Mobile location reporting apparatus and methods

• US 5,712,899 A
• Filed: 01/19/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elite Logistics Services Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harold Pace, II
• Inventors: Pace, Harold II
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/588,202
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 455/33.1, 342/350, 342/352, 342/357, 342/385-388, 342/407, 342/409, 342/460, 342/451, 342/457, 340/988-990, 340/992, 340/993, 340/995
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

The present invention provides for an apparatus which allows an operator of a mobile communications unit, configured to receive and process signals generated by a Global Positioning System (GPS) and transmit them to a base communications unit, to be in voice communication with an operator of the base communications unit, wherein the base unit operator can provide the mobile communications unit operator with geographic location information by voice communication while the base unit receives the processed GPS signals, translates these signals into the geographic location information and provides a visual image of the information to the base unit operator.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system for providing geographic location information and voice communication comprising:

a mobile communications unit comprising means for receiving global positioning system signals;

means for processing said global positioning system signals; and

a cellular telephone means for simultaneously transmitting said processed global positioning system signals and voice communication signals from an operator of the mobile communications unit;

and a base communications unit comprising a telephone means for receiving processed global positioning system signals and voice communications signals from said mobile communications unit through said mobile communications system, means for simultaneously processing said signals and extracting voice and global positioning information;

means for transmitting global positioning update data to said cellular telephone means through said mobile communications system

a decoding means for processing said global positioning information into geographic position information; and

a visual display means for conveying said geographic position information to an operator; and

an audio communications means utilizing said voice information and allowing an operator of said base unit to communicate with said mobile unit operator while simultaneously analyzing said geographic positioning information on said visual display means.

2. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein said cellular telephone means is digital.

3. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein said visual display means provides geographic position information utilizing maps.

4. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communications unit further comprises a Read Only Memory containing a destination-dedicated telephone number, said destination being said base unit.

5. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communications unit further comprises means for decoding video data signals and a means for displaying visual images and said base communications unit further comprises a means for encoding video data into a telephone signal, wherein said geographic position information decoded by said base unit is provided to said mobile unit operator via visual images while said mobile unit operator communicates with said base unit operator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said telephone means of said base communications unit is a landline-linked telephone.

6. A cellular telephone configured to provide a geographic position system signal to a telephone means associated with a base communications unit and simultaneously allow an operator of said base communications unit to be in voice communication with the operator of said cellular telephone while displaying said geographic position system signals comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting signals via a cellular telephone system;

means for receiving a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

means for processing said global positioning system signal; and

means for combining said global positioning system signal and an audio signal generated by an operator of said cellular telephone into a combined cellular telephone signal which is processed by said base communications unit into an audio signal and a GPS signal so that said base communications unit simultaneously decodes said GPS signal into geographic position information displayed by said base communications unit and establishes voice communications between said base communications unit and said cellular telephone.

7. A mobile cellular telephone which provides geographic location information comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting signals comprising both voice and global positioning system signals via a cellular telephone system capable of communicating with a telephone means associated with a base communications unit;

means for receiving a global positioning system signal from said base communications unit;

means for generating a timing signal;

means for computing a location information signal from said global positioning signal and said timing signal;

a Read Only Memory which stores map displays, wherein said computing means retrieves a map display from said Read Only Memory corresponding to said location information signal and encodes a video data signal; and

a visual display means for displaying said video data signal.

8. A mobile communications system for providing geographic location information and voice communication comprising:

a mobile communications unit comprising

a global positioning system receiver;

a signal processor for processing said global positioning system signal;

a cellular telephone transmitter; and

a cellular telephone receiver, wherein said transmitter transmits said processed global positioning system signal and a voice communication signal from said mobile unit operator; and

a base communications unit comprising

a telephone receiver for receiving transmitted signals from said mobile unit,

a signal processor for processing said signals and extracting voice and global positioning information;

a transmitter for allowing an operator of said base unit to communicate with said mobile unit operator;

a decoding algorithm for processing said global positioning information into geographic position information; and

a visual display for conveying said geographic position information to an operator;

wherein said processing of said telephone signal at the base communications unit allows said base unit operator to be in audio communication with said mobile communications unit operator while simultaneously analyzing said visual display.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said telephone means of said base communications unit is a landline-linked telephone.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said cellular telephone means is digital.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said visual display means provides geographic position information utilizing maps.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said mobile communications unit further comprises a Read Only Memory containing a destination-dedicated telephone number, said destination being said base unit.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein said mobile communications unit further comprises

means for decoding video data signals and means

for displaying visual images;

and said base communications unit further comprises

means for encoding video data into a telephone

signal,

wherein said geographic position information decoded by said base unit is provided to said mobile unit operator via visual images while said mobile unit operator communicates with said base unit operator.

9. A cellular telephone configured to provide a geographic position system signal to a telephone means associated with a base communications unit and simultaneously allow an operator of said base communications unit to be in voice communication with the operator of said cellular telephone comprising:

a cellular telephone transmitter and receiver;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for generating a global positioning system signal;

a signal processor for processing said global positioning system signal; and

means for combining said global positioning system signal and an audio signal generated by an operator of said cellular telephone into a single cellular telephone signal which can be processed by said base communications unit into an audio signal and a GPS signal that can be decoded by said base communications unit into geographic position information.