Method and system for locating subscribers in a global telecommunications network

• US 6,198,922 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iridium Satellite Llc (Iridium Communications, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Iridium IP, LLC
• Inventors: Baynham, Gordon Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/160,208
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435, 455/432, 455/440, 455/441, 455/446, 455/447, 455/445, 455/456, 455/12.1, 455/449, 455/444, 455/427, 455/429, 370/316
• US Class Current: 455/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures

Abstract

A system and method for managing an interaction with a user of a telecommunications network is disclosed. The telecommunications network utilizes data relating to a geometry of the network. The method and system include identifying a plurality of geographic regions and correlating the geometry with plurality of geographic regions. Therefore, data relating to the plurality of geographic regions can be used by the telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A method for managing an interaction with a user of telecommunications network, the telecommunications network utilizing data relating to a geometry of the network, wherein the geometry of the network further includes a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of geographic regions includes a boundary, wherein the telecommunication network further has a maximum spatial resolution, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a plurality of geographic regions; and

(b) correlating the geometry with plurality of geographic regions, wherein the correlating step (b) further includes the steps of;

(b1) identifying a cell of the plurality of cells;

(b2) determining if the cell includes the boundary;

(b3) associating the cell with a geographic region intersecting the cell if the cell does not include the boundary;

(b4) dividing the cell into a plurality of subcells if the cell includes the boundary;

(b5) associating the cell with the geographic region intersecting the cell and occupying a largest portion of the cell if the cell includes a boundary and the telecommunications network is at the maximum resolution; and

(b6) repeating steps (b1) through (b4) for each of the plurality of subcells wherein data relating to the plurality of geographic regions can be used by the telecommunications network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the correlating step (b) further includes the steps of:

(b7) repeating steps (b1) through (b6) for each of the plurality of cells.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a service requested by the user is associated with a first geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions and wherein the method further includes the step of:

(c) managing the interaction based on the first geographic region.

4. A computer-readable medium having a program managing an interaction with a user of a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network utilizing data relating to a geometry of the network, wherein the geometry of the network further includes a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of geographic regions includes a boundary, the program including instructions for:

identifying a plurality of geographic regions, the user in a first geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions; and

correlating the geometry with plurality of geographic regions, wherein the instructions for correlating the geometry with the plurality of geographic regions further includes instructions for;

identifying a cell of the plurality of cells;

determining if the cell includes the boundary;

dividing the cell into a plurality of subcells if the cell includes the boundary;

associating the cell with a geographic region intersecting the cell if the cell does not include the boundary; and

repeating the cell identifying, cell determining, cell dividing, and cell associating instructions for each of the plurality of subcells and for each of the plurality of cells;

wherein data relating to the plurality of geographic regions can be used by the telecommunications network.