TWO STAGE MOBILE DEVICE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION DETERMINATION

• US 20110051658A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Jin, Zhengyi, Annamalai, Magesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2693 Centralised synchronisation, i.e. using external universal time reference, e.g. by using a global positioning system [GPS] or by distributing time reference over the wireline network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for mitigating the delay associated with using GPS technologies to determine the location of a mobile device. The system utilizes a two-stage location determination process. During the first stage, an estimated position of the mobile device is immediately provided based on the most accurate stored location information that is available to the system. If greater accuracy is still required, during the second stage a more accurate position of the mobile device is provided using GPS-based technologies.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system of determining a geographic location associated with a wireless mobile device accessing a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a location of a wireless mobile device that is connected to the data network;

accessing stored data to determine an estimated location of the wireless mobile device;

providing the estimated location of the wireless mobile device in a first response to the location request;

determining an actual location of the wireless mobile device using a GPS-based technology; and

providing the actual location of the wireless mobile device in a second response to the location request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data provides two or more location estimates, and wherein determining an estimated location involves using the stored data having a highest degree of accuracy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile device is connected to the data network at an access point that is identified by at least one of:

a media access control (MAC) address and an internet protocol (IP) address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data is data associated with the location of the access point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS-based technology is Assisted GPS.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the actual position of the wireless mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing a call from the wireless mobile device based on the estimated location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first response is provided before the second response.

9. A method in a computing system of determining a geographic location associated with a wireless mobile device accessing a data network, the method comprising:

determining an estimated location of a wireless mobile device by accessing stored location information and utilizing the stored location information that provides the highest accuracy location of the wireless mobile device;

determining an actual location of the wireless mobile device by using global positioning system (GPS) signals; and

providing the estimated location in response to a request for a position of the wireless mobile device before determining the actual location of the wireless mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless mobile device is connected to the data network at an access point that is identified by at least one of:

a media access control (MAC) address and an internet protocol (IP) address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the stored location information is information associated with the location of the access point.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the estimated location and the actual location is identified by a latitude and longitude coordinate system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein information derived from the GPS signals is used by an Assisted GPS service to determine the actual location of the wireless mobile device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the actual position of the wireless mobile device.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising routing a call from the wireless mobile device based on the estimated location.

16. A system for determining a geographic location associated with a mobile device that is wirelessly accessing a data network, the system comprising:

a first location estimator that determines an estimated location of a mobile device by accessing stored location information and utilizing the stored location information that provides the highest accuracy location of the mobile device, the first location estimator providing the estimated location in a first response to a request for a position of the mobile device; and

a second location estimator that initiates a communication with the mobile device, the communication causing the mobile device to calculate its actual location using global positioning system (GPS) signals and communicate the actual location to the second location estimator, the second location estimator providing the actual location in a second response to the request for the position of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is connected to the data network at an access point that is identified by at least one of:

a media access control (MAC) address and an internet protocol (IP) address.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the stored location information is information associated with the location of the access point.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein information derived from the GPS signals is used by an Assisted GPS service to determine the actual location of the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the second location estimator further stores the actual position of the mobile device.