Devices, systems and methods for providing location information over a cellular network

• US 9,651,674 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael Anthony, Hardin, Stephen Thomas, Rector, Jay Daryl, Davis, III, John Potts
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US12/635,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 3423572-35778, 34235742-35747, 701468, 701484, 701485
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac

Abstract

The disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods for approximating the location of a mobile communication device. A base station transceiver (BTS) broadcasts assistance data across a control channel. The assistance data is received by a mobile communication device in communication with the BTS. The assistance data includes location information for the BTS, and Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information associated with the BTS. The assistance data can be broadcast by incorporating these fields in a control channel between the BTS and the mobile communication device. A-GPS devices correlate the received assistance data with a GPS almanac in order to connect to a set of positioning satellites. Devices without a GPS receiver or devices unable to connect to a satellite correlate the received assistance data to a known approximate location, by referring to a database stored on the device or on the network.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a processor;

a global positioning system unit; and

a memory that stores an approximate location database comprising an application for providing a location-based service, a global positioning system almanac, and geographical locations, the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communication device to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a control channel of a base transceiver station, assistance data broadcast by the base transceiver station, the assistance data comprising a longitude and a latitude of the base transceiver station,

comparing the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations stored in the memory, the geographical locations associated with a plurality of location types comprising a city, a state, and a zip code,

determining, based on comparing the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations and further based on a location type requested by the application providing the location-based service, a geographical location of the geographical locations that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service,

retrieving, from the approximate location database, the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service,

using the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service as a location of the mobile communication device,

comparing the location of the mobile communication device with the global positioning system almanac stored in the approximate location database to determine a plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving global positioning system signals,

after the plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving global positioning system signals is determined, failing to connect to any of the plurality of global positioning system satellites, and

in response to failing to connect to any of the global positioning system satellites, providing, to the application providing the location-based service, the location of the mobile communication device, wherein the application providing the location-based service uses the location of the mobile communication to provide the location-based service.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the assistance data further comprises a time of day.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station comprises coordinates of a sector covered by the base transceiver station.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station comprises at least one of coordinates of a center of a sector covered by the base transceiver station or coordinates of a center of a transmitting range of the base transceiver station.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the control channel is a short message service broadcast channel.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a display and wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying, via the display, the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station; and

providing, via the display, an option that, when selected, causes a map associated with the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station to be displayed via the display.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communication device via a control channel of a base transceiver station, assistance data broadcast by the base transceiver station, the assistance data comprising a longitude and a latitude of the base transceiver station, the mobile communication device comprising a processor, a global positioning system unit, and a memory that stores an approximate location database comprising an application for providing a location-based service, a global positioning system almanac, and geographical locations;

comparing, by the processor, the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations stored in the memory, the geographical locations associated with a plurality of location types comprising a city, a state, and a zip code;

determining, by the processor, based on comparing the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations and further based on a location type requested by the application providing the location-based service, a geographical location of the geographical locations that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service;

retrieving, by the processor, from the approximate location database, the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service;

using the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service as a location of the mobile communication device;

comparing, by the processor, the location of the mobile communication device with the global positioning system almanac stored in the approximate location database to determine a plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving global positioning system signals;

after the plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving global positioning system signals is determined, failing, by the processor, to connect to any of the plurality of global positioning system satellites; and

in response to failing to connect to any of the plurality of global positioning system satellites, providing, by the processor, to the application providing the location-based service, the location of the mobile communication device, wherein the application providing the location-based service uses the location of the mobile communication to provide the location-based service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station comprises at least one of coordinates of a center of a sector covered by the base transceiver station or coordinates of a center of a transmitting range of the base transceiver station.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the control channel is a short message service broadcast channel.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying, via a display of the mobile communication device, the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station; and

providing, via the display, an option that, when selected, causes a map associated with the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station to be displayed via the display.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an approximate location database comprising an application for providing a location-based service, a global positioning system almanac, geographical locations, and instructions that, when executed by a mobile communication device comprising a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a control channel of a base transceiver station, assistance data broadcast by the base transceiver station, the assistance data comprising a longitude and a latitude of the base transceiver station;

comparing the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations stored in the memory, the geographical locations associated with a plurality of location types comprising a city, a state, and a zip code;

determining, based on comparing the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station with the geographical locations and further based on a location type requested by the application providing the location-based service, a geographical location of the geographical locations that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service;

retrieving, from the approximate location database, the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service

using the geographical location that corresponds to the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station and that matches the location type requested by the application providing the location-based service as a location of the mobile communication device;

comparing the location of the mobile communication device with the global positioning system almanac stored in the approximate location database to determine a plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving positioning system signals;

after the plurality of global positioning system satellites for receiving global positioning system signals is determined, failing to connect to any of the plurality of global positioning system satellites; and

in response to failing to connect to any of the plurality of global positioning system satellites, providing, to the application providing the location-based service, the location of the mobile communication device, wherein the application providing the location-based service uses the location of the mobile communication to provide the location-based service.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the assistance data comprises a time of day and a cell identifier.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station comprises at least one of coordinates of a center of a sector covered by the base transceiver station or coordinates of a center of a transmitting range of the base transceiver station.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the control channel is a short message service broadcast channel.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying, via a display of the mobile communication device, the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station; and

providing, via the display, an option that, when selected, causes a map associated with the longitude and the latitude of the base transceiver station to be displayed via the display.