Wireless location using location estimators

• US 9,277,525 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TracBeam LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Original Assignee: TracBeam LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Inventors: Dupray, Dennis J., Karr, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/831,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.2, 342/357.25, 342/357.31, 342/450, 342/457, 342/463, 342/451, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 701/468, 701/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/026 of associated receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/028 Simulation means, e.g. of beacon signals therefor for teaching or training purposes G09B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless location system is disclosed including one or more location centers for outputting locations of mobile stations (MS) for both local and global MS location requests via Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: two-way TOA and TDOA; pattern recognition; distributed antenna provisioning; GPS signals. Difficulties, such as multipath, poor location accuracy and poor coverage are alleviated via such technologies in combination with: (a) adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; (b) capturing location signal data for continual enhancement of an historical database; (c) evaluating MS locations via heuristics and constraints related to terrain, MS velocity and MS path extrapolation, and (d) adjusting likely MS locations. The system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

Claims

1. A method for locating a mobile unit (M), supported on a surface of the Earth, using wireless data obtained for transmissions between the mobile unit M and one or more of a plurality of terrestrial wireless communication stations, comprising:

receiving location indicative wireless data obtained from one or more wireless transmissions of two way wireless communications between the mobile unit M, and one or more of the communication stations;

wherein the location indicative wireless data is for a plurality of wireless signals communicated to or from the mobile unit M, each signal, S, of the plurality of wireless signals;

(i) has a different location from which the signal S is transmitted to, or received from, the mobile unit M, and (ii) for a portion of the location indicative wireless data for the signal S, the portion is dependent upon a geographic position of the different location for the signal S;

obtaining a first location estimate for the mobile unit M from a first location technique, wherein the first location technique determines said first location estimate;

wherein when the first location technique is supplied with input data obtained from at least one wireless signal transmission between the mobile unit M and one of the communication stations (CS₁), wherein by the transmission, the mobile unit M detects the communication station CS₁, then the first location technique uses an area data representation for locating the mobile unit M, wherein the area data representation is indicative of a wireless geographical area within which the communication station CS₁ is expected to be detected by the mobile unit M;

wherein the area data representation is obtained from an analysis indicative of wireless signals being transmitted by the communication station CS₁ and being detected at geographical locations effective for determining the wireless geographical area, the analysis performed prior to the first location technique being supplied with the input data;

wherein the obtaining the first location estimate determines the first location estimate relative to a known stationary terrestrial location where the one communication station CS₁ is located when the wireless geographical area is determined;

obtaining a second location estimate for the mobile unit M using a second location technique, wherein the second location technique determines said second location estimate using one or more occurrences of data obtained using the location indicative wireless data, wherein each of the occurrences is output by one or more pattern recognizers for estimating a location of one or more of the mobile unit M, wherein said second location estimate for the mobile unit M is dependent upon the pattern recognizers using data indicative of one or more patterns in multipath for wireless signals communicated between;

(a) one or more of the communication stations, and (b) said mobile unit M;

determining a resulting location estimate of the mobile unit M, wherein at least one of the following (i) and (ii) is performed;

(i) determining which of said first and second location estimates is preferred for determining said resulting location estimate, and (ii) combining said first and second location estimates to determine said resulting location estimate;

wherein the resulting location estimate identifies a likely location of the mobile unit M relative to one or more fixed positions on the Earth; and

outputting said resulting location estimate of the mobile unit M.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the first location estimate includes providing at least one value V, related to locating the mobile unit M, to a site remote from the mobile unit M to determine said first location estimate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(1) the first location technique,

(2) the second location technique, and

(3) the step of determining a resulting location estimate, includes determining a likely geographical location for a location of the mobile unit M, wherein one or more of (d1)-(d3) following hold;

(d1) the determining a likely geographical location is dependent upon multipath data obtained from wireless signal multipath indicative information communicated between the mobile unit M and the communication stations,

(d2) the determining a likely geographical location is dependent upon (i) and (ii) following;

(i) a representation of each of a plurality of geographical locations, and (ii) for each of the geographical locations, corresponding multipath indicative information previously obtained using transmissions between one or more mobile units and the communication stations when the one or more mobile units transmitted at some earlier time, and

(d3) the determining a likely geographical location includes selecting one or more of the geographical location representations that are likely to be approximate to, or include the location of the mobile unit M.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the obtaining the first location estimate and obtain the second location estimate is performed at a site not co-located with the mobile unit M.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting includes transmitting said resulting location estimate via one of:

a public telephone network and the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second location estimates is not dependent upon a value that is dependent upon a location of the mobile unit M, wherein the other of said first and second location estimates is dependent upon the value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

(i) said first location estimate is substantially dependent upon a first value for wireless signals communicated between the mobile unit M, and at least one of the communication stations, the first value dependent upon a location of the mobile unit M, and (ii) said second location estimate is dependent upon a second value for wireless signals communicated between the mobile unit M, and at least one of the communication stations, the second value dependent upon the location of the mobile unit M;

wherein said first location estimate is not dependent on said second value, and said second location estimate is not dependent on said first location estimate.

8. The method of claim 1, further including receiving, via a communications network, a signal by a user of the mobile unit M for determining the resulting location estimate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless transmissions include two way communication of voice data between the mobile unit M and the one or more communication stations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile unit M is a hand-held device for wirelessly communicating via a telephony network:

wherein the pattern recognizers determine a similarity, or an extent of similarity, between the patterns in multipath indicative of one or more wireless signal effects of one or more objects along a wireless transmission path of wireless signals communicated between;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) one or more of the communication stations; and

wherein the objects affect the wireless signals prior to being received by one of;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) one or more of the communication stations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the two way wireless transmissions pass through another mobile unit for communicating with the communication stations, wherein the communication stations are stationary relative to the Earth.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the resulting location estimate includes receiving, for the mobile unit M, geographical location related information, the geographical location related information received from a vehicle for locating the mobile unit M, wherein said geographical location related information is obtained using one or more of a direction of transmission and signal strength from wireless transmissions by the mobile unit M received by the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving includes receiving the location indicative wireless data via a transmission on the Internet via an Internet communications protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said resulting location estimate includes an identification of a roadway in identifying the likely location of the mobile unit M.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein for locating the mobile unit M at at least one geographical location, one of the first and second obtaining is not performed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining is performed, and the combining includes deriving said resulting location estimate as more dependent upon one of said first and second location estimates deemed to be a better estimate of the location of the mobile unit M.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for a same location of the mobile unit M.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for different locations of the mobile unit M.

17. A mobile unit location system for locating a plurality of mobile units, each supported on a surface of the Earth, comprising machine components as follows:

a network interface for receiving one or more requests from a communications network, wherein each request is for locating a corresponding mobile unit of the plurality of mobile units, wherein during an instance of locating the corresponding mobile unit, there is two way wireless communication available between the corresponding mobile unit and at least one of a plurality of terrestrial communication stations;

a location estimator selector for communicating with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of location estimators;

wherein for each of the requests, the location estimator selector selects each location estimator of the request'"'"'s corresponding one or more location estimators, according to an availability of a corresponding input for the location estimator, for performing the location estimator;

wherein the corresponding input;

corresponds to the request, is effective for the location estimator to determine a location estimate of the corresponding mobile unit for the request, and is dependent upon data obtained from a wireless signal communication between the corresponding mobile unit for the request and at least one of the communication stations;

wherein the location estimator selector is operably configured for communicating with each of the plurality of location estimators;

wherein for at least one mobile unit, M, being the corresponding mobile unit for one of the requests (R) for locating the mobile unit M, the location estimator selector communicates with the corresponding one or more of the location estimators, for the request R, resulting in first and second of the location estimates for the request R, each of said first and second location estimates having one or more of a geographical extent and a location of the mobile unit M;

wherein when one of the corresponding location estimators is supplied with its corresponding input corresponding to the request R, the first location estimate of the mobile unit M is obtained from the one location estimator, wherein the one location estimator determines the first location estimate using data representing a wireless geographical area for one of the communication stations (CS₁);

wherein the data representing the wireless geographical area is representative of a geographical extent within which the mobile unit M likely detects wireless transmissions from the communication station CS₁ and when the mobile unit M is not within the geographical extent, the mobile unit M is not expected to be able to detect wireless transmissions from the communication station CS₁;

wherein the data representing the wireless geographical area is obtained from an analysis indicative of wireless signals being transmitted by the communication station CS₁ and being detected at geographical locations effective for determining the wireless geographical area, the analysis performed prior to the request R being received by the network interface;

wherein the second location estimate of the mobile unit M is dependent upon a machine recognition of a pattern for wireless signals communicated between;

(a) one or more of the communication stations, and (b) the mobile unit M;

wherein the recognition of the pattern determines a similarity, or an extent of similarity, between wireless signal data indicative of one or more wireless signal effects of one or more objects along a wireless transmission path of a wireless signal for communication between;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) one of the communication stations;

wherein the objects affect the wireless signal prior to being received by one of;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) the one communication station;

a location determiner for determining resulting location estimate data of the mobile unit M, wherein the location determiner receives the first and second location estimates and performs at least one of (i) and (ii) following;

(i) determines preference information indicative of which of said first and second location estimates is a more likely location of the mobile unit M, the preference information for preferring one of the first and second location estimates more than another of the first and second location estimates for determining the resulting location estimate data, and

(ii) combines said first and second location estimates for determining said resulting location estimate data;

wherein the resulting location estimate data identifies a location of the mobile unit M; and

an output network interface for transmitting the resulting location estimate data to a corresponding destination, wherein the corresponding destination also corresponds to one of the requests for locating the mobile unit M.

