Patent EP0546758A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0546758A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mobile unit tracking system
Assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1992-12-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-12-01
Abstract
Abstract A communication network (10) keeps track of the locations of mobile units (16) which utilize the network (10). On powering up, the mobile units (16) determine their current locations using signals broadcast, for example, by overhead satellites (12, 24). They then send data communication messages (80) to the network (10) describing their locations. The network (10) saves the locations (122) and returns data messages (90) that describe borders (22) which surround the mobile units' locations. The mobile units (16) repetitively determine their current locations on a regular schedule. When their current locations are outside of their prescribed borders (22), they send other location data messages (80) to the network (10) to update the location data being maintained by the network (10) and to receive a definition of a new border (22).
Inventors
- 👤 Theresa C. Wang
- 👤 Steven H. Moritz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:47
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W60/00; H04W60/04; H04B; H04B7/00; H04B7/14; H04B7/15; H04B7/185; H04B7/1853; H04B7/18545; H04B7/18547; H04B7/1855; G; G01; G01S; G01S2205/00; G01S2205/001; G01S2205/007; G01S2205/008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
A method of tracking a mobile unit (16), said method comprising the steps of: receiving (88), at said mobile unit, a data message describing a border; determining (78), at said mobile unit, when said mobile unit is outside of said border; and transmitting (79), from said mobile unit when said mobile unit is outside of said border, a current location data message describing a current location of said mobile unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: said method additionally saves (96), in said mobile unit, data describing an original location; said data message describing said border includes a value which describes a distance; and said determining step (78) determines that said current location is outside of said border when said current location is greater than said distance away from said original location.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of tracking a mobile unit, said method comprising the steps of: generating (70,72), at said mobile unit, original location data, said original location data describing an original location of said mobile unit; sending (79), from said mobile unit, a data message describing said original location; and receiving (88), at said mobile unit, a data message describing a border.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as claimed in Claim 3 additionally comprising the steps of: determining (78), at said mobile unit, when said mobile unit is outside of said border; and transmitting (79), from said mobile unit when said mobile unit is outside of said border, a current location data message describing a current location of said mobile unit.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of tracking a mobile unit, said method comprising the steps of: receiving original location data from said mobile unit (108), said original location data describing an original location of said mobile unit; saving said original location data (112); and transmitting a data message to said mobile unit (146), said data message describing a border that surrounds said original location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
A mobile unit (16) for use in a system which manages data describing a location for said mobile unit, said system comprising: a location generator (28); a memory (36); a transceiver (26); and a processor (30) coupled to said location generator, said memory, and said transceiver, said processor being configured to obtain original location data from said location generator, cause said memory to save said original location data, and cause said transceiver to transmit said original location data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A mobile unit as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said processor is further configured to obtain border data (88) received at said transceiver and determine when a current allocation of said mobile unit is outside of a border (78) described by said border data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
A mobile unit as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said processor is further configured to determine (100) when a current allocation of said mobile unit is at least a predetermined distance away from an original location described by said original location data and to transmit current location data to said control unit when said current location is at least said predetermined distance away, said current location data describing said current location.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
A mobile unit as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said processor is further configured to obtain said original location data from said location generator, cause said memory to save said original location data, and cause said transceiver to transmit said original location data in response to said mobile unit being energized (50).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
98 words
A system for managing tracking data communicated between a control unit (14) and a mobile unit (16) so that tracking data communications are minimized, said system comprising: a mobile unit location generator (28); a mobile unit memory (36); a mobile unit transceiver (26); a mobile unit processor (30) coupled to said location generator, said mobile unit memory, and said mobile unit transceiver; a control unit transceiver (38) in data communication with said mobile unit transceiver; a control unit memory (46); and a control unit processor (40) coupled to said control unit transceiver and to said control unit memory.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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