U.S. patent application number 08/948713 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-22 for internet distributed real-time wireless location database.
Invention is credited to BAR, ABRAHAM, HILSENRATH, OLIVER A., RAJAPAKSE, RAVI, WAX, MATI.
Application Number | 20010044309 08/948713 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46255841 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010044309 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BAR, ABRAHAM ; et
al. |
November 22, 2001 |
INTERNET DISTRIBUTED REAL-TIME WIRELESS LOCATION DATABASE
Abstract
A system for easily and inexpensively distributing real time
location information of cellular telephone users to various third
party information subscribers comprises an HTTP server machine
which maintains a dynamic database of current cellular users. The
database has a list of caller entries, where each entry typically
comprises a user ID number, such as a phone number, mobile ID
number, and/or handset serial ID. The entry also includes, for each
user ID number, a user location identifier such as a latitude and
longitude, a sector number, a caller or called phone number and/or
a street address. The HTTP server is connected to the internet so
that registered third party information subscribers have access to
the database by means of standard HTTP protocols that ensure
authentication and provide encryption for security. Using caller ID
or other means for obtaining a caller's phone number, the third
party subscriber can obtain, via a simple internet query, the
current location of the caller by submitting the phone number to
the HTTP server using an HTML form. Standard software on the
central server machine verifies the authenticity of the subscriber,
looks up the location information in the database, and returns the
information to the subscriber. The subscriber can then use the
location information to provide any of a wide range of services to
the caller, or to dispatch emergency vehicles to the location of
the caller. In addition, the server can directly provide many
location-based services to callers.
Inventors: |
BAR, ABRAHAM; (PALO ALTO,
CA) ; RAJAPAKSE, RAVI; (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) ;
WAX, MATI; (SAN RAMON, CA) ; HILSENRATH, OLIVER
A.; (ALAMO, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER
8TH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Family ID: |
46255841 |
Appl. No.: |
08/948713 |
Filed: |
October 10, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/456.5 ;
342/357.52; 342/387; 342/457; 455/415; 455/417; 455/433; 455/440;
701/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/26 20130101;
H04W 4/024 20180201; H04L 67/51 20220501; H04L 67/52 20220501; G01S
5/021 20130101; H04W 64/00 20130101; H04L 69/329 20130101; G01S
5/02 20130101; G01S 5/0252 20130101; H04W 4/20 20130101; H04L 67/04
20130101; H04W 4/023 20130101; H04L 67/535 20220501; G01S 1/026
20130101; H04W 4/029 20180201; G01S 5/0215 20130101; H04W 4/02
20130101; H04L 9/40 20220501; G01S 1/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/456 ;
701/300; 342/357.13; 342/457; 342/387; 455/440; 455/415; 455/433;
455/414; 455/417 |
International
Class: |
H04Q 007/20 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for providing real-time location-based services, the
method comprising: collecting signals from a plurality of mobile
transmitters; determining from the received signals a plurality of
corresponding transmitter locations; storing the transmitter
locations in a database at a server machine; and providing a
subscriber with access to the databases via a computer network
connection.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing step comprises
responding to HTTP queries via an internet connection.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing step comprises
adjusting the accessibility to portions of the database in
dependence upon the subscriber.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further comprises
storing user identifiers in the database.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating at the
server customized information based on the transmitter locations,
and providing the customized information to the subscriber.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing at the
server a preprogrammed action based on the transmitter
locations.
7. A system comprising: a collection of base stations, each of
which comprises means for receiving signals from a plurality of
mobile transmitters, and means for determining from the received
signals a plurality of corresponding transmitter locations; and a
server machine comprising means for receiving from the base
stations the transmitter locations, means for storing the
transmitter locations in a database, and means for providing a
subscriber with access to the database via a data network
connection.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the server comprises means for
responding to subscriber HTTP queries via an internet
connection.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the server comprises means for
adjusting the accessibility to portions of the database in
dependence upon the subscriber.
10. The system of claim 7 wherein the database further contains
user identifiers.
11. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for generating
at the server customized information based on the transmitter
locations, and means for providing the customized information to
the subscriber.
12. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for performing
at the server a preprogrammed action based on the transmitter
locations.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 08/780,565, filed Jan. 7, 1997, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to cellular telephone
network services and management. More specifically, it relates to
systems and methods for distributing real-time cellular telephone
information in the course of providing location-based services.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are many potential uses of real-time cellular
telephone location information. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
5,512,908 to Herrick mentions the application of cellular location
information to 911 dispatching, tracking unauthorized cell phone
usage, and tracking or locating commercial and/or government
vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,144 to Stilp et al. also mentions
various applications of mobile location information, such as
locating lost or stolen vehicles, assisting lost motorists, and
dispatching emergency vehicles. These services have not been
realized, however, due to several difficulties. First, the
conventional methods of location finding, which are based on
techniques such as direction finding (DF), time of arrival (TOA),
and time difference of arrival (TDOA), cannot accurately and
reliably locate transmitters in severe multipath environments.
