Method and apparatus for mobile emitter location
AssigneeCorsair Communications, Inc.
InventorsKelly Davidson Hawkes, Jeffrey Lynn Koehler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A location system for identifying locations of emitters in a cellular telephone service area. Searching identifies active emitters in the service area to find the coarse areas in which active emitters are located, using selection criteria to designate one or more of the active emitters as selected emitters. Emitter signals are measured with a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location. Groups of the sensors are tasked, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter. Each tasked sensor takes a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter. The measurements are processed to determine the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors.
Claims36
A location system for identifying locations of emitters in a service area where the service area is divided into coarse areas, the location system comprising:
- searching means for identifying only active emitters transmitting emitter signals at a present time in the service area,
- finding means for determining the coarse areas in which selected ones of the active emitters are located at the present time, each selected active emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- selecting means using selection criteria for designating one or more of the active emitters as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a search list for designating particular ones of the active emitters in a service area for locating, the searching means operable to forward the identities of each active emitter to the selecting means for comparison against entries stored in the search list,
- a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location and each sensor including measurement means for taking measurements on emitter signals,
- tasking means for tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing means for determining the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
A location system for identifying locations of emitters in a service area where the service area is divided into coarse areas, the location system comprising:
- searching means for identifying only active emitters transmitting emitter signals at a present time in the service area,
- selecting means using selection criteria for designating one or more of the active emitters as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a selection list identifying particular ones of the emitters in a service area for locating,
- finding means for determining the coarse areas in which each of said selected emitters are located at the present time, each selected emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location and each sensor including measurement means for taking measurements on emitter signals,
- tasking means for tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing means for determining the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
A location system for identifying locations of emitters in a service area where the service area is divided into coarse areas, the location system comprising:
- selecting means using selection criteria for designating one or more active emitters transmitting emitter signals at a present time as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a selection list identifying particular ones of the emitters in a service area for locating,
- finding means for determining the coarse areas in which the selected emitters are located, each selected emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location and each sensor including measurement means for taking measurements on the emitter signals,
- tasking means for tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing means for determining the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
A location method for identifying locations of emitters in a service area, the location method comprising:
- searching to identify active emitters in the service area, each active emitter transmitting emitter signals at a present time in the service area,
- finding to determine a coarse area for each active emitter within the service area at the present time, each active emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- selecting using selection criteria to designate one or more of the active emitters as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a selection list identifying particular ones of the emitters for locating,
- measuring emitter signals with a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location,
- tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing to determine the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
A location method for identifying locations of emitters in a service area where the service area is divided into coarse areas, the location method comprising:
- receiving an emitter signal from an emitter transmitting in the service area at a present time,
- selecting using selection criteria to designate one or more of the transmitting emitters as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a selection list identifying particular ones of the emitters for locating,
- finding to determine the coarse areas in which each of said selected emitters are located at a present time, each selected emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- measuring emitter signals with a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location,
- tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing to determine the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
A location method for identifying locations of emitters in a service area where the service area is divided into coarse areas, the location method comprising:
- selecting using selection criteria to designate one or more active emitters transmitting emitter signals as selected emitters, the selection criteria including a selection list identifying particular ones of the emitters for locating,
- finding to determine the coarse areas in which the selected emitters are located, each selected emitter in a corresponding one of said coarse areas,
- measuring emitter signals with a plurality of sensors, each sensor at a different location,
- tasking groups of said sensors, one group of tasked sensors for each corresponding selected emitter, where tasked sensors for a particular group are chosen from said plurality of sensors, each tasked sensor of the particular group taking a measurement on an emitter signal transmitted by the corresponding selected emitter, and
- processing to determine the location of each selected emitter based on the measurements from the group of tasked sensors for the corresponding selected emitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.