Method and system for sending location coded images over a wireless network

• US 7,747,259 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SIRF Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pande, Ashutosh, Chadha, Kanwar
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/490,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,820 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/41.2, 455418-420, 382/115, 382/209, 463/25, 348113-114, 348/143, 348/148, 348 1401- 1402, 701/213, 701/201, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system is described that utilizes an imager in a wireless device (102) in a wireless network (100) and transmits a digital image to a service center (120) that assists in identifying the location of the wireless device (102) within a cell site (104).

Claims

1. A wireless device locating apparatus, comprising:

a server;

a display;

a database that resides on the server with a plurality of reference digital images;

a digital image from a wireless device together with location data integrated into the digital image, presented at the display with at least one of the plurality of reference digital images that approximately matches the digital image;

a location being identified from the one of the plurality of reference digital images; and

a function identifier integrated into the digital image received by the server and a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated location data includes a plurality of cell site characteristics that are processed to determine which of the plurality of reference digital images to access.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated location data includes satellite positioning system data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

6. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

an input unit;

an imager that creates digital images;

a satellite position system receiver in receipt of location data;

a transmitter;

a controller that activates the imager in response to a message wirelessly received by the input unit and integrates location data into the digital image for transmission by the transmitter; and

a function identifier integrated into the digital image and a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the digital image.

7. The wireless apparatus of claim 6, where the satellite position system further includes a global positioning system receiver and a global positioning system processor.

8. The wireless apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller receives an E911 signal from the input unit to activate the imager and transmit the digital image together with the integrated location data to an E911 center.

9. The wireless apparatus of claim 6, further including a receiver, and a display controlled by the controller that displays a response received by the receiver.

10. The wireless apparatus of claim 9, wherein the response is a digital image response.

11. A wireless system, comprising:

a wireless device with a controller in communication with a display, an input unit and an imager;

a transmitter in the wireless device that transmits to a server a digital image together with a plurality of cell site characteristics measured by the wireless device in response to the input unit that are integrated into the digital image by the controller;

a database that resides on the server with a plurality of reference digital images accessed in response to receipt of the digital image and integrated cell site characteristics from the wireless device;

a location of the wireless device identified upon selection of one of the plurality of reference digital images; and

a function identifier integrated into the digital image received by the server and a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

12. The system of claim 11, further including a satellite positioning system receiver in the wireless device that derives location data that is integrated into the digital image by the controller.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the response message is a response digital image.

13. The system of clam 11, further including:

a response message sent by a transmitter in the server to the wireless device in response to the location of the wireless device being located; and

a receiver in the wireless device in receipt of the response message which is displayed on the display by the controller.

15. A method for locating a wireless device, comprising:

receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

integrating location data into the digital image;

accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

displaying at least one of a plurality of reference digital images with the digital image;

identifying a location of the wireless device from a comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images; and

receiving a function identifier integrated into the digital image at the server, and sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

16. The method of claim 15, including processing the location data where the location data includes a plurality of cell site characteristics, and identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

17. The method of claim 15, including receiving the location data where the location data includes satellite positioning system data, and identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

20. A method for wireless apparatus location, comprising:

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to a controller being in receipt of a signal from an input unit, the signal generated in response to a message wirelessly received by the input unit;

integrating location data from a satellite position system into the digital image;

transmitting the digital image together with the integrated location data; and

integrating a function identifier into the transmitted digital image, and receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the transmitted digital image.

21. The wireless method of claim 20, where the satellite position system further includes receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver, and deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

22. The method of claim 20, including receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit, and transmitting the integrated location data and the digital image to an E911 center.

23. The method of claim 20, further including displaying on the display a response received at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and the integrated location data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the response is a digital image response.

25. An apparatus for locating a wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

means for integrating location data into the digital image;

means for accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

means for displaying at least one of a plurality of reference digital images with the digital image;

means for identifying a location of the wireless device from a comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images; and

means for receiving a function identifier integrated into the digital image at the server, and means for sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, including means for processing the location data where the location data includes a plurality of cell site characteristics, and means for identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, including means for receiving the location data where the location data includes satellite positioning system data, and means for identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further including means for receiving a function identifier associated into a digital image at the server, and means for sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

31. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

means for activating an imager to generate an image in response to a controller being in receipt of a signal from an input unit, the signal generated in response to a message wirelessly received by the input unit;

means for integrating location data from a satellite position system into the digital image;

means for transmitting the digital image together with the integrated location data; and

means for integrating a function identifier into the transmitted digital image, and means for receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the transmitted digital image.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, where the satellite position system further includes means for receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver, and means for deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, including means for receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit, and means for transmitting the integrated location data and the digital image to an E911 center,

34. The apparatus of claim 31, further including means for displaying on the display a response received at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and the location data.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the response is a digital image response.

36. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processing machine to perform operations for locating a wireless device, the operations comprising:

receiving a digital image from the wireless device at a server;

integrating location data into the digital image;

accessing a database that is in communication with the server;

displaying at least one of a plurality of reference digital images with the digital image;

identifying a location of the wireless device from a comparison of the digital image with the at least one of the plurality of reference digital images;

receiving a function identifier associated with a digital image at the server; and

sending a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, further including machine-readable instructions to perform the operations of:

processing the location data where the location data includes a plurality of cell site characteristics; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the processing of the plurality of cell site characteristics.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, further including machine-readable instructions to perform the operations of:

receiving the location data where the location data includes satellite positioning system data; and

identifying a plurality of reference digital images in response to the receipt of the satellite positioning system data.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the function identifier signals E911.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the function identifier is a request for direction.

41. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processing machine to perform operations for wireless apparatus location, the operations comprising:

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to a controller being in receipt of a signal from an input unit, the signal generated in response to a message wirelessly received by the input unit;

integrating location data from a satellite position system into the digital image;

transmitting the digital image together with the integrated location data;

integrating a function identifier into the transmitted digital image; and

receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the transmitted digital image.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the operation of integrating location data from the satellite position system into the digital image further includes the operations of:

receiving location data signals at a global positioning system receiver; and

deriving the location data from the location data signals with a global positioning system processor.

43. The computer-readable of claim 41, further including machine-readable instructions to perform the operations of:

receiving an E911 signal at the controller from the input unit; and

transmitting the integrated location data and the digital image to an E911 center.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further including machine-readable instructions to perform the operation of displaying on the display a response received at a receiver to the transmission of the digital image and the integrated location data.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the response is a digital image response.

46. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a controller with access to location data;

an imager in electrical communication with the controller;

a receiver in electrical communication with the controller in receipt of a message that results in activation of the imager by the controller and generation of a digital image, where the controller integrates location data into the digital image; and

a function identifier integrated into the digital image and a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the digital image at a server.

47. The wireless apparatus of claim 46, further including a transmitter that transmits the digital image together with the integrated location data formatted for viewing by a viewing terminal.

48. The wireless apparatus of claim 46, further including a memory in electrical communication with the controller that stores the digital image and the integrated location data in the memory.

49. The wireless apparatus of claim 46, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

50. The wireless apparatus of claim 46, wherein the message is from another wireless device.

51. A method for location of a wireless apparatus, comprising:

receiving a tagging message at a receiver in the wireless device;

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the message being processed by the controller;

integrating location data into the digital image via the controller;

integrating a function identifier into the digital image; and

receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the digital image at a server.

52. The method of claim 51, further including transmitting via a transmitter under the control of the controller the digital image together with the integrated location data formatted for a viewing terminal.

53. The method of claim 51, further including saving in a memory in electrical communication with the controller the digital image together with the integrated location data.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the message is received from another wireless device.

56. An apparatus for location of a wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a tagging message at a receiver in the wireless device;

means for activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the message being processed by the controller;

means for integrating location data into the digital image; and

means for integrating a function identifier into the digital image, and means for receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless device in response to receipt of the digital image at a server.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, further including means for transmitting under the control of the controller the digital image together with the integrated location data formatted for a viewing terminal.

58. The apparatus of claim 56, further including memory means for saving the digital image together with the integrated location data.

59. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a controller with access to location data;

an imager in electrical communication with the controller;

an input unit in electrical communication with the controller in receipt of an input that results in activation of the imager by the controller and generation of a digital image, where the controller integrates location data into the digital image; and

a function identifier integrated into the digital image and a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the digital image at a server.

60. The wireless apparatus of claim 59, further including a memory in electrical communication with the controller that stores the digital image together with the integrated location data in the memory.

61. The wireless apparatus of claim 59, wherein the location data is GPS location data.

62. A method for identifying the location of a wireless apparatus, comprising:

receiving at a controller of a wireless apparatus an input from an input unit of the wireless apparatus;

activating an imager to generate a digital image in response to the input received by the controller;

integrating wireless apparatus location data into the digital image via the controller;

integrating a function identifier into the digital image; and

receiving a plurality of data addressed to the wireless apparatus in response to receipt of the digital image at a server.

63. The method of claim 62, further including saving in a memory in electrical communication with die controller the digital image and the integrated location data.