Cellular communication system providing cell transmitter location information

• US 6,061,561 A
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tarkiainen, Mika Pekka Antero, Alanara, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US08/731,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/517, 455/422, 342/450
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• 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: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for operating a cellular communication network. An exemplary method includes the steps of transmitting a message from a base station (30) to a mobile station (10) located within a cell served by the base station, the message including location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station; storing the location information in the mobile station; originating a predetermined call type with the mobile station and appending the stored location information to a call origination message; and routing the call from the network to the call'"'"'s destination in conjunction with the appended location information. The location information includes at least one of a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located and an alphanumeric string that is expressive of a geographical location at which the base station is located. The base station location information is useful in determining a location of the mobile station, such as when an emergency call is made. In a further embodiment of this invention an emergency call is originated by a mobile station in response to the deployment of an air bag in a vehicle wherein the mobile station is located.

Claims

1. A method for operating a cellular communication network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a cell served by the base station, the message comprising location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

storing the location information in the mobile station;

originating a predetermined call type with the mobile station and appending the stored location information to a call origination message; and

routing the call from the network to the call'"'"'s destination in conjunction with the appended location information;

wherein the location information is comprised of an alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of a place where the base station is installed; and

further comprising a step of

displaying at least a portion of the stored alphanumeric string to a user of the mobile station.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location information further comprises a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located.

3. A method for operating a cellular communication network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a cell served by the base station, the message comprising location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

storing the location information in the mobile station;

originating a call with the mobile station;

routing the call from the network to the call'"'"'s destination;

at the call'"'"'s destination, originating a message to the mobile station to interrogate the mobile station for the stored location information; and

in response to receiving the interrogation message at the mobile station, transmitting a message that includes the stored location information;

wherein the location information comprises an alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of a place where the base station is installed; and

further comprising a step of

displaying at least a portion of the stored alphanumeric string to a user of the mobile station.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the location information further comprises a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located.

5. A method for operating a cellular communication network, comprising the steps of:

originating a predetermined call type with a mobile station;

detecting at a base station that serves a cell within which the mobile station is located that the mobile station has originated the predetermined call type;

and

in response to detecting the predetermined call type, routing the call from the base station to the call'"'"'s destination while appending location information to the routed call for specifying a geographical location of the base station, the location information being appended to the routed call external to the mobile station and prior to the call'"'"'s arrival at the call'"'"'s destination.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the location information includes a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the location information includes an alphanumeric string that is expressive of a geographical location at which the base station is located.

8. A method for operating a cellular communication network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a cell served by the base station, the message including location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with the location information received from the base station;

calculating time alignment information in the mobile station for adjusting an arrival time of a burst, transmitted by an RF transmitter of the mobile station, at the base station'"'"'s receiver, wherein the time alignment information is calculated in accordance with the calculated distance; and

setting the mobile station'"'"'s transmitted burst timing in accordance with the calculated time alignment information so as to reduce a probability that the transmitted burst will arrive at the base station'"'"'s receiver during a time that a transmitted burst from another mobile station arrives at the base station'"'"'s receiver.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, and further comprising the step of:

determining in the mobile station whether to transmit a normal length burst or a shortened burst in accordance with the calculated distance to the base station.

10. A method for operating a cellular communication network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a cell served by the base station, the message including location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with the location information received from the base station; and

determining in the mobile station whether to transmit a normal length burst or a shortened burst in accordance with the calculated distance to the base station.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, and further comprising the steps of:

calculating time alignment information in the mobile station for adjusting an arrival time of a burst, transmitted by the mobile station, at the base station'"'"'s receiver; and

setting the mobile station'"'"'s transmitted burst timing in accordance with the calculated time alignment information.

12. A cellular communication system having at least one base station that serves at least one mobile station that is located within a cell defining a service area of the base station, said system comprising:

a first memory for storing location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

means for transmitting a wireless message to said mobile station, the message including said location information; and

a second memory in said mobile station for storing said location information that is received from said base station;

wherein the location information is comprised of an alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of a place where the base station is installed; and

further comprising

a display for displaying at least a portion of the stored alphanumeric string to a user of the mobile station.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile station further comprises means for originating a predetermined call type and for appending the stored location information to a call origination message for the predetermined call type, and wherein said system includes means for routing the call to the call'"'"'s destination in conjunction with the appended location information.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile station further comprises means for originating a telephone call, wherein said system includes means for routing the telephone call to the call'"'"'s destination, and wherein said mobile station is responsive to a received interrogation message for transmitting a message that includes the stored location information.

15. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile station further comprises:

means for determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

means for calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with the location information received from the base station; and

means for calculating time alignment information for adjusting an arrival time of a burst, transmitted by the mobile station, at the base station'"'"'s receiver and for setting the mobile station'"'"'s transmitted burst timing in accordance with the calculated time alignment information.

16. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile station further comprises:

means for determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

means for calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with the location information received from the base station; and

means for determining whether to transmit a normal length burst or a shortened burst in accordance with the calculated distance to the base station.

17. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the location information is further comprised of a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located.

18. A cellular communication system having at least one base station that serves at least one mobile station that is located within a cell defining a service area of the base station, said system comprising:

a memory, disposed external to said mobile station, for storing location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

said mobile station comprises means for originating a predetermined call type and for transmitting a call origination message to the base station; and

wherein said system further comprises means, coupled to said memory, for routing the call to the call'"'"'s destination in conjunction with appended base station location information that is retrieved from said memory, the base station location information being appended to the routed call external to the mobile station and prior to the call'"'"'s arrival at the call'"'"'s destination.

19. A system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the location information includes at least one of a latitude and a longitude at which the base station is located or an alphanumeric string that is expressive of the geographical location at which the base station is located.

20. A mobile station operable with a base station for conducting bidirectional wireless communication, said mobile station comprising:

means for determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

means for calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with location information received from the base station, the location information specifying a geographical location of the base station; and

means for calculating time alignment information for adjusting an arrival time of a burst, transmitted by the mobile station, at the base station'"'"'s receiver and for setting the mobile station'"'"'s transmitted burst timing in accordance with the calculated time alignment information, wherein the time alignment information is calculated in accordance with the calculated distance.

21. A mobile station operable with a base station for conducting bidirectional wireless communication, said mobile station comprising:

means for determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

means for calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with location information received from the base station, the location information specifying a geographical location of the base station; and

means for determining whether to transmit a normal length burst or a shortened burst in accordance with the calculated distance to the base station.

22. A method for operating a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a cell served by the base station, the message including location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station;

determining a current geographical location of the mobile station;

calculating a distance to the base station from the mobile station in accordance with the determined current location of the mobile station and in accordance with the location information received from the base station; and

determining, in the mobile station and in accordance with the calculated distance, at least one timing related characteristic or power related characteristic of a signal to be transmitted by the mobile station to the base station.

23. A method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a time alignment of a burst, a length of a burst, and a power level at which the mobile station transmits the burst.

24. A method for operating a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a wireless message from a base station to a mobile station located within a vehicle, the vehicle being disposed within a cell served by the base station, the message including location information for specifying a geographical location of the base station, the location information comprising an alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of a place where the base station is installed;

storing the location information within a memory device of the mobile station; and

in response to an activation of a passenger safety system of the vehicle, originating an emergency call from the mobile station, the emergency call including the stored location information.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the passenger safety system includes an air bag system.

26. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the step of originating includes the steps of:

determining a current position of the vehicle from a vehicular navigation system; and

including the determined current position with the stored location information.

27. A method as set forth in claim 24, and further comprising a step of including other information with the stored location information, the other information being descriptive of a user of the mobile station.

28. A method as set forth in claim 27, wherein the other information is also stored in the memory of the mobile station.

29. A method for operating a non-public cellular communication system of a type that comprises a plurality of microcells each serviced by a local base station, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from a first one of the local base stations to a mobile station located within a first microcell serviced by the first one of the local base stations, the message comprising a first alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of an area serviced by the first one of the local base stations;

receiving the message and storing the first alphanumeric string in a memory of the mobile station;

displaying at least a portion of the first alphanumeric string to a user of the mobile station;

in response to the mobile station moving from the first microcell to a second microcell, transmitting a message to the mobile station from a second one of the local base stations that services the second microcell, the message comprising a second alphanumeric string that is descriptive of a name of an area serviced by the second one of the local base stations;

receiving the message and storing the second alphanumeric string in the memory of the mobile station; and

displaying at least a portion of the second alphanumeric string to the user of the mobile station.

30. A method as in claim 29, wherein the step of storing the second alphanumeric string includes a step of over-writing the first alphanumeric string.