System and method for providing communication and positioning information

• US 7,702,361 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lee, Peggy Carol, Lai, Duc Dinh
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/092,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/556.1, 455/456.3, 455/78, 455/90.2, 455/458.3
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A communication module capable of simultaneously providing communication and positioning information is provided. The communication module includes a processor with an integrated positioning receiver. The processor transmits and receives communication information, such as interconnect voice, dispatch voice, or data, using a first transceiver. The integrated positioning receiver is coupled to a second transceiver to transmit positioning information.

Claims

1. A communication module, comprising:

a processor with a first output, which transmits and receives communication information, and a second output, which transmits positioning information;

a first transceiver, external to the processor, coupled to the first output of the communication processor;

a second transceiver, external to the processor, coupled to the second output of the communication processor; and

an output connector, wherein the processor is coupled to the output connector by way of the first and second transceivers, wherein the processor includes an integrated positioning receiver used for determining the location of the communication module.

2. The communication module of claim 1, wherein the positioning receiver is a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver.

3. The communication module of claim 1, wherein the processor outputs communication information and positioning information simultaneously.

4. The communication module of claim 1, wherein the communication information including at least one of interconnect voice, dispatch voice, packet data, circuit-switched data, facsimile and short message service (SMS), and the processor transmits communication information and the positioning receiver transmits positioning information simultaneously.

5. The communication module of claim 4, wherein the first and second transceivers are universal asynchronous receiver transmitters (UARTs).

6. The communication module of claim 4, wherein the communication module is a component of a wireless telephone.

7. The communication module of claim 4, wherein the communication module is a component of a bar code scanner.

8. A communication module, comprising:

a first transceiver;

a second transceiver;

a processor with an integrated positioning receiver, a first output coupled to the first transceiver to transmit and receive communication information using the first transceiver, a second output coupled to the second transceiver to transmit positioning information using the second transceiver, the communication information including at least one of interconnect voice, dispatch voice, packet data, circuit-switched data, facsimile and short message service (SMS), and the processor transmits communication information and the positioning receiver transmits positioning information simultaneously,

wherein the second output is coupled directly to the integrated positioning receiver, wherein the first and second transceivers are external to the processor.

9. The communication module of claim 8, wherein the first and second transceivers are universal asynchronous receiver transmitters (UARTs).

10. The communication module of claim 8, wherein the communication module is a component of a wireless telephone.

11. The communication module of claim 8, wherein the communication module is a component of a bar code scanner.

12. The communication module of claim 8, further comprising:

an output connector, wherein the processor is coupled to the output connector by way of the first and second transceivers.