Method and system for registering the location of a mobile cellular communications device

In or for a first cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system for communicating with cellular mobile radiotelephones within coverage areas of an array of cells, the first CMR system comprising a plurality of mobile data reporting devices, each of the mobile data reporting devices operative for monitoring a plurality of data sources to obtain selected data, and for transmitting a reverse data message containing the selected data;

• a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving the reverse data message from each of the mobile data reporting devices operating within the coverage areas of the array of cells;
• and a data collection system for collecting the selected data in response to receiving the reverse data message from the MSC via a communications link, a method for enabling the data collection system to determine a second CMR system in which a particular one of the mobile data reporting devices is operating, comprising the steps of:
• receiving a control message via a forward control channel (FOCC) of the first CMR system;
• in response to a failure to receive a control message within a predetermined time, transmitting a responsive signal indicating said failure;
• in response to receiving the control message, comparing data contained in the control message to previously received data contained in a previously received control message;
• in response to the data contained in the control message being different from the previously received data, transmitting a responsive signal to the MSC via a reverse control channel (RECC) of the second CMR system, and transmitting the responsive signal from the MSC to the data collection system via the communications link;
• in response to receiving the responsive signal, determining the second CMR system within the coverage areas of which the particular mobile data reporting device is located.

In or for a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system for communicating with cellular devices within coverage areas of an array of cells, the CMR system comprising a plurality of mobile data reporting devices, each of the mobile data reporting devices operative for monitoring a plurality of data sources to obtain selected data, and for transmitting a reverse data message containing the selected data;

• a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving the data message from each of the mobile data reporting devices operating within the coverage areas of the array of cells;
• and a data collection system for collecting the selected data in response to receiving the data message from the MSC via a communications link, a location registration system for locating a particular one of the mobile data reporting devices, the location registration system comprising:
• the MSC operative to transmit a beacon page via a forward control channel (FOCC) of the CMR system for reception by each of the mobile data reporting devices located within the coverage areas of the CMR system;
• each mobile data reporting device, in response to the beacon page, operative to transmit to the MSC, via a reverse control channel (RECC) of the CMR system, a beacon-responsive signal, when the mobile data reporting device determines that the received beacon page is different from a previously received beacon page;
• wherein the data collection system is responsive to receiving the beacon-responsive signal from the MSC to determine an operational location of a particular one of the mobile data reporting devices responsible for transmitting the beacon-responsive signal by identifying the CMR system within the coverage areas of which the particular mobile data reporting device is located.