Tracbeam LLC

Finetrak, LLC

Charles L Karr

Dennis Jay Dupray

Sheldon F Goldberg

Frederick W Leblanc

Frederick Warren LeBlanc

Frederick W LeBlanc

A system and method for using wireless location of mobile communication units for identifying and allocating resources for access by users of such mobile communication units via bringing the user and such a resource together. Such a user may be routed to such a resource even though the resource cannot be reserved for user access. A resource allocation priority between users mitigates a user not being able to access the user's allocated resource, e.g., due to another user accessing the resource. The resources can be, e.g., a parking space, public transportation (e.g., bus, train, taxi), seating at an open admission event, accessing a theme park ride, and the like. By wirelessly locating the user's mobile communication unit, the user may be navigated to such a user allocated resource.

Resource allocation according to geolocation of mobile communication units related applications

Resource allocation according to geolocation of mobile communication units

A location system and applications therefor is disclosed for wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location systems for outputting requested locations of handsets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, GSM, GPRS, TDMA or WIFI communication standards, for processing both local mobile station location requests and more global mobile station location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location systems. The following applications may be enabled by the location system: 911 emergency calls, tracking, navigation, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas, friend finder applications, and applications for allocating user desired resources based on the user's location.

Locating a mobile station and applications therefor

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.

Wireless location using location estimators

A wireless location system is disclosed. Locations of mobile stations (MS) may be determined using one or more MS locating technologies based on, e.g.: computed offsets from terrestrial base stations; satellite transmissions; indoor antennas; low range base stations; and in particular, signal pattern recognition for associating wireless signal characteristics with distinct geographic locations. The system can: adapt and/or calibrate its performance with environmental and geographical changes; capture location signal data for enhancement of a self-maintaining database of predictive location signal data; evaluate MS locations using heuristics and constraints related to terrain, MS velocity and path extrapolation; and adjust MS locations adaptively and/or statistically for providing more reliable and accurate locations. The system can be configured for environments ranging from dense urban, urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. The system is useful for 911 emergencies, tracking, routing (e.g., to desired products/services), people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

Wireless location using signal fingerprinting and other location estimators

A wireless location system is disclosed having one or more location centers for locating mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., WIFI, CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS, TDMA, GPRS, and GSM. MS location requests can be processed via, e.g., Internet communication between a network of location centers. A plurality of MS locating technologies may be used, including those based on: two-way TOA and TDOA; pattern recognition; distributed antennas; and reduced coverage base stations. The system includes strategies for: automatically adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; automatically capturing location signal data for enhancing a historical data base retaining predictive location signal data; evaluating MS locations according to heuristics and constraints related to, e.g., terrain, MS velocity and path; and adjusting likely MS locations adaptively and statistically. The system is useful for emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

Wireless location using network centric location estimators

A hybrid wireless location system and method is disclosed for locating mobile stations (MSs). Multiple wireless location techniques (FOMs) are provided for MS location. One or more FOMs can be activated in various combinations (serially or parallelly) for outputting one or more MS location estimates with signal protocols being, e.g., CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. Resulting location estimates may be for, e.g.: 911 emergency calls, tracking, navigation, people and animal location, and/or applications for confinement to and/or exclusion from geographical areas. System components may be distributed on a network (e.g., the Internet). FOMs may be based on one or more of: TOA, TDOA, AOA, signal pattern recognition/fingerprinting, statistical analysis, base station coverage, GPS signals received at the MS, and/or input from mobile stations. Location estimates are enhanced by adjusting MS estimates (and/or confidences therefor) according to: a past performance of the FOM providing such estimates, and/or MS geolocation or velocity constraints.

System and method for hybriding wireless location techniques

A location system and applications therefor is disclosed for wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location systems for outputting requested locations of hand sets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, GSM, GPRS, TDMA or WIFI communication standards, for processing both local mobile station location requests and more global mobile station location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location systems. The following applications may be enabled by the location system: 911 emergency calls, tracking, navigation, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas, friend finder applications, and applications for allocating user desired resources based on the user's location.

