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WO2000059254A1 - Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones - Google Patents

Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2000059254A1
WO2000059254A1 PCT/SE2000/000589 SE0000589W WO0059254A1 WO 2000059254 A1 WO2000059254 A1 WO 2000059254A1 SE 0000589 W SE0000589 W SE 0000589W WO 0059254 A1 WO0059254 A1 WO 0059254A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
mobile telephone
signal
receivers
request
portable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/SE2000/000589
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Björn DE BONNENFANT
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SATSAFE MLS AB
Original Assignee
SATSAFE MLS AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SATSAFE MLS AB filed Critical SATSAFE MLS AB
Priority to AU41594/00A priority Critical patent/AU4159400A/en
Publication of WO2000059254A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000059254A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W64/00—Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S5/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
    • G01S5/02—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method to locate an active mobile telephone in a portable mobile telephone network according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a portable mobile telephone system according to the preamble of claim 5.
  • the solution to the above mentioned problem is to provide a method for locating an active mobile telephone in a portable mobile telephone network according to claim 1 and a portable mobile telephone system according to claim 5.
  • An advantage with the present invention is that a person that end up in an avalanche, and that has a mobile phone turned on, may be located rapidly.
  • Another advantage with the invention is that there is no need for another locating device in case a person should end up in an avalanche.
  • Still another advantage with the invention is that the equipment needed to locate a mobile telephone is standardised, simple to manufacture, and furthermore, only a few functions is needed in the base station for making it work.
  • Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention where the position of the mobile telephone is determined by the signal strength of the received signal .
  • Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention where the position of the mobile telephone mainly is determined by the direction of the received signal .
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a portable mobile telephone network consisting of a transmitter 1, three receivers 2a, 2b and 2c, which are placed around said transmitter 1, preferably equally spaced around the transmitter.
  • the transmitter 1 has a transmitting area 3, within which a mobile telephone 4 may be contacted with some type of signalling 5, for instance a request for updating its position such as takes place in present mobile telephone systems.
  • Each receiver has a reception area 10a, 10b and 10c, respectively, in the shape of a lobe, within which a transmitted signal from said mobile telephone may be received.
  • These reception areas and said transmitting area together forms a coverage area 12 within which signalling 5 from the transmitter 1 may be received by the mobile telephone at the same time as a signal 11a- lie from said mobile telephone 4 may be received by all receivers 2a-2c.
  • the signalling from the transmitter may be controlled at the same time as the received signal by each receiver, respectively, may be compiled and analysed.
  • each receiver has built- in means to measure the signal strength of the received signal, which is forwarded to the control unit 6 for analysis. By comparing and weighting the received signal strength, which may be considered to be dependent on the distance between the mobile telephone and each receiver, respectively, a position may be determined for the mobile telephone 4.
  • FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention that differs from that in figure 1 in the following way that it is only needed two receivers 2a and 2b.
  • Each receiver has in this embodiment a much narrower lobe, 20 and 21, respectively, and a scanning function that allow the lobe to scan over a predefined angle 22 and 23, which results in that each receiver obtain a larger reception area 24 and 25, respectively .
  • a coverage area 26 is obtained when these reception areas and the transmitting area coincide.
  • control unit 6 in which also an analysis of received signals is performed.
  • Each receiver measures at which angle the received signal 11a an lib, respectively, is strongest and send this information to the control unit, which may determine the position of the mobile telephone by triangulation. Furthermore, the measure information regarding each measured signal strength may also be forwarded to the control unit 6 for analysis to further add information when determining the position of the mobile telephone 4.
  • the receivers in this embodiment are a bit more complicated since they have a narrower lobe that has to be scanned over an area 24 and 25, respectively, at the same time as the received signal strength of the signal has to be monitored to determine the direction with the strongest signal strength.
  • control unit 6, transmitter 1 and one of the receivers 2a may beneficially be arranged in an integrated main part of the system, which results in that the system only will consist of a main part and at least one additional receiver, which may have a very simple construction.
  • the system need only to be able to send out a signal, to which the mobile telephone automatically responds by in turn sending out another signal. This requires the mobile telephone to be active .

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Position Fixing By Use Of Radio Waves (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for locating an active mobile telephone (4) in a portable mobile telephone network where the network comprises at least one portable transmitter (1) and at least two portable receivers (2a, 2b, 2c), and where said network has a coverage area (12; 26) and comprises the steps of transmitting a request (5) from said transmitter to said active mobile telephone (4), receiving said request in said mobile telephone, transmitting a signal (11a, 11b, 11c) from the mobile telephone (4) caused by said request (5), receiving said signal in each respective receiver (2a, 2b, 2c), and analysing the received signals, whereby a positioning of said mobile telephone is done based on the received signals. The invention also relates to a portable mobile telephone system using the above method.

