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

Claim 1

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network 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 data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; and in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay network to the cellular telephone network for receiving transmitted signals from the mobile unit when in the area having poor GPS reception relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival, or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit for use in determining the location of the mobile unit based only on the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile.

Claim 2

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network 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 data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; and in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay network to the cellular telephone network for receiving transmitted signals from the mobile unit when in the area having poor GPS reception relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival, or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit for use in determining the location of the mobile unit based only on the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile.

Claim 7

A system for determining the location of a mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other GPS data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network 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 obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay network to the cellular telephone network 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 the time of arrival, and multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit; and a processor operatively connected to said plurality of location determination receivers for computing the location of the mobile unit contained within the area covered by the plurality of location determination receivers based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival, or multipath profile.

Claim 8

A system for determining the location of a mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other GPS data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network 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 obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay network to the cellular telephone network 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 the time of arrival, and multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit; and a processor operatively connected to said plurality of location determination receivers for computing the location of the mobile unit contained within the area covered by the plurality of location determination receivers based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival, or multipath profile.

Claim 11

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; a first plurality of location determination receivers contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted signal from the mobile unit relating to the identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay location determination network to the cellular telephone network for receiving transmitted signals from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival, or multipath profile; a processor operatively connected to said second plurality of receivers for computing the location of the cellular phone contained within the area covered by the second plurality of receivers based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival, or multipath profile; and a network processor operatively connected to said first and second plurality of location determination receivers for maintaining a real time record of the location of the mobile unit within the areas having both good and poor GPS reception.

Claim 12

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) and transmitter for transmitting an RF signal comprising an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; a first plurality of location determination receivers contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted signal from the mobile unit relating to the identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; in an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception, a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and associated with the base stations of the cellular telephone network in the area having poor GPS reception and forming an overlay location determination network to the cellular telephone network for receiving transmitted signals from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival, or multipath profile; a processor operatively connected to said second plurality of receivers for computing the location of the cellular phone contained within the area covered by the second plurality of receivers based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival, or multipath profile; and a network processor operatively connected to said first and second plurality of location determination receivers for maintaining a real time record of the location of the mobile unit within the areas having both good and poor GPS reception.

Claim 15

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and chirp transmitter for transmitting a chirp signal containing modulated digital data that includes an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit relating to an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained in the area having good GPS reception and contained within areas of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception for receiving transmitted chirp signals from a mobile unit relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit and used for determining the location of the mobile unit based only on the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile; and wherein said location determination receivers in said area having poor GPS reception comprises a chirp signal generator and a mixer which periodically mixes a lower frequency signal with a chirp signal received from said chirp signal generator to produce a wave signal having a frequency related to the time relationship between the start of the chirp signal and the start of digital data.

Claim 16

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and chirp transmitter for transmitting a chirp signal containing modulated digital data that includes an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit relating to an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained in the area having good GPS reception and contained within areas of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception for receiving transmitted chirp signals from a mobile unit relating to an identification of the mobile unit and for measuring the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit and used for determining the location of the mobile unit based only on the angle of arrival and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile; and wherein said location determination receivers in said area having poor GPS reception comprises a chirp signal generator and a mixer which periodically mixes a lower frequency signal with a chirp signal received from said chirp signal generator to produce a wave signal having a frequency related to the time relationship between the start of the chirp signal and the start of digital data.

Claim 22

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) and chirp transmitter for transmitting a chirp signal containing modulated digital data that includes an identification and GPS location coordinates or other data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted chirp signal from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception for receiving transmitted chirp signals from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and measuring the angle of arrival of a signal and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit to determine the location of the mobile unit; wherein each of said location determination receivers comprises a chirp signal generator and a mixer which periodically mixes said lower frequency signal with a chirp signal received from said chirp signal generator to produce a wave signal having a frequency related to the time relationship between the start of the chirp signal and the start of digital data; a processor operatively connected to said plurality of location determination receivers in the area having poor GPS reception for computing the location of the mobile unit based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival or multipath profile; and a network processor operatively connected to said location determination receivers for maintaining a real time record of the location of the mobile unit.

Claim 23

A system for determining the location of a transmitting mobile unit comprising: a mobile unit having a Global Positioning System (GPS) and chirp transmitter for transmitting a chirp signal containing modulated digital data that includes an identification and GPS location coordinates or other data, if available; a plurality of base stations forming a cellular telephone network; at least one location determination receiver contained within an area having good GPS reception for receiving a transmitted chirp signal from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a processor operatively connected to the at least one location determination receiver for determining the location of the mobile station based only on the transmitted chirp signal from the mobile unit having GPS location coordinates or other data obtained from the GPS unit; a second plurality of location determination receivers different from the location determination receivers contained within the area having good GPS reception and contained within an area of the cellular telephone network having poor GPS reception for receiving transmitted chirp signals from a mobile unit when in the area relating to an identification of the mobile unit and measuring the angle of arrival of a signal and/or the time of arrival or multipath profile of transmitted signals from the mobile unit to determine the location of the mobile unit; wherein each of said location determination receivers comprises a chirp signal generator and a mixer which periodically mixes said lower frequency signal with a chirp signal received from said chirp signal generator to produce a wave signal having a frequency related to the time relationship between the start of the chirp signal and the start of digital data; a processor operatively connected to said plurality of location determination receivers in the area having poor GPS reception for computing the location of the mobile unit based only on the measured angle of arrival and/or time of arrival or multipath profile; and a network processor operatively connected to said location determination receivers for maintaining a real time record of the location of the mobile unit.