Updating a mobile device's location

• US 8,559,942 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ENOVSYS LLC
• Original Assignee: ENOVSYS LLC
• Inventors: Fomukong, Mundi, Chesney, Denzil Willoughby
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US13/018,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455410-411, 455433-453, 4554561-457, 370328-334
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability

Abstract

A location reporting paging communication system comprising space satellites, ground stations and a remote receiving unit adapted to resolve a global position from signals transmitted from a communication transmitter. The subscriber in possession of the remote receiving unit updates the paging network with global positioning information. A caller paging a subscriber in possession of the remote receiving unit may request the global location of the remote receiving unit. The paging network could divulge or block such information from a caller depending on the requirements of the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for providing current location information for a mobile remote unit comprising:

receiving current location information for the mobile remote unit resolved in response to data indicating that the mobile remote unit has changed locations, wherein the current location information is resolved using a set of more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit;

using previously-stored location information for the mobile remote unit, wherein the previously-stored location information was resolved using a distinct set of more than one referenced positioning signal, and the current location information to verify that the current location of the mobile remote unit has changed; and

providing an authorized resource with the current location information for the mobile remote unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data indicating that the mobile remote unit has changed locations is data representative of the change of a terrestrial based transmitter being used by the mobile remote unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the authorized resource is a remote computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the previously-stored location information includes a time-based log of prior locations of the mobile remote unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein location information is a position resolved using at least three referenced positioning signals.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the referenced positioning signals are generated by satellites and terrestrial transmitters.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the current location information to the authorized resource from a data bank in response to a positioning disclosure feature setting of the mobile remote unit.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the mobile remote unit is provided to an authorized resource when the mobile remote unit has changed locations after the current location of the mobile remote unit, computed using more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit, is different from a prior location of the mobile remote unit also computed using more than one referenced positioning signal previously received by the mobile remote unit.

9. A system for providing current location information for a mobile remote unit comprising:

a network for receiving current location information for the mobile remote unit resolved in response to data indicating that the mobile remote unit has changed locations, wherein the current location information is resolved using a set of more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit; and

a control station for using previously-stored location information for the mobile remote unit, wherein the previously-stored location information was resolved using a distinct set of more than one referenced positioning signal, and the current location information to verify that the current location of the mobile remote unit has changed and providing an authorized resource with the current location information for the mobile remote unit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the data indicating that the mobile remote unit has changed locations is data representative of the change of a terrestrial based transmitter being used by the mobile remote unit.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the authorized resource is a remote computer.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the previously-stored location information includes a time-based log of prior locations of the mobile remote unit.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein location information is a position resolved using at least three reference positioning signals.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the reference positioning signals are generated by satellites and terrestrial transmitters.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the control station provides the current location information to the authorized resource from a data bank in response to a positioning disclosure feature setting of the mobile remote unit.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the location of the mobile remote unit is provided to an authorized resource when the mobile remote unit has changed locations after the current location of the mobile remote unit, computed using more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit, is different from a prior location of the mobile remote unit also computed using more than one referenced positioning signal previously received by the mobile remote unit.

17. A system for providing current location information for a mobile remote unit comprising:

a network for receiving current location information for the mobile remote unit resolved in response to data indicating that the mobile remote unit has changed locations, wherein the current location information is resolved using a global positioning system with reference to a set of more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit; and

a control station for using previously-stored location information for the mobile remote unit, wherein the previously-stored location information was resolved using a distinct set of more than one referenced positioning signal, and the current location information to verify that the current location of the mobile remote unit has changed and providing an authorized resource with the current location information for the mobile remote unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the more than one referenced positioning signal used to resolve the current location information is received at the mobile remote unit.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the location of the mobile remote unit is provided to an authorized resource when the mobile remote unit has changed locations after the current location of the mobile remote unit, computed using more than one referenced positioning signal received by the mobile remote unit, is different from a prior location of the mobile remote unit also computed using more than one referenced positioning signal previously received by the mobile remote unit.