Abstract: A system for geographically locating and tracking mobile stations within a mobile communication network. The system includes an equipment identity register (EIR) comprising equipment identifiers, such as internal mobile equipment identities (IMEIs), subscriber identity modules (SIMs), or some combination thereof, that are each uniquely associated with mobile stations operable within the network. Each IMEI may be used to identify a particular status of an associated mobile station. A mobile switching center (MSC) or an external location services (LCS) client may be configured to identify a targeted mobile station based upon its status (for example, lost, stolen, malfunctioning, and the like). A serving mobile location center (SMLC) responsively provides position location information for the targeted mobile station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering a sensor that is remote from the mobile device. A detection system, which may be located within a vehicle, comprises one or more sensors configured to sense an emergency event and transmit a message via a wireless link regarding the emergency event. A wireless mobile device within short range of the transmitter receives the message via a short range receiver located therein and processes the message regarding the triggering of the sensor. For example, the wireless mobile device may be programmed to determine position information about the wireless transmitter and/or mobile device, call a predetermined emergency number such as E911, and transmit data including position and other information from the mobile device to the emergency number in response to the received message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering a sensor. A detection system, which may be located within a vehicle, comprises one or more sensors configured to sense an emergency event and transmit a message via a wireless link regarding the emergency event. For example, the wireless mobile device may be programmed to call a predetermined emergency number such as E911, and transmit data including position and other information from the mobile device to the emergency number in response to the received message.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for establishing time at a first basestation, and synchronizing the first basestation with other basestations in a cellular network. The method may be performed using a mobile (cellular communication) station that includes a satellite position system receiver. One method comprises determining a location of the mobile station, determining a time indicator that represents a time-of-day at the mobile station, wherein the time indicator is determined relative to a signal available at the first basestation, transmitting at least one of the position information and location, and transmitting the time indicator from the mobile station. The time indicator and at least one of the position information and the location are used to establish a time at the first basestation such that the first basestation is synchronized to other basestations in the cellular communication system. Other methods and apparatuses are also described for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for establishing time at a first basestation, and synchronizing the first basestation with other basestations in a cellular network. The method may be performed using a mobile (cellular communication) station that includes a satellite position system receiver. One method comprises determining a location of the mobile station, determining a time indicator that represents a time-of-day at the mobile station, wherein the time indicator is determined relative to a signal available at the first basestation, transmitting at least one of the position information and location, and transmitting the time indicator from the mobile station. The time indicator and at least one of the position information and the location are used to establish a time at the first basestation such that the first basestation is synchronized to other basestations in the cellular communication system. Other methods and apparatuses are also described for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network.

Abstract: A method for time synchronizing base stations in an asynchronous cellular communication system via multi-communications mode user equipment is described. The method includes receiving time-of-day in a synchronous cellular communication signal with the user equipment operable in a synchronous cellular communications mode. Alternatively, time-of-day is received from a non-cellular system signal with user equipment that is operable to receive signals from the non-cellular system. After time-of-day is received the user equipment is switched to operate in an asynchronous cellular communications mode. Then a frame boundary of a received asynchronous cellular communication signal is time-tagged. Timing information is then transmitted to an entity of the asynchronous cellular communication system to determine time-of-day at the entity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for frequency synchronizing basestations in a cellular communication system. In one aspect of the invention, a method to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system includes: receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; and computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags. Each of the time tags are determined using at least one satellite positioning system signal received at a mobile station which receives the corresponding time marker.

Abstract: Position location signaling system, apparatus, and method are disclosed. Position location beacons can each be configured to transmit a frequency interlaced subset of orthogonal frequencies spanning substantially an entire channel bandwidth. The orthogonal frequencies can be pseudorandomly or uniformly spaced, and each beacon can be allocated an equal number of orthogonal frequencies. Each frequency of the interlaced subset of orthogonal frequencies can be modulated with an element of a predetermined data sequence. A mobile device can receive one or more of the beacon signals and determine a position using a position location algorithm that determines position in part on an arrival time of the beacon signal. Where the mobile device can receive three or more beacon signals, the mobile device can perform position location by trilateration to the beacon positions based, for example, on a time difference of arrival.

