Systems And Methods For IP And VoIP Device Location Determination

• US 20110206039A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iposi, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Richard M., Keegan, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for precise position determination of general Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected devices. A method enables use of remote intelligence located at strategic network points to distribute relevant assistance data to IP devices with embedded receivers. Assistance is tailored to provide physical timing, frequency and real time signal status data using general broadband communication protocols. Relevant assistance data enables several complementary forms of signal processing gain critical to acquire and measure weakened or distorted in-building Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) signals and to ultimately extract corresponding pseudo-range time components. A method to assemble sets of GNSS measurements that are observed over long periods of time while using standard satellite navigation methods, and once compiled, convert using standard methods each pseudo-range into usable path distances used to calculate a precise geographic position to a known degree of accuracy.

Claims

1. A method of verifying a previously determined position of a device connected to a network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:

determining position of said device relative to said fixed coordinate system;

gathering a first set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network indicative of an attachment to said network at said determined position;

storing said first set of gathered information;

receiving a request for location information of said device;

gathering a second set of information regarding attachment of said device to said network indicative of a unique attachment to said network;

comparing said first set of information to said second set of information; and

verifying in near real time that said device is at said previously determined position if said comparison results in surpassing a predetermined threshold of characteristic similarity.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said method is performed at generally regular time intervals.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said method is performed as a result of a request resulting from a request to contact an emergency services dispatch center.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second sets of information regarding attachment to said network comprise:

packet mean time delay between a peering point server and said device;

packet time delay distribution between said peering point server and said device; and

trace-route information between said peering point server and said device.

5. A method of selecting a process of determining the position of a device connected to a computer network relative to a fixed coordinate system, said method comprising the steps of:

estimating a position of a device relative to a fixed coordinate system to a first level of accuracy by communicating over a computer network with a network operations center, wherein said network operations center contains a database of locations of other devices on said computer network;

obtaining data over said computer network regarding characteristics of a positioning system relative to said position estimated to said first level of accuracy;

attempting to receive a plurality of signals from said positioning system;

determining the quality of said plurality of signals from said positioning system; and

selecting between, based on said quality level of said signals from said positioning system, a first process where a time a reference of said positioning system is obtained over said computer network and a second process where said time reference of said positioning system is obtained from said positioning system.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said positioning system is a GNSS system.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said GNSS system is the GPS.

8. A method of presenting a located call from an IP device connected to an IP network to an emergency services dispatch center, said method comprising the steps of:

dialing an emergency telephone number from an IP device connected to an IP network to generate a call, wherein said device is capable of receiving signals from a positioning system;

connecting said IP device through said IP network to a network interconnection capable of interconnecting said IP network to a public-switched-telephone-network (PSTN);

connecting said IP device to an emergency services network attached to said PSTN;

providing a location of said IP device to said emergency services network;

selecting an appropriate emergency services dispatch center based at least in part on said location;

transmitting said location from said emergency services network to said emergency services dispatch center; and

presenting said call to said selected emergency services dispatch center.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said network interconnection is an IP network to PSTN gateway.

10. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said network interconnection is a media gateway.

11. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said providing comprises:

interrogating an IP device location database.

12. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said providing is performed by said IP device.

13. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said providing comprises:

including the position of said IP device in standard SIP protocol signaling messaging in a VOIP emergency call request into said IP network.