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System and method for geographically locating a cellular phone

  • US 9,026,114 B2
  • Filed: 03/24/2011
  • Issued: 05/05/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for geographically locating a cellular phone, the method comprising:

  • determining an effective cell-area for each of a first cell and a second cell in a cellular network; and

    determining a handover area within which the cellular phone will be located when control of the cellular phone is transferred from the first cell to the second cell; and

    when a handover event between the first and second cells occurs, using a geographical area corresponding to the determined handover area as a geographical location of the cellular phone at the time of the handover event,wherein the determinations of the handover area and the effective cell-area for each of the first cell and the second cell are made based on a topological relationship between the first cell and the second cell,wherein the cellular network comprises a first antenna for the first cell and a second antenna for the second cell, and wherein the topological relationship is determined from amongst a set of topological cases comprising;

    a first topological case in which the first antenna and the second antenna are located at a common location;

    a second topological case in which the first antenna and the second antenna are located at different locations, and in which the first cell and the second cell are oriented to face each other;

    a third topological case in which the first antenna and the second antenna are located at different locations, and in which the first cell and the second cell do not overlap; and

    a fourth topological case in which none of the first, second, and third topological cases are satisfied.

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