Abstract: A system for geographically locating and tracking mobile stations within a mobile communication network. The system includes an equipment identity register (EIR) comprising equipment identifiers, such as internal mobile equipment identities (IMEIs), subscriber identity modules (SIMs), or some combination thereof, that are each uniquely associated with mobile stations operable within the network. Each IMEI may be used to identify a particular status of an associated mobile station. A mobile switching center (MSC) or an external location services (LCS) client may be configured to identify a targeted mobile station based upon its status (for example, lost, stolen, malfunctioning, and the like). A serving mobile location center (SMLC) responsively provides position location information for the targeted mobile station.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for frequency synchronizing basestations in a cellular communication system. In one aspect of the invention, a method to predict a timing of transmission of a basestation in a cellular communication system includes: receiving a first time tag for a first timing marker in a first cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; receiving a second time tag of a second timing marker in a second cellular signal transmitted from the basestation; and computing a frequency related to the basestation using the first and second time tags. Each of the time tags are determined using at least one satellite positioning system signal received at a mobile station which receives the corresponding time marker.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving a signal from transmitters such as GPS satellites, for fixing the location of the receiver. Each of the transmitted signals includes a unique periodically-repeating sequence. A received signal is stored by the receiver for at least two repetitions of the periodically-repeating sequence. FFT operations are performed, and the resulting data frequency samples are pruned responsive to a hypothesized residual frequency, a procedure which significantly reduces the total number of subsequent calculations and therefore significantly reduces processing time. A correlation series is determined from the pruned samples and reference frequency samples corresponding to a hypothesized transmitter. If a match is found in the examination of this series, a code phase offset is determined; if not the process is repeated with another hypothesized residual frequency. Multiple correlation series similarly obtained may also be incoherently combined prior to this examination.

Abstract: A mobile system, such as a wireless phone, communicates its location or other position information, such as pseudoranges, to a server system and optionally sends permission criteria defining which other mobile systems are allowed to access its location. In the case where the mobile system does not provide its location, the server determines the location using the other position information provided (e.g. pseudoranges for satellites in view of the mobile system). The server system sends the location to other mobile systems in accordance with the permission criteria, with or without a request from another mobile system for the location. If no permission criteria has been sent by the mobile system, the server system queries the mobile system for the permission criteria in response to a request for the location. If no permission criteria is sent by the mobile system, or if the permission criteria sent denies the request, the server system can, alternately, not reply to the request or reply with an error message.

Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for directly acquiring P-codes without first acquiring C/A-codes. For example, in one embodiment, a system comprises an assist server to track a P-code signal from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and generate acquisition assistance information from the signal. The system further comprises a mobile unit to receive the acquisition assistance data from the assist server, and to acquire the P-code signal from the satellite based on the acquisition assistance data. The acquisition assistance data may include time-of-week data indicating an initial time offset into a P-code pseudorandom code sequence for the satellite. The mobile unit may include a reference generator to locally generate a reference pseudorandom code sequence based on the time-of-week data.

Abstract: To provide accurate and quick position measurements in a practical mobile position location system, the GPS receiver is calibrated, a frequency error in the next time period is predicted using a first frequency locked to an externally transmitted signal, and a second frequency is generated by a GPS oscillator. To predict the error in the next time period, several measurements are made over time, error estimations are made, an error function is approximated responsive to the set of error estimations. This predicted error is then used to correct the GPS receiver in the next time period. In one implementation, a multiple function portable device is disclosed for providing cellular communication using a network of cellular stations that operate at predefined ideal cellular frequencies, and also for providing position location using GPS satellites that transmit GPS signals at a predefined GPS frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering a sensor that is remote from the mobile device. A detection system, which may be located within a vehicle, comprises one or more sensors configured to sense an emergency event and transmit a message via a wireless link regarding the emergency event. A wireless mobile device within short range of the transmitter receives the message via a short range receiver located therein and processes the message regarding the triggering of the sensor. For example, the wireless mobile device may be programmed to determine position information about the wireless transmitter and/or mobile device, call a predetermined emergency number such as E911, and transmit data including position and other information from the mobile device to the emergency number in response to the received message.

Abstract: To provide accurate and quick position measurements in a practical mobile position location system, the GPS receiver is calibrated, a frequency error in the next time period is predicted using a first frequency locked to an externally transmitted signal, and a second frequency is generated by a GPS oscillator. To predict the error in the next time period, several measurements are made over time, error estimations are made, an error function is approximated responsive to the set of error estimations. This predicted error is then used to correct the GPS receiver in the next time period. In one implementation, a multiple function portable device is disclosed for providing cellular communication using a network of cellular stations that operate at predefined ideal cellular frequencies, and also for providing position location using GPS satellites that transmit GPS signals at a predefined GPS frequency.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for synchronizing basestations in a cellular network. One exemplary method performs time synchronization between at least two basestations, a first basestation and a second basestation, of a cellular communication system. In this exemplary method, a first time-of-day and a first geographical location of a first mobile cellular receiver station (MS) are determined from a first satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver which is co-located with the first MS, and the first time-of-day and first location are transmitted by the first MS to a first basestation which determines a time-of-day of the first basestation from the first time-of-day and first location and from a known location of the first basestation.

Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for directly acquiring P-codes without first acquiring C/A-codes. For example, in one embodiment, a system comprises an assist server to track a P-code signal from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and generate acquisition assistance information from the signal. The system further comprises a mobile unit to receive the acquisition assistance data from the assist server, and to acquire the P-code signal from the satellite based on the acquisition assistance data. The acquisition assistance data may include time-of-week data indicating an initial time offset into a P-code pseudorandom code sequence for the satellite. The mobile unit may include a reference generator to locally generate a reference pseudorandom code sequence based on the time-of-week data.