System and method for mobile device self-location

• US 8,180,371 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Izdepski, Erich J., Lee, Wing K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Application Number:
  US12/543,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 455/456.1, 455/62, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/12.1, 342/387, 342/465, 342/357.29, 370/338, 370/337, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A system is provided for mobile client-side location determination. The system includes a mobile device, which includes base transceiver station location data, a memory, a processor, and a location engine stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the location engine receives information that identifies multiple base transceiver stations. The location engine also reads a location for each of the base transceiver stations from the base transceiver station location data and calculates a location of the mobile device based on the location of each of the base transceiver stations. Additionally, the location engine provides the location of the mobile device in a defined portion of a communication transmitted by the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for mobile client-side location determination, comprising:

a mobile device comprising base transceiver station location data, a memory, a processor, and a location engine stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor;

receives information that identifies a plurality of base transceiver stations,

reads a location for each of the plurality of base transceiver stations from the base transceiver station location data,

calculates a location of the mobile device based on the location of each of the plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the location engine determines the location of the mobile device in less than one second in response to at least one of a lapse of a duration of time, a use of an application on the mobile device, a call on the mobile device, and an enablement of a global positioning system,

provides the location of the mobile device in a defined portion of a communication transmitted by the mobile device,

maintains a history of the location of the mobile device and a time associated with a determination of the location of the mobile device, and

recalculates the location of the mobile device based on the history, wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device more frequently when the history indicates that the location has changed since a last location determination, and wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device less frequently when the history indicates that the location has not substantially changed since a last location determination.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a mobile phone, a telephone, a wireless communication device, a pager, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a digital camera, a digital music player, a digital calculator, an electronic key fob for keyless entry, a media player, and an inventory control device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of base transceiver stations communicate with the mobile device via at least one of an integrated digital enhanced network (IDEN) communication technology, a code division multiple access (CDMA) technology, a global system for mobile communication (GSM) technology, a long-term evolution (LTE) technology, an universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) technology, and a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) technology.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined portion of the communication comprises at least one of a header of the communication, a footer of the communication, and a body of the communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein recalculating the location of the mobile device is further based on an adjustment for a communication condition based on at least one of a subscriber demand, a sports event, an artistic performance, a time of the day, a day of the week, a school schedule, a holiday, a weather condition, a season of the year, and a tourist period.

6. A non-transitory computer implemented method for mobile client-side location determination, comprising:

a mobile device receiving information that identifies a plurality of base transceiver stations in response to the mobile device registering with a communication network;

determining a plurality of nearby base transceiver stations based on an amplitude of a corresponding signal for each of the plurality of base transceiver stations;

reading a location for each of the plurality of nearby base transceiver stations from base transceiver station location data stored on the mobile device;

calculating a location of the mobile device based on the location of each of the plurality of nearby base transceiver stations, wherein the location engine calculates the location of the mobile device in less than one second in response to at least one of a lapse of a duration of time, a use of an application on the mobile device, a call on the mobile device, and an enablement of a global positioning system;

providing the location of the mobile device in a header of a communication transmitted by the mobile device;

maintaining a history of the location of the mobile device and a time associated with a determination of the location of the mobile device, and

recalculating the location of the mobile device based on the history, wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device more frequently when the history indicates that the location has changed since a last location determination, and wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device less frequently when the history indicates that the location has not substantially changed since a last location determination.

7. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

estimating a location of an out-of-network base transceiver station based on executing a location fix technology, wherein the location fix technology comprises one of advanced forward link trilateration, global positioning system, and a hybrid location fix technology; and

providing the location of the out-of-network base transceiver station for the base transceiver station information.

8. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein providing the location of the mobile device comprises at least one of providing the location in each communication transmitted by the mobile device, providing the location in a specified type of communication transmitted by the mobile device, periodically providing the location in communications transmitted by the mobile device, and providing the location in communications transmitted by the mobile device in response to a specific event.

9. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a request to the mobile device to tag the location of the mobile device;

receiving a tag of the location of the mobile device; and

providing the tag of the location of the mobile device in a database upon which the base transceiver station location data is based.

10. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting an update for the base transceiver station location data to the mobile device in response to a determination that the mobile device is approaching a geographical limit associated with the base transceiver station information.

11. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the update one of adds additional base transceiver station location data to the base transceiver station location data and replaces a portion of the base transceiver station location data.

12. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the base transceiver station location data that is replaced is based on a direction opposite to a direction associated with the geographical limit associated with the base transceiver station location data.

13. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

using the location of the mobile device to select an advertisement for the mobile device; and

providing the selected advertisement for the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 13, further comprising evaluating an effectiveness of the selected advertisement based on subsequent locations of the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising displaying locations of other mobile devices on a map based on a social network application.

16. A system for mobile client-side location determination, comprising:

a mobile device comprising base transceiver station location data, a memory, a processor, and a location engine stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor;

receives information that identifies a plurality of base transceiver stations,

determines a plurality of nearby base transceiver stations based on an amplitude of a corresponding signal for each of the plurality of base transceiver stations,

reads a location for each of the plurality of nearby base transceiver stations from the base transceiver station location data,

calculates a location of the mobile device based on the location of each of the plurality of nearby base transceiver stations and a corresponding signal amplitude for each of the plurality of nearby base transceiver stations, wherein the location engine calculates the location of the mobile device in less than one second in response to at least one of a lapse of a duration of time, a use of an application on the mobile device, a call on the mobile device, and an enablement of a global positioning system, and

provides the location of the mobile device in a header of a periodic communication transmitted by the mobile device,

maintains a history of the location of the mobile device and a time associated with a calculation of the location of the mobile device, and

recalculates the location of the mobile device based on the history, wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device more frequently when the history indicates that the location has changed since a last location determination, and wherein the location engine recalculates the location of the mobile device less frequently when the history indicates that the location has not substantially changed since a last location determination.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the base transceiver station location data is associated with a metropolitan area and comprises at least one of a base transceiver station identifier, a base transceiver station geographic location, a base transceiver station sector coverage radius, a base transceiver station antenna azimuth, a base transceiver station antenna tilt, and a base transceiver station antenna rotation.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein calculating the location of the mobile device is further based on an adjustment for a communication condition based on at least one of a subscriber demand, a sports event, an artistic performance, a time of the day, a day of the week, a school schedule, a holiday, a weather condition, a season of the year, and a tourist period.