18. The mobile unit location system of claim 17, wherein the output network interface transmits a map to the corresponding destination for presenting, on the map, the location of the mobile unit M identified by the resulting location estimate data.

19. The mobile unit location system of claim 17, wherein the location estimator selector communicates with at least one of the location estimators via a network communication between different network sites.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for a same location of the mobile unit M.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for different locations of the mobile unit M.

20. A method for locating a plurality of mobile units, each supported on a surface of the Earth, comprising performing the following by computational equipment:

receiving, by a network interface, one or more requests from a communications network, wherein each request is for locating a corresponding mobile unit of the plurality of mobile units, wherein during an instance of locating the corresponding mobile unit, there is two way wireless communication available between the corresponding mobile unit and at least one of a plurality of terrestrial communication stations;

selecting a corresponding one or more of a plurality of location estimators for each of the requests;

wherein for each of the requests, the selecting selects each location estimator of the request'"'"'s corresponding one or more location estimators, according to an availability of a corresponding input for the location estimator, for performing the location estimator;

wherein the corresponding input;

corresponds to the request, is effective for the location estimator to determine a location estimate of the corresponding mobile unit for the request, and is dependent upon data obtained from a wireless signal communication between the corresponding mobile unit for the request and at least one of the communication stations;

wherein for at least one of the corresponding mobile units (M), and for one of the requests (R) for locating the mobile unit M, communicating with the corresponding one or more of the location estimators, for the request R, resulting in first and second of the location estimates for the request R, each of said first and second location estimates having one or more of a geographical extent and a location of the mobile unit M;

wherein when one of the corresponding location estimators is supplied with its corresponding input corresponding to the request R, the first location estimate of the mobile unit M is obtained from the one corresponding location estimator, wherein the one corresponding location estimator determines the first location estimate using data representing a wireless geographical area for one of the communication stations (CS₁);

wherein the wireless geographical area is a geographical extent within which the mobile unit M is likely to be able to detect wireless transmissions from the communication station CS₁ and when the mobile unit M is not within the geographical extent, the mobile unit M is not expected to be able to detect wireless transmissions from the communication station CS₁;

wherein the data representing the wireless geographical area is obtained from an analysis indicative of wireless signals being transmitted by the communication station CS₁ and being detected at geographical locations effective for determining the wireless geographical area, the analysis performed prior to the request R being received by the network interface;

wherein the second location estimate of the mobile unit M is dependent upon a machine recognition of a pattern for wireless signals communicated between;

(a) one or more of the communication stations, and (b) the mobile unit M;

wherein the recognition of the pattern determines a similarity, or an extent of similarity, between wireless signal data indicative of one or more wireless signal effects of one or more objects along a wireless transmission path of a wireless signal for communication between;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) one or more of the communication stations;

wherein the objects affect the wireless signal prior to being received by one of;

(i) the mobile unit M, and (ii) one or more of the communication stations; and

determining resulting location estimate data of the mobile unit M using the first and second location estimates, wherein at least one of (i) and (ii) following is performed;

(i) determining preference information indicative of which of said first and second location estimates is a more likely location of the mobile unit M, the preference information for preferring one of the first and second location estimates more than another of the first and second location estimates for determining the resulting location estimate data, and

(ii) combining said first and second location estimates for determining said resulting location estimate data;

wherein the resulting location estimate data identifies a location of the mobile unit M; and

transmitting on a network the resulting location estimate data to a corresponding destination, wherein the corresponding destination also corresponds to one of the requests for locating the mobile unit M.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein resulting location estimate data is dependent upon a measurement, T, of a transition between a first spatial position of the mobile unit M and a previous spatial position of the mobile unit M, wherein the measurement T is dependent upon an output from a mobile unit M resident device component that measures a characteristic of mobile unit M movement.

22. The method of claim 20, further including determining another location estimate of the mobile unit M from one of the corresponding location estimators, wherein the another location estimate is determined using signal related data obtained from a wireless signal transmission received by the mobile unit M, the wireless signal transmission from one of the communication stations not supported on the Earth'"'"'s surface, the signal related data providing signal timing information.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for a same location of the mobile unit M.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location estimate and the second location estimate are for different locations of the mobile unit M.