Method and system for sending location coded images over a wireless network

• US 20040189517A1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pande, Ashutosh, Chadha, Kanwar
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system is described that utilizes an imager in a wireless device (102) in a wireless network (100) and transmits a digital image to a service center (120) that assists in identifying the location of the wireless device (102) within a cell site (104).

Claims

1. A wireless device locating apparatus, comprising:

a server;

a display;

a database that resides on the server with a plurality of reference digital images;

a digital image from a wireless device presented at the display with at least one of the plurality of reference digital images that approximately matches the digital image; and

a location being identified from the one of the plurality of reference digital images.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, including:

a satellite positioning system data associated with the digital image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a function identifier associated with the digital image received by the server; and

a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

7. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

an input unit;

an imager that creates digital images;

a satellite position system receiver in receipt of location data;

a transmitter; and

a controller that activates the imager in response to a the input unit and associates location data with the digital image for transmission by the transmitter.

8. The wireless apparatus of claim 7, where the satellite position system further comprises:

a global positioning system receiver; and

a global positioning system processor.

9. The wireless apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller receives an E911 signal from the input unit to activate the imager and transmit the location data and associated digital image to an E911 center.

10. The wireless apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a receiver; and

a display controlled by the controller that displays a response received by the receiver.

11. The wireless apparatus of claim 10, wherein the response is a digital image response.

12. A wireless system, comprising:

a wireless device with a controller in communication with a display, an input unit and an imager;

a transmitter in the wireless device that transmits to a server a digital image associated by the controller with a plurality of cell site characteristics measured by the wireless device in response to the input unit;

a database that resides on the server with a plurality of reference digital images accessed in response to receipt of the digital image and cell site characteristics from the wireless device; and

a location of the wireless device identified upon selection of one of the plurality of reference digital images.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising

a satellite positioning system receiver in the wireless device that derives location data that is associated with the digital image by the controller.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the response message is a response digital image.

14. The system of clam 12, further comprising:

a response message sent by the receiver to the wireless device in response to the location of the wireless device being located; and

a receiver in the wireless device in receipt of the response message which is displayed on the display by the controller.

16. A method for locating a wireless device, comprising:

receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

displaying at least one of the plurality of reference digital images with the digital image; and

identifying a location of the wireless device from the comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images.

17. The method of claim 16, including;

processing a plurality of cell site characteristics that are associated with the digital image; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

18. The method of claim 16, including:

receiving a satellite positioning system data associated with the digital image; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a function identifier associated with digital image at the server, and

sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

22. The wireless method of claim 21, where the satellite position system further comprises:

receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver; and

deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit; and

transmitting the location data and associated digital image to an E911 center.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying on the display a response received by at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and location data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the response is a digital image response.

21-1. A method for wireless apparatus location, comprising:

activating an imager in response to the controller being in receipt of a signal from the input unit;

associating the digital image with location data from a satellite position system; and

transmitting the digital image with associate location data.

26. An apparatus for locating a wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

means for accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

means for displaying at least one of the plurality of reference digital images with the digital image; and

means for identifying a location of the wireless device from the comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, including;

means for processing a plurality of cell site characteristics that are associated with the digital image; and

means for identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, including:

means for receiving a satellite positioning system data associated with the digital image; and

means for identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for receiving a function identifier associated with digital image at the server, and

means for sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

32. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

means for activating an imager in response to the controller being in receipt of a signal from the input unit;

means for associating the digital image with location data from a satellite position system; and

means for transmitting the digital image with associate location data.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, where the satellite position system further comprises:

means for receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver; and

means for deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

34. The method of claim 32, comprising:

means for receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit; and

means for transmitting the location data and associated digital image to an E911 center.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for displaying on the display a response received by at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and location data.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the response is a digital image response.

37. A signal bearing medium of machine readable set of instructions for locating a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

displaying at least one of the plurality of reference digital images with the digital image; and

identifying a location of the wireless device from the comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images.

38. The signal bearing medium of claim 37, including the steps of;

processing a plurality of cell site characteristics that are associated with the digital image; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

39. The signal bearing medium of claim 37, including the steps of:

receiving a satellite positioning system data associated with the digital image; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

40. The signal bearing medium of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a function identifier associated with digital image at the server, and

sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

41. The signal bearing medium of claim 40, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

42. The signal bearing medium of claim 40, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

43. A signal bearing medium containing machine readable instructions for wireless apparatus location, comprising the steps of:

activating an imager in response to the controller being in receipt of a signal from the input unit;

associating the digital image with location data from a satellite position system; and

transmitting the digital image with associate location data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, including;

a plurality of cell site characteristics associated with the digital image that are processed to determine the plurality of reference digital images to access.

44. The signal bearing medium of claim 43, where the satellite position system further comprises the steps of:

receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver; and

deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

45. The signal bearing medium of claim 43, comprising the steps of:

receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit; and

transmitting the location data and associated digital image to an E911 center.

46. The signal bearing medium of claim 45, wherein the response is a digital image response.

45-2. The signal bearing medium of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

displaying on the display a response received by at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and location data.

47. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a controller with access to location data;

an imager in electrical communication with the controller; and

a receiver in electrical communication with the controller in receipt of a message that results in activation of the imager by the controller and generation of a digital image, where the controller associates location data with the digital image.

48. The wireless apparatus of claim 47, further comprising:

a transmitter that transmits the digital image and associated location data formatted for viewing by a viewing terminal.

49. The wireless apparatus of claim 47, further comprising:

a memory in electrical communication with the controller that stores the digital image and associated location data in the memory.

50. The wireless apparatus of claim 47, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

51. The wireless apparatus of claim 47, wherein the message is from another wireless device.

52. A method for location a wireless apparatus, comprising:

receiving a tagging message at a receiver in the wireless device;

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the message being processed by the controller; and

associating via the controller location data with the digital image.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

transmitting via a transmitter under the control of the controller the digital image and associated location data formatted for a viewing terminal.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

saving in a memory in electrical communication with the controller the digital image and associated location data.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the message is received from another wireless device.

57. A method for location a wireless apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a tagging message at a receiver in the wireless device;

means for activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the message being processed by the controller; and

means for associating location data with the digital image.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising:

means for transmitting under the control of the controller the digital image and associated location data formatted for a viewing terminal.

59. The method of claim 57, further comprising:

memory means for saving the digital image and associated location data.

60. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a controller with access to location data;

an imager in electrical communication with the controller; and

an input unit electrical communication with the controller in receipt of an input that results in activation of the imager by the controller and generation of a digital image, where the controller associates location data with the digital image.

61. The wireless apparatus of claim 60, further comprising:

a memory in electrical communication with the controller that stores the digital image and associated location data in the memory.

62. The wireless apparatus of claim 60, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

63. A method for location a wireless apparatus, comprising:

receiving an input from the input unit;

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the message being processed by the controller; and

associating via the controller location data with the digital image.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising:

saving in a memory in electrical communication with the controller the digital image and associated location data.