A wireless location system is disclosed that may be configured as a gateway for receiving a plurality of requests for locating mobile stations for, e.g., E911 requests, vehicle location or tracking. For each mobile station (MS) location request, the system: (a) activates one or more location estimators for locating the MS, (b) receives one or more MS location estimates from the estimators, and (c) transmits a resulting location estimate(s) to an identified destination. MS locations are determined using one or more locating technologies based on, e.g.: computed offsets from terrestrial base stations, satellite transmissions, indoor antennas, low range base stations, and/or signal fingerprinting. The system may: adapt with environmental changes, evaluate MS locations using heuristics/constraints, and/or adjust MS estimates for more reliable and accurate estimates. The system is useful for 911 emergencies, tracking, routing (e.g., to desired products/services), people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

Multiple location estimators for wireless location

A location system is disclosed for wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location systems for outputting requested locations of hand sets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., AMPS, NAMPS, CDMA or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local mobile station location requests and more global mobile station location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location systems. The system uses a plurality of mobile station locating technologies including those based on: (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) home base stations and (3) distributed antenna provisioning. Further, the system can be modularly configured for use in location signaling environments ranging from urban, dense urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. The system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

A hybrid wireless location system and method is disclosed for locating mobile stations (MSs). Multiple wireless location techniques (FOMs) are provided for MS location. One or more FOMs can be activated in various combinations (serially or parallelly) for outputting one or more MS location estimates with signal protocols, e.g., CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. Resulting location estimates may be for, e.g.: 911 emergency calls, tracking, navigation, people and animal location, andJor applications for confinement to andlor exclusion from geographical areas. System components may be distributed on a network (e.g., the Internet). FOMs may be based on one or more of: TOA, TDOA, AOA, signal pattern recognitionlfingerprinting, statistical analysis, base station coverage, GPS signals received at the MS, andlor input from mobile stations. Location estimates are enhanced by adjusting MS estimates (and/or confidences therefor) according to: a past performance of the FOM providing such estimates, and/or MS geolocation or velocity constraints.

Wireless location using multiple mobile station location techniques

A location system is disclosed for commercial wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location centers for outputting requested locations of commercially available handsets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local MS location requests and more global MS location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) pattern recognition; (3) distributed antenna provisioning; and (4) supplemental information from various types of very low cost non-infrastructure base stations for communicating via a typical commercial wireless base station infrastructure or a public telephone switching network. Accordingly, the traditional MS location difficulties, such as multipath, poor location accuracy and poor coverage are alleviated via such technologies in combination with strategies for: (a) automatically adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; (b) automatically capturing location signal data for continual enhancement of a self-maintaining historical data base retaining predictive location signal data; (c) evaluating MS locations according to both heuristics and constraints related to, e.g., terrain, MS velocity and MS path extrapolation from tracking and (d) adjusting likely MS locations adaptively and statistically so that the system becomes progressively more comprehensive and accurate. Further, the system can be modularly configured for use in location signaling environments ranging from urban, dense urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. Accordingly, the system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

Gateway and hybrid solutions for wireless location

Geographic location using multiple location estimators

A location is disclosed for wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The systems output requested locations of hand sets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., AMPS, NAMPS, CDMA or TDMA communication standards. The system determines both local MS locations, and more global MS location requests via, e.g., Internet communication. The system uses a plurality of mobile station locating technologies, including those based on, e.g., (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) home base stations and (3) distributed antenna provisioning. The system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas. The system is particularly useful for estimating a location of an MS using information received from a commercial mobile radio service provider (CMRS) for which the MS is not registered for subscriber services.

Locating a mobile station using a plurality of wireless networks and applications therefor

A location system for commercial wireless telecommunication infrastructures (CMRRs). The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location systems (,) for outputting requested locations of commercially available hand sets or mobile stations (not shown) based on, e.g. AMPS, NAMPS, CDMA or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local mobile station location requests and more global mobile station location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location systems. The system uses a plurality of mobile station locating technologies including those based on: two-way TOA and TDOA; home base stations and distributed antenna provisioning. Further, the system can be modularly configured for use in location signaling environments ranging from urban, dense urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. Accordingly, the system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and from certain areas.

Growing community of inventors

Tuscaloosa, AL, United States of America

Charles L Karr