Without reliable location information, it is not possible to
provide location based services. A solution to this fundamental
problem, however, is disclosed by Hilsenrath et al. in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 08/780,565, which is incorporated herein by
reference. Their approach, which takes advantage of multipath
signals rather than attempting to mitigate or avoid them, measures
a signal signature and determines a location by matching the
signature with a calibrated database of signature-location
pairs.
[0004] Another difficulty facing the realization of location-based
services is the expense of communicating the location data to
various third party services. In conventional systems, dedicated
communication lines are established between the location finding
equipment and the third party subscribers in order to transfer the
constantly changing location data. Continuously maintaining these
lines, especially over long distances, can be very expensive. In
addition, if there are many location-based services or many
different subscribers, many expensive dedicated lines and/or many
differing protocols for communication may need to be devised and
deployed to provide the information to each specific location-based
service and/or subscriber. The creation and maintenance of these
dedicated lines and protocols can be very expensive and
inconvenient.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention
to provide a method for conveniently and inexpensively
communicating location information in real time to third party
service providers. It is another object of the invention to provide
such a method that is simple to use and allows subscribers to be
added and deleted easily and inexpensively. It is another object of
the invention to provide for the realization of many cellular
network services and management applications that have heretofore
been unattainable due to the absence of a simple and inexpensive
technique for communicating real-time cellular telephone
information to service providers. These and other advantages will
become apparent from the following description and accompanying
drawings
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides a system for easily and
inexpensively distributing real time location information of
cellular telephone users to various third party information
subscribers. A dynamic database of current cellular users is
created and is maintained at a central server machine. The database
has a list of caller entries, where each entry typically comprises
a user ID number, such as a phone number, mobile ID number, and/or
handset serial ID. The entry also includes, for each user ID
number, a user location identifier such as a latitude and
longitude, a sector number, a caller or called phone number and/or
a street address. Each entry can include additional information as
well, such as a current base station for the user and a most recent
registration time of the user.
[0007] The database is maintained on an HTTP server connected to
the internet. Registered third party information subscribers are
given access to the database by means of standard HTTP protocols
that ensure authentication and provide encryption for security.
Using caller ID or other means for obtaining a caller's phone
number, the third party subscriber can obtain, via a simple
internet query, the current location of the caller by submitting
the phone number to the HTTP server using an HTML form. Standard
software on the central server machine verifies the authenticity of
the subscriber, looks up the location information in the database,
and returns the information to the subscriber. The subscriber can
then use the location information to provide any of a wide range of
services to the caller, or to dispatch emergency vehicles to the
location of the caller. In addition, the server can directly
provide many location-based services to callers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a location finding
subsystem according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Although the following detailed description contains many
specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and
alterations to the following details are within the scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the following preferred embodiment of the
invention is set forth without any loss of generality to, and
without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.
[0011] A system for carrying out the invention is shown in FIG. 1.
Hubs 10 determine transmitter locations from transmitter signal
information communicated from base stations 12 to hubs 10 via
signature communication lines 14. As pictured, each hub 10 handles
several satellite base stations 12 which collectively cover a
contiguous geographical region, such as a metropolitan region.
Location information determined at hubs 10 is then transmitted to
central database server 16 via location communication lines 18.
Central server 16 then combines location information from the
different hubs 10 into a single location database 20. Database 20
is continuously updated by server 16 to contain the most recent
location information. Accordingly, database 20 is a dynamic,
real-time database containing the present locations of all
transmitters within the geographical regions covered by hubs 10 and
their respective satellite base stations 12.
[0012] Central server 16 is enabled by conventional hardware and
software to act as an HTTP server, and is connected to an internet
22 by standard network hardware and IP protocols. Also connected to
internet 22 are various third party subscribers 24 who desire or
require location information from database 20 for various uses. For
example, cellular caller location information can be used to
provide dispatchers with immediate locations for 911 callers under
emergency circumstances. Location information also can be used for
enhanced 411 service, i.e. for real time caller location associated
services, such as providing directions to lost motorists. The
location information can be used to provide enhanced 911 response
of emergency vehicles by tracking the locations of emergency
vehicles, coordinating location information with street map
databases, and communicating specific optimal directions to
appropriate vehicles. Location information can be used by the
cellular phone company for location-based billing of cellular calls
and to help combat cellular fraud
[0013] Location information sent from individual base station sites
12 to metro hubs 10 can be used to assist in hand-off between
cells, for automatic trunking, for channel borrowing, for channel
capacity optimization, to more efficiently allocate cellular
frequencies, and to increase the capacity of the metro network. It
is a significant feature of the present invention that high
bandwidth communication lines are not required to determine and
communicate location information within such a network.
