Wireless location using location estimators

A mobile unit location system, comprising:

• a network interface for receiving one or more requests from a communications network, wherein each request is for locating, at one or more unknown terrestrial locations, a corresponding mobile unit of a plurality of mobile units, wherein during an instance of locating the corresponding mobile unit, there is two way wireless communication available between the corresponding mobile unit and at least one of a plurality of terrestrial communication stations;
• a location estimator gateway for contacting one or more of a plurality of location estimators in response to each of said requests;
• wherein for each of said one or more requests, each of said one or more location estimators contacted for the request, determines at least one estimate of a location of the corresponding mobile unit for the request;
• wherein for at least one of the corresponding mobile units M, and for one of said requests (R) for locating the mobile unit M, said location estimator gateway contacts one or more of the location estimators resulting in first and second of the location estimates for the request R, each of said first and second location estimates having one or more of a geographical extent and location of the mobile unit M;
• wherein the first location estimate of the mobile unit M is dependent upon a difference in signal time delays of wireless signals between:
• (i) the mobile unit being located, and (ii) each of at least two of the terrestrial communication stations;
• wherein the second location estimate of the mobile unit M is dependent upon directional data of wireless signals from the mobile unit being located to at least one of the terrestrial communication stations (CS) for determining a direction from CS toward the mobile unit being located;
• a location determiner for determining a resulting location of the mobile unit M, wherein said location determiner receives said first and second location estimates and performs at least one of (i) and (ii) following:
• (i) determines information indicative of which of said first and second location estimates is a more likely location of the mobile unit M, and (ii) combines said first and second location estimates for determining said resulting location estimate;
• wherein the resulting location estimate identifies a location of the mobile unit M relative to one or more fixed positions on the earth;
• an output gateway for transmitting the resulting location estimate of the mobile unit M to a corresponding destination, wherein the corresponding destination also corresponds to one of the requests for locating the mobile unit M.

A method for locating a plurality of mobile stations using wireless signal measurements obtained from transmissions between said mobile stations and a plurality of terrestrial communication stations, wherein each of said communication stations includes one or more of a transmitter and a receiver for wirelessly communicating with said mobile stations, comprising:

• receiving, for locating each of a first and a second of the mobile stations, a corresponding a location request, wherein the first and second mobile stations are each capable of wireless two way communication with the communication stations;
• requesting, for locating each of the first and second of the mobile stations, activation of a corresponding one or more mobile station location estimators, wherein (A) and (B) following hold:
• (A) when said corresponding one or more location estimators for locating the first mobile station are supplied with their corresponding input data having values obtained from wireless signal measurements that are, in turn, obtained via transmissions between said first mobile station and one or more of the communication stations, said corresponding location estimators perform at least the techniques (T1), and (T2) following, wherein the first mobile station is an instance of each of the mobile stations Mi, for i=1, 2 respectively for each of the techniques (T1) and (T2);
• and
• (B) when said corresponding one or more location estimators for locating the second mobile station are supplied their corresponding input data having values obtained from wireless signal measurements that are, in turn, obtained via transmissions between said second mobile station and one or more of the communication stations, said corresponding location estimators for locating the second mobile station perform at least one of the techniques (T3) and (T4) following, wherein the second mobile station is an instance of at least one of the mobile stations Mi, for i=3 or 4 for the corresponding at least one of the techniques (T3) and (T4) performed;
• (T1) a first technique for determining at least one location estimate or locus for locating one or more of the mobile stations (M1), wherein for locating the mobile station M1, an instance of said corresponding input data indicative of one of:
• a time of arrival of wireless signals, and a time difference of arrival of wireless signals transmitted between the mobile station M1 and at least one of the communications stations (CS1) is used for determining a range of the mobile station M1 from CS1, said range varying with varying values of the timing measurements, wherein at least one of the transmitted signals is from the mobile station M1 to CS1, and wherein said first technique outputs the at least one location estimate or locus from a site different from the location of the mobile station M1;
• (T2) a second technique for determining one or more candidate locations for locating one or more of the mobile stations (M2), wherein for locating the mobile station M2, each of said candidate locations is determined using, for at least some one of the communication stations (CS2), data indicative of a direction of arrival of a wireless signal received at CS2 and transmitted from the mobile station M2;
• (T3) a third technique for locating one or more of the mobile stations (M3), wherein for locating the mobile station M3, a location estimate is determined using a coverage area analysis technique (CA), wherein when CA is supplied with input data obtained from at least one wireless signal transmission between the mobile station M3 and one of the communication stations (CS1), then CA uses an area that is substantially indicative of a coverage area about the communication station CS1 for locating the mobile station M3;
• (T4)
• a fourth technique, wherein said fourth technique provides a pattern recognizer for estimating a location of one or more of the mobile stations (M4), wherein said location estimate for the mobile station M4 is derived from a pattern of multipath wireless signal characteristics for wireless signals communicated between:
• (a) one or more of the communication stations, and (b) said mobile station M4;
• first obtaining, from said one or more location estimators for locating the first mobile station, first location information from the corresponding location estimators for locating the first mobile station, wherein the first location information includes:
• an instance of the at least one location estimate or locus for locating the first mobile station that uses the first technique, and an instance of the one or more candidate locations for locating the first mobile station that uses the second technique;
• first determining a first resulting location estimate of the first mobile station using said first location information;
• second obtaining, from said one or more location estimators for locating the second mobile station, second location information from the corresponding location estimators for locating the second mobile station, wherein the second location information includes at least one of:
• a location of the second mobile station that uses the third technique, and a location of the second mobile station that uses the fourth technique;
• and
• second determining a second resulting location estimate of the second mobile station using said second location information.