Method and system for locating a mobile station within a mobile telecommunications network

A method for approximating a current location of a particular mobile station within a mobile telecommunications network, wherein a plurality of beacons having known locations are selectively located within geographic area covered by said mobile telecommunications network, each of said beacons independently broadcasting a signal without communicating with said mobile telecommunications node, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving radio signal broadcasts by a particular mobile station from at least a portion of said plurality of beacons located close to said mobile station, said radio signal broadcasts including identification data identifying each of said beacons;
• transmitting a request for a call connection with a particular telecommunications terminal (TT) towards a serving mobile telecommunications node by said mobile station;
• communicating at least the identification data for certain plural ones of said plurality of beacons with the strongest received signal strength from said mobile station to said telecommunications node in connection with said requested call connection;
• periodically communicating said at least the identification data for certain plural ones of said plurality of beacons with the strongest received signal strength towards said telecommunications node during the call connection until instructed otherwise, and
• processing the periodically communicated beacon identification data to identify the location of said mobile station as being approximate to the known locations of said certain plural ones of said plurality of beacons with the strongest received signal strength identified by said beacon identification data.

A mobile station for establishing a call connection within a mobile telecommunications network, said mobile telecommunications network providing mobile service for a particular geographic area wherein a plurality of independent beacons are selectively placed throughout said geographic area, each of said plurality of beacons broadcasting identification data uniquely identifying said beacon and said mobile telecommunications network includes an application module that determines the location of said mobile station as being approximate to the known locations of certain plural ones of the plurality of beacons with the strongest received signal strength identified by the received identification data communicated from said mobile station to said mobile telecommunications network, said mobile station comprising:

• receiving means for receiving identification data from at least a portion of said plurality of beacons, including certain plural ones of said plurality of beacons with the strongest received signal strength, over a first radio communication channel;
• transceiving means for establishing a call connection with a particular telecommunications terminal (TT) through said mobile telecommunications network over a second communication channel, wherein said transceiving means further transmits said received identification data from said certain plural ones of said plurality of beacons towards said mobile telecommunications network over said second communication channel in connection with said call connection;
• and
• an application module associated with said transceiving means for periodically transmitting said received identification data towards said mobile telecommunications network over said second communications channel during the call connection.