Method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile telephone

• US 5,732,354 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Alan Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/472,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/54.1, 455/56.1, 455/67.1, 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/67.6, 455/524, 455/456, 455/457, 455/440, 379/59, 379/60, 342/457, 342/451, 342/452, 342/450, 342/463, 364/449, 364/561, 364/449.1, 364/449.9, 340/988-993
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the location of a mobile telephone within the serving area of a mobile telephone system are disclosed. A mobile switching center analyzes the calling mobile telephone number and called telephone number to determine if a location function is required. Upon initiation of the location function by the mobile switching center, a mobile location module calculates a location estimate of the mobile telephone. The mobile location module receives a list of signal strengths received by the mobile telephone from cell site antennas within the serving area. The distance between the mobile telephone and a plurality of cell site antennas is calculated using a technique which reduces the error component of the calculated distances. These reduced error distances are used to geometrically determine an estimate of the location area within the sewing area of a mobile telephone system.

Claims

1. A method for locating a mobile telephone within the geographic serving area of a mobile telephone system, wherein said mobile telephone is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located in cells within the geographic serving area, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile telephone from a first plurality of antennas, each of said signal strengths being dependent, at least in part, on a cell propagation characteristic;

b) calculating the distances between the mobile telephone and each of a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data and an estimated cell propagation characteristic value, wherein each of said calculated distances contains an error component which depends upon the estimated cell propagation characteristic value;

c) repeating step b) while varying the estimated cell propagation characteristic values to reduce said error components; and

d) calculating the location of the mobile telephone using the calculated distances having reduced error components.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is propagation path slope.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is antenna pattern rolloff.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is the height of the mobile telephone relative to each of said second plurality of antennas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step d) further comprises the step of:

calculating the location of the mobile telephone as the intersection area of a plurality of circles, each of said circles having a center at the location of one of said second plurality of antennas and having a radius equal to the calculated distance between the mobile telephone and the antenna.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step off

e) transmitting the calculated location of the mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal strength data includes a MAHO list maintained by said mobile telephone.

8. The method of claim I wherein said first plurality of antennas and said second plurality of antennas are the same.

9. A method for locating a mobile telephone within the geographic serving area of a mobile telephone system, wherein said mobile telephone is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located within the geographic serving area, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile switching center a call initiation request including an identification of the mobile telephone;

determining in the mobile switching center in response to said call initiation request if a mobile telephone location function is required, wherein said determination is based, at least in part, on the identification of the mobile telephone;

initiating a mobile telephone location function from the mobile switching center if the mobile switching center determines that said location function is required;

said location function comprising the steps;

receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile telephone from a first plurality of antennas;

calculating the distances between the mobile telephone and each of a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data; and

calculating a location area of the mobile telephone using said calculated distances.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the calculated location area to a user.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said first plurality of antennas and said second plurality of antennas are the same.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal strength data includes a MAHO list maintained by said mobile telephone.

13. A method for locating a mobile telephone within the geographic serving area of a mobile telephone system, wherein said mobile telephone is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located within the geographic serving area, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile telephone from a first plurality of antennas;

b) calculating the distances between the mobile telephone and each of a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data and a propagation path slope estimate for each of the second plurality of antennas, wherein each of said calculated distances contains an error component which depends upon said propagation path slope estimate;

c) repeating step b) while varying the propagation path slope estimates to reduce said error components; and

d) calculating the location of the mobile telephone using the calculated distances having reduced error components.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step d) further comprises the step of:

calculating the location of the mobile telephone as the intersection area of a plurality of circles, each of said circles having a center at the location of one of said second plurality of antennas and having a radius equal to the calculated distance between the mobile telephone and the antenna.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

e) transmitting the calculated location of the mobile telephone.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said signal strength data includes a MAHO list maintained by said mobile telephone.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said first plurality of antennas and said second plurality of antennas are the same.

18. An apparatus for determining the location of a mobile telephone within the geographic serving area of a mobile telephone system, wherein said mobile telephone is sending signals to and receiving signals from cell site antennas within the geographic serving area, the apparatus comprising:

a mobile switching center connected to said cell sites, said mobile switching center receiving a call initiation request including an identification of the mobile telephone, and in response to said call initiation request initiating a mobile location function based at least in part on the identification of the mobile telephone;

a mobile location module connected to said mobile switching center for performing said mobile location function, said mobile location module comprising;

a first calculator for calculating the distances between the mobile telephone and a plurality of antennas using signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile telephone from the plurality of antennas; and

a second calculator for calculating a location area of the mobile telephone using said calculated distances.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said first calculator and said second calculator are the same.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said signal strength data includes a MAHO list maintained by said mobile telephone.

21. A method for operation of a mobile communication system for locating a mobile station within the geographic serving area of the mobile communication system, wherein said mobile station is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located in cells within the geographic serving area, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile station from a first plurality of antennas, said signal strengths being dependent, at least in part, on a cell propagation characteristic;

b) calculating the distances between the mobile station and a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data and an estimated cell propagation characteristic value, wherein each of said calculated distances contains an error component which depends upon the estimated cell propagation characteristic value;

c) repeating step b) while varying the estimated cell propagation characteristic values to reduce said error components; and

d) calculating the location of the mobile station using the calculated distances having reduced error components.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is propagation path slope.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is antenna pattern rolloff.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is the height of the mobile telephone relative to each of said second plurality of antennas.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

e) transmitting the calculated location of the mobile station.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said signal strength data includes a signal strength list maintained by said mobile station.

27. A method for operation of a mobile communication system for locating a mobile station within the geographic serving area of the mobile communication system, wherein said mobile station is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located within the geographic serving area, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile switching center a call initiation request including an identification of said mobile station;

determining in a mobile switching center in response to said call initiation request if a mobile station location function is required, wherein said determination is based, at least in part, on an identification of the mobile station;

initiating a mobile station location function from the mobile switching center if the mobile switching center determines that said location function is required;

said location function comprising the steps;

receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile station from a first plurality of antennas;

calculating the distances between the mobile station and a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data; and

calculating a location area of the mobile station using said calculated distance.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the calculated location area to a user.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said signal strength data includes a signal strength list maintained by said mobile station.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said first and second plurality of antennas are the same.

31. An apparatus for locating a mobile station within the geographic serving area of a mobile communication system, wherein said mobile station is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from antennas located in cells within the geographic serving area, the apparatus comprising:

a mobile location module comprising a memory storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing said computer program instructions, wherein said computer program instructions instruct the processor to perform the following steps;

a) receiving signal strength data representing the signal strengths of signals being received by the mobile station from a first plurality of antennas, said signal strengths being dependent, at least in part, on a cell propagation characteristic;

b) calculating the distances between the mobile station and a second plurality of antennas using said signal strength data and an estimated cell propagation characteristic value, wherein each of said calculated distances contains an error component which depends upon the estimated cell propagation characteristic value;

c) repeating step b) while varying the estimated cell propagation characteristic values to reduce said error components; and

d) calculating the location of the mobile station using the calculated distances having reduced error components.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is propagation path slope.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is antenna pattern rolloff.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said estimated cell propagation characteristic is the height of the mobile station relative to the antenna in the cell.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said computer program instructions further instruct the processor to perform the step of:

e) transmitting the calculated location of the mobile station.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said signal strength data includes a signal strength list maintained by said mobile station.