Description

Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones
Technical field
The present invention relates to a method to locate an active mobile telephone in a portable mobile telephone network according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a portable mobile telephone system according to the preamble of claim 5.
Background to the invention
For instance when skiing, it may occur that unexpected avalanches surprise persons that may be buried under great amount of snow within a limited area. To locate these persons a number of different locating systems are presently used which are based on that the buried person has a special device attached to, for instance, his skiing-boots . This is not an active transmitter and a special equipment is needed to locate a person.
Today many persons carry their mobile phones when they are outdoors. Especially, this occurs more frequently when skiing, since this is a simple way to keep in touch over a large area. In US Patent No. 5,844,522 a system and a method is described for locating an active transmitter in a mobile network having stationary base stations.
Summary of the invention
The problem with the existing locating. systems is that only people having a special device may be located by the rescuing team in an avalanche since the amount of snow may stop the signals from the mobile telephone to reach a possible base station in the area. Many off-piste slopes, where avalanches mainly occur, are situated at the side of the prepared ski runs and may have less coverage by the mobile telephone network.
The solution to the above mentioned problem is to provide a method for locating an active mobile telephone in a portable mobile telephone network according to claim 1 and a portable mobile telephone system according to claim 5.
An advantage with the present invention is that a person that end up in an avalanche, and that has a mobile phone turned on, may be located rapidly.
Another advantage with the invention is that there is no need for another locating device in case a person should end up in an avalanche.
Still another advantage with the invention is that the equipment needed to locate a mobile telephone is standardised, simple to manufacture, and furthermore, only a few functions is needed in the base station for making it work.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings .
Brief description of the drawings
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention where the position of the mobile telephone is determined by the signal strength of the received signal .
Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention where the position of the mobile telephone mainly is determined by the direction of the received signal . Detailed description of the preferred embodiments
Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a portable mobile telephone network consisting of a transmitter 1, three receivers 2a, 2b and 2c, which are placed around said transmitter 1, preferably equally spaced around the transmitter.
The transmitter 1 has a transmitting area 3, within which a mobile telephone 4 may be contacted with some type of signalling 5, for instance a request for updating its position such as takes place in present mobile telephone systems. Each receiver has a reception area 10a, 10b and 10c, respectively, in the shape of a lobe, within which a transmitted signal from said mobile telephone may be received. These reception areas and said transmitting area together forms a coverage area 12 within which signalling 5 from the transmitter 1 may be received by the mobile telephone at the same time as a signal 11a- lie from said mobile telephone 4 may be received by all receivers 2a-2c.
By connecting the transmitter 1 and the receivers 2a-2c to a control unit 6, the signalling from the transmitter may be controlled at the same time as the received signal by each receiver, respectively, may be compiled and analysed.
In this embodiment of the invention, each receiver has built- in means to measure the signal strength of the received signal, which is forwarded to the control unit 6 for analysis. By comparing and weighting the received signal strength, which may be considered to be dependent on the distance between the mobile telephone and each receiver, respectively, a position may be determined for the mobile telephone 4.
Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention that differs from that in figure 1 in the following way that it is only needed two receivers 2a and 2b. Each receiver has in this embodiment a much narrower lobe, 20 and 21, respectively, and a scanning function that allow the lobe to scan over a predefined angle 22 and 23, which results in that each receiver obtain a larger reception area 24 and 25, respectively .
Just as described above, a coverage area 26 is obtained when these reception areas and the transmitting area coincide.
Also in this embodiment there is a control unit 6 in which also an analysis of received signals is performed. Each receiver measures at which angle the received signal 11a an lib, respectively, is strongest and send this information to the control unit, which may determine the position of the mobile telephone by triangulation. Furthermore, the measure information regarding each measured signal strength may also be forwarded to the control unit 6 for analysis to further add information when determining the position of the mobile telephone 4.
The receivers in this embodiment are a bit more complicated since they have a narrower lobe that has to be scanned over an area 24 and 25, respectively, at the same time as the received signal strength of the signal has to be monitored to determine the direction with the strongest signal strength.
The control unit 6, transmitter 1 and one of the receivers 2a may beneficially be arranged in an integrated main part of the system, which results in that the system only will consist of a main part and at least one additional receiver, which may have a very simple construction.
The system need only to be able to send out a signal, to which the mobile telephone automatically responds by in turn sending out another signal. This requires the mobile telephone to be active .

