Position locating rescue transceiver

• US 5,982,322 A
• Filed: 07/28/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Waddoups, Ray O., Bickley, Robert H., Moy, Leland Lem, Aragaki, Taul
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US08/901,010
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.59
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/07 providing data for correcting measured positioning data, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] or ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/18 Military applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• 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 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A secure, portable position locating radio has a geolocation receiver providing local position and timing information from geolocation means (e.g. GPS satellites) and a local transceiver for sending local position information to a communication system (e.g., an airborne or orbiting transceiver). A crypto unit is provided between the receiver and local transceiver for encrypting the local position information prior to transmission. A data processor coupled to the local transceiver, receiver and crypto unit controls operation of the device, including storing local position information and separating signals broadcast by the communication system into those intended or not intended for the device. An external interface and display and a real-time clock (e.g., slaved to the GPS receiver) are also coupled to the data processor. Encryption keys and message abbreviation codes are conveniently loaded into the device from a demountable accessory unit at the interface, and stored therein.

Claims

1. A transceiver comprising:

a first radio receiver and a second radio receiver, a radio transmitter and an antenna supported by a common housing, wherein said first radio receiver receives first signals from a first geolocation means for determining location information and high accuracy clocking information, wherein said location information describes a location of said transceiver;

clock means, supported by said common housing and coupled to said first radio receiver, said clock means for providing timing and frequency control signals, said clock means slaved to said high accuracy clocking information;

wherein said radio transmitter is coupled to said antenna and receives timing and frequency control signals from said clock means, said radio transmitter for sending another signal including said transceiver location information to a communication system, and wherein said second radio receiver receives second signals from said communication system.

2. A transceiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said another signal is a burst transmission signal having a duration of less than a second at a bit rate of 600 bps.

3. A transceiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein said burst transmission signal has a duration of less than a half a second.

4. A transceiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said another signal includes predefined user selectable status messages identified by one or two alpha-numeric characters.

5. A transceiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said another signal comprises, at least during a first transmission thereof, a unique word portion, an identification portion, a position data portion, a message portion and an error detection portion.

6. A transceiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a portion of said second signals indicating that a base station coupled to said communication system has received said location information transmitted by said transceiver.

7. A transceiver as claimed in claim 6, further comprising indicator means for indicating receipt of said portion of said second signals indicating that said base station has received said location information transmitted by said transceiver.

8. A radio comprising:

receiver means responsive to GPS satellites for receiving therefrom information permitting said radio to determine local position information describing a location of said radio and accurate time information;

transceiver means for communicating with at least one remote station via a transceiver satellite, by sending a burst signal of less than one second duration including said local position information to said at least one remote station via said transceiver satellite and receiving therefrom an acknowledgment that said local position information has been received from said at least one remote station, wherein said transceiver means uses said accurate time information from said receiver means to determine a narrow time window during which to transmit said burst signal to said at least one remote station;

one or more antennas coupled to said receiver means and said transceiver means; and

a common hand-portable housing containing said receiver means and transceiver means and supporting said one or more antennas.

9. A radio as claimed in claim 8, wherein said burst signal contains 288 or fewer bits.

10. A radio as claimed in claim 8, wherein said burst signal comprises half-rate coded information at a serial bit rate of about 600 bits per second.

11. A radio as claimed in claim 8, wherein said burst signal contains redundant information bits.

12. A radio as claimed in claim 8, wherein said burst signal has a duration of less than one-half second.

13. A radio as claimed in claim 8, wherein said burst signal comprises, at least during a first transmission thereof, a unique word portion, an identification portion, a position data portion, a message portion and an error detection portion.

14. A device comprising:

a geolocation receiver for providing, from geolocation means, local position information describing a location of said device and high accuracy clocking information;

a transceiver coupled to said geolocation receiver for sending a message including said local position information and one or more symbols indicative of user status to a communication system, said transceiver using said high accuracy clocking information provided by said geolocation receiver to determine a narrow time window during which to send said message to said communication system;

input means for receiving user status information;

processor means coupled to said input means and said transceiver, said processor means for receiving said user status information from said input means and providing to said transceiver means for inclusion in said message, said one or more symbols which correspond to said user status information;

at least one antenna coupled to said geolocation receiver and said transceiver; and

a common housing containing said geolocation receiver, transceiver, input means and processor means and coupled to said at least one antenna.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said message is a burst message of less than one second duration at a bit rate of about 600 bps.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said message is a burst message of less than one-half second duration.

17. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said message has a transmission rate of not more than 600 bits per second and a duration of less than about one-half second.

18. A radio, said radio being a position locating radio and comprising:

a receiver for providing local position information and high accuracy time or frequency information;

a clock coupled to said receiver and having an output corrected by said high accuracy time or frequency information from said receiver;

a transceiver for communicating with at least one remote station through a communication system, said transceiver coupled to said clock and receiving high accuracy clocking signals therefrom;

input means for receiving from a user of said radio, user status information describing a status of said user; and

processing means coupled to said transceiver and said input means, said processing means for receiving said user status information from said input means, selecting one or more symbols having a predetermined meaning most closely corresponding to said user status information from a predetermined list, and providing said selected symbols to said transceiver;

wherein said receiver, clock, transceiver, input means, and processing means are carried by a common man-portable housing supporting one or more antennas coupled to said receiver and said transceiver.

19. A radio as claimed in claim 18, wherein said transceiver is a burst transceiver providing signal bursts containing said local position information in redundant form.

20. A radio as claimed in claim 19, wherein said signal bursts have a time duration of less than about one-half second when transmitted at a bit rate of about 600 bits per second.

21. A transceiver comprising:

a first radio receiver for receiving first signals from a first geolocation means for determining therefrom transceiver location information and high accuracy time and frequency information;

a clock circuit coupled to said first radio receiver, said clock circuit for providing timing and frequency control signals, said clock circuit slaved to said high accuracy time and frequency information from said first radio receiver;

a transmitter coupled to said first radio receiver and said clock circuit, said transmitter sending another signal containing said transceiver location information to a communication system; and

a second radio receiver for receiving second signals from said communication system, wherein said first and second radio receivers, said transmitter, and said clock circuit are located in a common hand-holdable housing and coupled to one or more antennas supported by said common hand-holdable housing.

22. A transceiver as claimed in claim 21, wherein said another signal is a burst transmission signal having a duration of less than one second.

23. A transceiver as claimed in claim 22, wherein said burst transmission signal has a duration of less than one-half of one second.

24. A transceiver as claimed in claim 21, wherein said another signal further contains predefined user status messages identified by one or two symbols.

25. A transceiver as claimed in claim 21, wherein said another signal comprises, at least during a first transmission thereof, a unique word portion, an identification portion, a position data portion, a message portion and an error detection portion in a predetermined order.

26. A transceiver as claimed in claim 21, further comprising means for detecting a portion of said second signal indicating that a base station coupled to said communication system has received said encrypted transceiver location information transmitted by said transmitter.

27. A transceiver as claimed in claim 26, further comprising indicator means for indicating receipt of said portion of said second signal indicating that said base station has received said transceiver location information transmitted by said transmitter.