System and method for wireless distribution of location-based information in an enclosure

• US 7,603,128 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Delker, Jason R., Everson, John M., Jones, Bryce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Sonny
• Application Number:
  US10/457,603
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.16, 455/414.2, 455/456, 455/457, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/404.2, 455/408, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for providing coordinate-based location information may include first, second and third wireless location transmitters. The wireless location transmitters may be located at fixed positions within an enclosure, such as a building. The wireless locations transmitters may each be programmed with a respective coordinate-based location, which the wireless location transmitters can in turn wirelessly transmit to a wireless device. The wireless device can then use the three respective coordinated-based locations of the wireless location transmitters to determine a coordinate-based location for the wireless device.

Claims

1. A system for providing location information to a wireless device, the system comprising:

first, second and third wireless location transmitters, wherein each wireless location transmitter is positioned at a different fixed location, wherein each wireless location transmitter has a respective location in a coordinate-based location system, wherein each wireless location transmitter is programmed with data indicative of its respective location in the coordinate-based location system, and wherein each wireless location transmitter transmits its respective coordinate-based location to a wireless device; and

means for remotely changing the respective locations programmed in any of the wireless location transmitters and for remotely enabling and disabling any of the wireless location transmitters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location transmitters are all located within an enclosure, and wherein wireless location transmitters are mounted at different respective locations within the enclosure.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is mounted to a ceiling of the enclosure.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is mounted to a wall of the enclosure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters has an internal power source.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the internal power source is a battery.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is connected to an external power source.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless location transmitters wirelessly transmit their respective coordinate-based locations using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a mobile phone, a two-way radio, a two-way pager or a computer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the respective coordinate-based locations of the wireless location transmitters are GPS locations.

12. A system for propagating GPS signals inside a building, the system comprising:

a first wireless location transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a GPS location of the first location transmitter to a wireless device, wherein the GPS location of the first location transmitter is programmed into the first location transmitter, and wherein the first location transmitter is disposed within the building;

a second wireless location transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a GPS location of the second location transmitter to the wireless device, wherein the GPS location of the second location transmitter is programmed into the second location transmitter, and wherein the second location transmitter is also disposed within the building;

a third wireless location transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a GPS location of the third location transmitter to the wireless device, wherein the GPS location of the third location transmitter is programmed into the third location transmitter, and wherein the third location transmitter is also disposed within the building; and

means for remotely changing the respective locations programmed in any of the wireless location transmitters and for remotely enabling and disabling any of the wireless location transmitters.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third wireless location transmitters wirelessly transmit their respective GPS locations using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is affixed to a ceiling of the building.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the wireless location transmitters is affixed to a wall of the building.

16. A method for determining a location of a wireless device in a coordinate-based location system, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving from a first location transmitter a first packet that includes a location of the first location transmitter and a time that the first packet was transmitted by the first location transmitter, wherein the first location transmitter is located within an enclosure;

wirelessly receiving from a second location transmitter a second packet that includes a location of the second location transmitter and a time that the second packet was transmitted by the second location transmitter;

wirelessly receiving from a third location transmitter a third packet that includes a location of the third location transmitter and a time that the third packet was transmitted by the third location transmitter; and

using the locations received from the first, second and third location transmitters to compute a location of the wireless device.

17. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the method of claim 16.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the locations received from the location transmitters are GPS locations.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

recording a time that the first packet was received at the wireless device;

recording a time that the second packet was received at the wireless device; and

recording a time that the third packet was received at the wireless device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using the time that the first packet was transmitted from the first location transmitter and the time that the first packet was received at the wireless device to determine a distance between the first location transmitter and the wireless device;

using the time that the second packet was transmitted from the second location transmitter and the time that the second packet was received at the wireless device to determine a distance between the second location transmitter and the wireless device; and

using the time that the third packet was transmitted from the third location transmitter and the time that the third packet was received at the wireless device to determine a distance between the third location transmitter and the wireless device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using the distance between the first location transmitter and the wireless device, the distance between the second location transmitter and the wireless device, the distance between the third location transmitter and the wireless device, and the locations of the location transmitters to compute a location of the wireless device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the location of the wireless device is in two dimensions.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving from a fourth location transmitter a fourth packet that includes a location of the fourth location transmitter and a time that the fourth packet was transmitted by the fourth location transmitter; and

using the locations received from the first, second, third and fourth location transmitters to compute a location of the wireless device, wherein the location of the wireless device is in three dimensions.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the second and third location transmitters are located within the enclosure.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless device and the location transmitters communicate using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the location transmitters is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the location transmitters is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and wherein the wireless device is associated with the WLAN access point.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless device is a mobile phone, a two-way radio, a two-way pager or a computer.