System for dynamically tracking the location of network devices to enable emergency services
US7149499B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 18, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 15, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W64/00
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system dynamically discovers the geographic location of entities of a computer network. A network entity is configured to include a location determination engine and a radio frequency (RF) receiver unit. A plurality of RF base stations are disposed in the area proximate to the network entity. Each RF base station has a beacon for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal encoded with the location, e.g., the physical coordinates, of the respective RF base station and the time of transmission. The encoded RF signals are received by the RF receiver unit at the network entity and passed to the location determination engine, which uses the received information to compute its location. The location determination engine then reports its location by loading the computed location into a network message and transmitting that message to a central repository.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.