area;

a receiving system configured to;

receive signals from at least one of the remotely located directional antenna;

a processor configured to;

receive from a base station information regarding each of a plurality of wireless devices located within said set area, wherein the wireless devices are in one of;

an active communication state and an inactive communication state;

determine an expected received power of a reference signal transmitted by a base station at each location of the wireless devices within the set area;

transmit, through a transmitter, a signal having a received signal power at each of said wireless device greater than the expected received power of the reference signal;

receive a transmission signal from each of the wireless devices within the set area; and

retain control of each of the wireless devices within the set area, wherein said wireless devices are prevented from connecting to said base station.