Patent · US Expired

System and method for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit

US6677895B1 · kind B1 · utility

232Cited by
22References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 16, 1999
Grant dateJan 13, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 16, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W64/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention determines the location of a transmitting mobile unit. A mobile unit has a global positioning system (GPS) unit and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal that includes an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates, if available. At least one receiver forms a first infrastructure and is contained within an area having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted signal from the mobile unit when in the area relating to the identification of the mobile unit and the GPS location coordinates or other GPS data obtained from the GPS unit. At least one receiver forms a second infrastructure and is contained within an area having poor GPS reception for receiving transmitted signals from the mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or time of arrival, multipath profile, or other characteristics of transmitted signals from the mobile unit. A processor determines the location of the mobile unit based on the measured time of arrival and/or angle of arrival.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.