Accordingly, the present invention enables for the first time the
ability to use location information to actively monitor and/or
manage all the wireless traffic in a network.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a subsystem of the system shown in FIG. 1. A
cellular phone 26 transmits signals 28 which are received by one or
more location finding base stations 12. Base stations 12 may
determine the location of phone 26 by one of, or a combination of,
several location finding techniques. In the case where there is not
severe multipath, or where accurate location information is not
required, any of the conventional methods of location finding may
be used. These conventional methods are based on techniques such as
direction finding (DF), time of arrival (TOA), and time difference
of arrival (TDOA). Typically, signal information is sent from the
base stations 12 to the hub 10 for location determination through
comparative analysis of the signal information. In the preferred
embodiment, the location finding technique disclosed by Hilsenrath
et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/780,56.5 is used.
This technique has the advantage of providing accurate location
information even in severe multipath environments. It also has the
virtue of being able to determine an accurate location based on
signals from just one base station 12. Nevertheless, through the
combination of signal information from several base stations 12, an
even more accurate location may be determined by hub 10.
[0015] In the preferred embodiment, the base stations 12 determine
signal signatures and transmit these signatures at periodic
intervals to hub 10. Also transmitted are identifiers associated
with each signature, such as a handset phone number or a handset ID
number. The signatures and identifiers can be transmitted from base
stations 12 to hub 10 by various conventional techniques such as a
dedicated phone line, a radio frequency channel, or a computer
network connection. In the preferred embodiment, the communication
links 14 comprise computer network connections. For example, base
stations 12 and hub 10 may each have an inexpensive dial-up
connection to an internet service provider, and the signature and
identifier data is communicated to the hub through this network
connection.
[0016] At hub 10 the signatures from the base stations 12 are used
to determine transmitter locations by matching the signal
signatures with calibrated signatures and corresponding locations
stored in a database. Specific techniques for performing this
matching, as well as techniques for combining information from
several base stations to improve accuracy and reduce ambiguity, are
disclosed by Hilsenrath et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
08/780,565. In an alternate embodiment, each base station 12
performs its own matching to independently determine a location or
set of likely locations. This location information is then
transmitted to hub 10 instead of, or in addition to, signal
signature information.
[0017] The location and identifier information at the hubs 10 is
sent periodically to the database server 16 over communication
links 18 similar to links 14. Although the hubs 10 and server 16
are distinct in this embodiment, the various hubs 10 are not
necessarily distinct from each other or from the database server
16. In other words, all the base stations 12 may be directly
connected to database server 16, without the use of hubs 10.
Database server 16, in this case, performs all the tasks of the
hubs 10, as described above.
[0018] Irrespective of these system architecture options, however,
database server 16 maintains in a memory or other data storage
device 20 a dynamic database containing real-time location and
identifier data as determined from signals received by base
stations 12. More specifically, the database has a list of entries,
where each entry typically comprises a user identifier, such as a
handset phone number, mobile ID number, and/or handset serial ID.
The entry also includes, for each user identifier, a current user
location identifier such as a latitude and longitude or other
coordinates, a sector number, and/or a street address. Each entry
can include additional information as well, such as a current base
station for the user, a most recent registration time of the user,
and a most recent update time for the user location.
[0019] Central server 16 is configured as an HTTP server with a
dedicated connection to the internet 22. Registered third party
information subscribers 24 are given access to the database by
means of standard HTTP protocols that ensure subscriber
authentication and provide encryption for security. Specifically,
the database may be accessed by sending to server 16 an HTTP
request to access a URL which makes reference to a cgi-bin
executable script. The URL also contains information identifying
the user, such as a name or telephone number, whose location is
requested. A cgi-bin script located on server 16 determines a user
identifier from the user information in the URL, obtains the
corresponding real-time location of the user from the database 20,
and returns this location information to the subscriber 24 as an
HTML document. Techniques for responding to queries via HTTP search
requests, as described above, are well known in the art. Server 16
may perform additional functions to enhance security, such as
permit HTTP access only from certain preregistered subscribers, and
encrypt information transmitted to and from the subscribers. The
server 16 may also selectively limit a subscriber's access to
information about particular users. Techniques for configuring HTTP
servers to perform functions of this nature are well known in the
art.
