System and method for cell sector correction

• US 8,447,264 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boar's Head Corporation
• Original Assignee: Boar's Head Corporation
• Inventors: Reich, Don, Warner, Kurt, DeArkland, Jim, Thomas, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US12/699,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/457, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 system and method for using location data from actual 911 cell phone calls, to determine the coverage areas (orientation and range) of any sector (antenna) in a cell phone system. This coverage area is typically described as the area enclosed by a circular sector with the antenna at the center of the circle. The physical locations of the actually received 911 cell phone calls are determined with respect to the physical location of the antenna. These locations are typically defined in terms of latitude and longitude. A percentage of locations of the origins of the cell phone calls that is desired to be captured by the area enclosed by the circular sector are determined. Two variables are used to adjust the capture of the desired number of calls—the length of the arc (expressed in terms of the percentage of phone calls enclosed by a given length) and the radius of the circle (range of the antenna) (again expressed in terms of the percentage of calls enclosed by the resulting area). The purported coverage area of the antenna is received from the cell phone service provider. The actual determined coverage area (including the locations of received calls) and the purported coverage area can be graphically represented on a single output. This output can be used by various agencies to determine the proper routing of future emergency 911 cell phone calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) to assist them in determining how cell phone calls to the antenna should be routed.

Claims

1. A method operable on a computer system for determining a coverage area of a cell phone antenna comprising:

receiving call location data associated with a plurality of cell phone calls received by the cell phone antenna, the call location data indicating locations of the origination of respective cell phone calls;

receiving antenna location data, the antenna location data indicating a location of the cell phone antenna;

determining respective locations of the plurality of cell phone calls with respect to the location of the cell phone antenna;

determining the coverage area of the cell phone antenna from the determined locations of the plurality of cell phone calls, the coverage area defining a region within which the plurality of cell phone calls emanated; and

generating a graphical representation including the location of the cell phone antenna, the determined locations of the plurality of cell phone calls and the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna;

receiving input from a user; and

revising the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna in response to the user'"'"'s input.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of determining the coverage area of the cell phone antenna further comprises

determining a mean direction of the determined locations of the plurality of cell phone calls with respect to the location of the cell phone antenna;

determining locations of cell phone calls most distant in bearing from the mean direction;

determining a location of a cell phone call most distant from the location of the cell phone antenna; and

generating a polygon encompassing the locations of the most distant cell phone calls in bearing and the location of the cell phone call most distant from the location of the cell phone antenna, wherein the polygon represents the coverage area of the cell phone antenna.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein revising the determined coverage area comprises:

revising the polygon representing the coverage area of the cell phone antenna in response to the user'"'"'s input.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the user'"'"'s input comprises a percentage of locations of a cell phone calls to be encompassed by the polygon representing the coverage area of the cell phone antenna and wherein the act of revising the polygon further comprises determining a revised polygon that encompasses the percentage of locations of a cell phone calls.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the percentage of locations of a cell phone calls input by the user is a percentage in terms of azimuth and a percentage in terms of distance.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s input comprises a percentage of locations of a cell phone calls to be encompassed by the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the call location data and the antenna location data is received from a cell phone service provider.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of determining the coverage area of the cell phone antenna further comprises determining the coverage area a sector of a circle with the location of the cell phone antenna as its center.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a purported coverage area of the cell phone antenna; and

wherein the act of generating the graphical representation further comprises

generating the graphical representation including the purported coverage area of the cell phone antenna.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality cell phone calls are cell phone calls to an emergency 911 system.

11. A method operable on a computer system for determining a routing of emergency 911 cell phone calls comprising:

receiving call location data associated with a plurality emergency 911 cell phone calls cell phone calls received by a cell phone antenna, the call location data indicating locations of the origination of respective emergency 911 cell phone calls;

receiving antenna location data, the antenna location data indicating a location of the antenna;

determining respective locations of the plurality of emergency 911 cell phone calls with respect to the location of the antenna;

determining a coverage area of the cell phone antenna from the determined locations of the plurality of emergency 911 cell phone calls, the coverage area defining a region within which the plurality of cell phone calls emanated;

generating a graphical representation including the location of the antenna, the determined locations of the plurality of emergency 911 cell phone calls and the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna;

determining a jurisdiction encompassing the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna; and

determining a routing of future emergency 911 cell phone calls to the determined jurisdiction;

receiving a purported coverage area of the antenna; and

wherein the act of generating the graphical representation further comprises generating the graphical representation including the purported coverage area of the antenna.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising routing emergency 911 cell phone calls to the determined jurisdiction.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the act of determining the coverage area of the antenna further comprises

determining a mean direction of the determined locations of the plurality of emergency 911 cell phone calls with respect to the antenna location;

determining locations of emergency 911 cell phone calls most distant in bearing from the mean direction;

determining a location of an emergency 911 cell phone call most distant from the location of the antenna; and

generating a polygon encompassing the locations of the most distant emergency 911 cell phone calls in bearing and the location of the emergency 911 cell phone call most distant from the location of the cell phone antenna, wherein the polygon represents the coverage area of the antenna.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving input from a user, where the user'"'"'s input comprises a percentage of locations of a emergency 911 cell phone calls to be encompassed by the polygon representing the coverage area of the antenna; and

determining a revised polygon that encompasses the percentage of locations of a emergency 911 cell phone calls in response to the user'"'"'s input.

15. A system for determining an actual coverage area of a cell phone antenna comprising:

a call database containing call location data associated with a plurality cell phone calls received by the cell phone antenna, the call location data indicating locations of the origination of respective cell phone calls;

an antenna database containing antenna location data, the antenna location data indicating a location of the cell phone antenna;

a computer communicatively coupled to the call data base and the antenna database, the computer configured to;

determine respective locations of the plurality of cell phone calls with respect to the location of the cell phone antenna, determine the coverage area of the cell phone antenna from the determined locations of the plurality of cell phone calls, the coverage area defining a region within which the plurality of cell phone calls emanated, and generate a graphical representation including the location of the cell phone antenna, the determined locations of the plurality of cell phone calls and the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna; and

an output device coupled to the computer, the output device displaying the graphical representation,

wherein the computer is further operable to receive input from a user and revise the determined coverage area of the cell phone antenna in response to the user'"'"'s input.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the computer further comprises:

a sector generation engine that determines respective locations of the plurality of cell phone calls and determines the coverage area of the cell phone antenna; and

a report engine that generates the graphical representation.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer is further operable to receive a purported coverage area of the cell phone antenna and generate the graphical representation including the purported coverage area of the cell phone antenna.