Claims

Claims
1. A method for locating an active mobile telephone (4) in a portable mobile telephone network, said network comprising at least one portable transmitter (1) and at least two portable receivers (2a, 2b, 2c) , and said network has a coverage area (12; 26), characterised in the followings steps:
transmitting a request (5) from said transmitter to said active mobile telephone (4) ,
receiving said request in said mobile telephone,
- transmitting a signal (11a, lib, lie) from the mobile telephone (4) caused by said request (5) ,
receiving said signal in each respective receiver (2a, 2b, 2c) , and
analysing the received signals, whereby a positioning of said mobile telephone is done based on the received signals .
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said receivers scans the area with at least one directional lobe, and that the analysing step calculates a direction for the received signal of each receiver (2a, 2b) .
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein each of said receivers measure the signal strength of the received signal, and that the analysing step compare the signal strengths and calculates which receiver is closed to said mobile phone (4) .
4. The method according to any of claims 1-3, wherein said transmitted signal from said transmitter is selected to be a positioning updating signal.
5. A portable mobile telephone system, comprising a transmitter (1) and at least two receivers (2a, 2b, 2c) in a network which has a coverage area (12; 26) and at least one active mobile telephone (4) within said coverage area, characterised in that the transmitter (1) has means for transmitting a request (5) to said active mobile telephone (4), which mobile telephone has means to receive said request (5) and transmit a signal (11a, lib, lie) caused by said received request, and where each of said receivers (2a, 2b, 2c) has means to receive said signal, and that said network further comprises an analysing equipment (6) , whereby a positioning of said mobile telephone is done based on the received signals.
6. The portable mobile system according to claim 5, wherein each of said receivers has further means to scan said coverage area with at least one directional lobe so that said analysing equipment (6) may calculate a direction for the received signal by each of said receivers (2a, 2b, 2c) .
7. The portable mobile system according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein each of said receivers has further means for measuring the signal strength of the received signal so that said analysing equipment may calculate which receiver (2a, 2b, 2c) is closed to said mobile telephone (4) .
8. The portable mobile system according to any of claims 5-7, wherein said means for transmitting a request (5) consist of means for transmitting a position updating signal.
PCT/SE2000/000589 1999-03-31 2000-03-24 Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones Ceased WO2000059254A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU41594/00A AU4159400A (en) 1999-03-31 2000-03-24 Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9901183-5 1999-03-31
SE9901183A SE513158C2 (en) 1999-03-31 1999-03-31 Method and portable system for location of mobile phone

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000059254A1 true WO2000059254A1 (en) 2000-10-05

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PCT/SE2000/000589 Ceased WO2000059254A1 (en) 1999-03-31 2000-03-24 Method and portable system for locating mobile telephones

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AU (1) AU4159400A (en)
SE (1) SE513158C2 (en)
WO (1) WO2000059254A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2382265A (en) * 2001-11-14 2003-05-21 Toshiba Res Europ Ltd Emergency rescue aid using mobile phones
DE10345511A1 (en) * 2003-09-30 2005-05-19 Siemens Ag Method for determining the spatial position of at least one mobile radio communication device, associated radio communication device and radio communication system
CH706279A1 (en) * 2012-03-30 2013-09-30 Girsberger Elektronik Ag Portable device i.e. avalanche trapped detector, for e.g. positioning transmitter worn by snowboarder, has display unit attached with switch element in control device that is designed as telephone and mechanically independent separate unit

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4433335A (en) * 1977-05-31 1984-02-21 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada, As Represented By Minister Of National Defence Of Her Majesty's Canadian Government Locating device
WO1996002007A1 (en) * 1994-07-08 1996-01-25 Lockheed Sanders, Inc. Apparatus and method for locating cellular telephones and similar transmitters

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4433335A (en) * 1977-05-31 1984-02-21 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada, As Represented By Minister Of National Defence Of Her Majesty's Canadian Government Locating device
WO1996002007A1 (en) * 1994-07-08 1996-01-25 Lockheed Sanders, Inc. Apparatus and method for locating cellular telephones and similar transmitters

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2382265A (en) * 2001-11-14 2003-05-21 Toshiba Res Europ Ltd Emergency rescue aid using mobile phones
GB2382265B (en) * 2001-11-14 2004-06-09 Toshiba Res Europ Ltd Emergency rescue aid
DE10345511A1 (en) * 2003-09-30 2005-05-19 Siemens Ag Method for determining the spatial position of at least one mobile radio communication device, associated radio communication device and radio communication system
DE10345511B4 (en) * 2003-09-30 2005-11-17 Siemens Ag Method for determining the spatial position of at least one mobile radio communication device, associated radio communication device and radio communication system
US8712427B2 (en) 2003-09-30 2014-04-29 Intel Mobile Communications GmbH Method for determining the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device based on predetermined local positions of adjacent radio communication devices, associated radio communication device and radio communication system
CH706279A1 (en) * 2012-03-30 2013-09-30 Girsberger Elektronik Ag Portable device i.e. avalanche trapped detector, for e.g. positioning transmitter worn by snowboarder, has display unit attached with switch element in control device that is designed as telephone and mechanically independent separate unit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE9901183D0 (en) 1999-03-31
SE9901183L (en) 2000-07-17
SE513158C2 (en) 2000-07-17
AU4159400A (en) 2000-10-16

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