[0020] In a typical application of the present invention, a
database subscriber 24 uses caller ID or another technique to
automatically identify a caller. The third party subscriber can
then automatically generate a simple search query containing the
caller's identifying information, and submit the query to the HTTP
server using an HTML form, as described above. The cgi-bin software
on the central server machine then verifies the authenticity of the
subscriber, looks up in the database the real time location
information corresponding to the caller information, and returns
the location information to the subscriber. The subscriber can then
use the location information to provide any of a wide range of
services to the caller, as previously described above.
[0021] Certain privileged subscribers may be permitted to download
the entire database of user identifiers and locations. For example,
a cellular telephone service provider may use location information
to perform a statistical analysis of service use as a function of
location. Such analysis may help provide improved service to
cellular telephone customers. In this situation it may be
especially useful to include additional information in the
database, such as the last registration time of the user, the base
station of the user, and the channel of the user. Such information
can be especially useful to such a privileged subscriber. As noted
previously, the server can be configured to make such information
selectively available only to specific subscribers.
[0022] In addition to third-party subscribers, the central server
may also be accessed by the users themselves. For example, an
organization may find it desirable to have real-time access to the
locations of various organization members who are provided with
cellular phones and regularly engaged in movement. The organization
can access the central server 16 in order to obtain location
information of its members. A member can call in to the
organizational office, for example, to check in after a task has
been completed. The office can then verify the member's location.
Note that the automatic registration protocol in certain cellular
standards allows the determination of a phone location even when
the phone is not in use. In this case, location information can be
provided even for users who are not actively using their phones.
The server, therefore, may provide additional services such as
generating a map indicating the real time locations of all the
members of an organization.
[0023] In another application of the present invention, an
individual using a portable laptop computer equipped with a
wireless modem can connect to an internet service provider and
directly access the database of server 16. In this way, the
individual's location can be reported directly to the individual.
The server may provide various additional location based services
to such an individual. For example, the server can provide the user
with automatically generated HTML documents containing lists of
nearby ATM machines, nearby restaurants, nearby gas stations, or
other places of interest. The server can also provide the
individual with a detailed road map of the nearby area, indicating
on the map the individual's present location. If the user is not
equipped with a laptop computer and wireless modem, similar
services may be provided through the use of voice recognition and
speech synthesis techniques. For example, the user may dial in to a
telephone line connected to the server, and the server can provide
voice options to the user, e.g. "for the location of gas stations
near you, press 1; for the location of ATM machines near you, press
2." These options may be user-configurable. Using conventional
speech recognition techniques, the user can respond to these
options by simply saying "one" rather than using the touch-tone
keypad of the telephone handset. These features may also be
performed by a third-party subscriber rather than by the central
server itself. In this case, the third party subscriber performs
all the voice recognition and speech synthesis interfaces,
customization features, etc., while the central server provides the
location information to the subscriber via the internet, as
discussed above.
[0024] In another application of the invention, information or
advertisements can be provided to the user based on a present
location and/or the user's personal profile. For example, a user
who is known to be interested in the theatre can be alerted to the
production of a play by a small theatre company in the vicinity of
the user, or a user who is known to be interested in consumer
electronics can be alerted to a sale taking place that day at a
nearby retailer. The user can be alerted to this information upon
placing a call in a specific region. The central server, which can
maintain a database of such events and their localities, can match
a user's interest profile and location with appropriate events and
alert the user when a call is placed. In addition, or as an
alternative, the server can "push" the information to the user by
actively placing an automated phone call to the user upon entering
the local area of a matching event. For example, if a user is
interested in local traffic or weather conditions, the server can
be configured to automatically place a call to the user upon
entering a local area where a traffic or weather advisory is in
effect. As noted above, through the use of the periodic
registration protocols of certain cellular standards, the server
can determine the location of a user even when no call is being
made.
[0025] In a further application of the present invention, the
server can be configured by the user to automatically take specific
actions based on the location of the user. For example, the user
may program the system to send a voice mail, an e-mail, or place an
automated phone call to a predetermined number when the user
arrives or leaves from a certain location. Specifically, a user
might program the server to make a call to a home phone number to
alert family members of the user's arrival. Or the server might be
programmed to alert a central office when a delivery person has
arrived at a delivery location. Clearly, there are many other
similar applications of the present invention.
[0026] Third party subscribers may use various techniques to
identify callers. The widespread caller-ID feature of most
telephone systems can be integrated into a subscriber's system to
automatically identify a caller. Another technique for automatic
identification of callers is to compare the voice signal of the
caller with voice signals captured at the bases 12. By matching the
caller's voice with one of the captured voice signals, the caller
can be identified automatically. Alternatively, a caller can
manually identify himself or herself by typing in a code number on
the telephone keypad.
[0027] It will be apparent from the foregoing examples that many
variations and alterations to the details are possible without
departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *