Location information system for a wireless communication device and method therefor

• US 6,603,977 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NorthStar Systems LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Kaschke, Kevin Daniel, Walsh, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ward, Ronald J.
• Application Number:
  US09/497,954
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/422, 455/403, 455/465, 455/434, 455/457, 455/521, 379/45, 370/95.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A location information system (102) includes a controller (200), a location entry device (202), a memory device (204) and wireless communication units (206-209). The controller (200) receives location information from the location entry device (202), such as a keyboard or a global positioning satellite receiver, for storage in the memory device (204). The location information represents locations of predetermined areas (210-213), such as floors, rooms, hallways, stairways and elevators, associated with each of the wireless communication units (206-209) in a facility (110). A wireless communication unit (209) sends the location information to a wireless communication device (104), such as a cellular telephone device, over a short-range wireless communication channel (124), such as a radio frequency communication channel. Preferably, each of the wireless communication units (206-209) and the wireless communication device (104) include a short-range radio frequency transceiver designed to communicate over the short-range wireless communication channel (124) according to a Bluetooth technology specification. Preferably, the location information is used for E911 automatic location identification in the facility (110). The location information may be solicited or unsolicited from the location information system by the wireless communication device (104). When the location information is solicited, the location information is either pulled by the wireless communication device (104) or pushed by the location information system using a location information service.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a location information system, comprising the steps of:

receiving location information representing a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility;

sending the location information to a wireless communication device present in one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the facility over a short-range wireless communication channel responsive to the step of receiving; and

determining whether a request is received from the wireless communication device for the location information over the short-range wireless communication channel responsive to the step of receiving, wherein the step of determining is repeated when a request is not received from the wireless communication device and when the location information is fixed, and wherein the step of receiving the location information is repeated when a request is not received from the wireless communication device and when the location information is variable.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the location information responsive to the step of receiving.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

determining whether to provide the location information to the wireless communication device unsolicited by the wireless communication device or solicited by the wireless communication device responsive to the step of receiving.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing a location information service, having the location information, to the wireless communication device in the facility over the short-range wireless communication channel responsive to the step of receiving.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of providing further comprises the steps of:

receiving a request from the wireless communication device over the short-range wireless communication channel to determine whether a location information service is available to the wireless communication device in the facility; and

sending a response to the wireless communication device over the short-range wireless communication channel indicating that the location information service is available to the wireless communication device in the facility responsive to the step of receiving the request.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of providing further comprises the step of:

broadcasting a signal to the wireless communication device over the short-range wireless communication channel indicating that the location information service is available to the wireless communication device in the facility.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

determining the location information responsive to receiving global positioning satellite (GPS) signals from global positioning satellites orbiting the earth.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the location information is predetermined.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of sending is performed at least one of before, during and after the wireless communication device communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point, and wherein the location information sent to the wireless communication device is used for an automatic location identification of the wireless communication device in the facility by the public safety answering point.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the location information system and the wireless communication device further comprise a radio frequency transceiver designed to operate in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification, and wherein the short-range wireless communication channel further comprises a radio frequency communication channel designed to operate in accordance with the Bluetooth technology specification.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of location descriptions identify at least one of latitude, longitude, altitude, a street address, a floor, a room, a hallway, a stairwell, an elevator, an isle, and a seat.

12. A method, performed by a location information system including a controller, a location entry device, a plurality of radio frequency transceivers, a memory device, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a controller from the location entry device, location information representing a plurality of location descriptions associated with a plurality of predetermined areas, respectively, associated with the plurality of radio transceivers, respectively, in a facility;

storing, by the controller, the location information in the memory device responsive to the step of receiving;

sending, by one of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers under the control of the controller, the location information from the memory device to a cellular telephone proximate to one of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers associated with one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the facility responsive to the step of storing, wherein the cellular telephone and each of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers are designed to communicate the location information over a short-range radio frequency communication channel in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification, wherein the step of sending is performed at least one of before, during and after the cellular telephone communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point, and wherein the location information sent to the cellular telephone is used for an automatic location identification of the cellular telephone in the facility by the public safety answering point; and

determining whether a request is received from the cellular telephone for the location information over the short-range radio frequency communication channel responsive to the step of storing, wherein the step of determining is repeated when a request is not received from the cellular telephone and when the location information is fixed, and wherein the step of receiving the location information is repeated when a request is not received from the cellular telephone and when the location information is variable.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of:

determining whether to provide the location information to the cellular telephone unsolicited by the cellular telephone or solicited by the cellular telephone responsive to the step of storing.

14. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of:

providing a location information service, having the location information, to the cellular telephone in the facility over the short-range radio frequency communication channel responsive to the step of storing.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of providing further comprises the steps of:

receiving a request from the cellular telephone over the short-range radio frequency communication channel to determine whether a location information service is available to the cellular telephone in the facility; and

sending a response to the cellular telephone over the short-range radio frequency communication channel indicating that the location information service is available to the cellular telephone in the facility responsive to the step of receiving the request.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of providing further comprises the step of:

broadcasting a signal to the cellular telephone indicating that the location information service is available to the cellular telephone in the facility.

17. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of:

determining, by the location entry device including a global positioning satellite (GPS) antenna coupled to a GPS receiver, the location information responsive to the GPS antenna and GPS receiver receiving GPS signals from global positioning satellites orbiting the earth.

18. A method according to claim 12 wherein the location information is predetermined.

19. A method according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of location descriptions identify at least one of latitude, longitude, altitude, a street address, a floor, a room, a hallway, a stairwell, an elevator, an isle, and a seat.