Centralized database system for a wireless location system

A centralized database system for use in a wireless location system that determines the geographical locations of mobile wireless transmitters, the wireless location system including signal collection systems, location processors for processing digitized RF data provided by the signal collection systems, and a centralized database system for managing resources in the wireless location system, the centralized database system comprising:

• a computer;
• a database;
• and a plurality of software processes for managing the wireless location system, providing interfaces to external users and applications, and storing location records and configuration information;
• wherein the wireless location system communicates messages over an interface to a wireless communications system, including a mobile switching center (MSC) or a mobile positioning controller (MPC);
• wherein the messages supported by the wireless location system over the interface to the wireless communications system include a query for voice channel assignment, wherein, when the wireless location system is triggered to perform location processing on a voice channel transmission, the wireless location system queries the wireless communications system to obtain the current voice channel assignment information for the particular transmitter for which the wireless location system has been triggered;
• and wherein, to ensure that the identity of the wireless transmitter and the voice channel assignment information are in synchronization, the wireless location system queries the voice channel assignment information for a particular wireless transmitter, receives the necessary RF data, then again queries the voice channel assignment information for that same wireless transmitter, and then verifies that the status of the wireless transmitter did not change during the time in which the RF data was being collected by the wireless location system.

A centralized database system for use in a wireless location system that determines the geographical locations of mobile wireless transmitters, the wireless location system including signal collection systems, location processors for processing digitized RF data provided by the signal collection systems, and a centralized database system for managing resources in the wireless location system, the centralized database system comprising:

• a computer;
• a database;
• and a plurality of software processes for managing the wireless location system, providing interfaces to external users and applications, and storing location records and configuration information;
• wherein the wireless location system communicates messages over an interface to a wireless communications system, including a mobile switching center (MSC) or a mobile positioning controller (MPC);
• wherein the messages supported by the wireless location system over the interface to the wireless communications system include a query for voice channel assignment;
• wherein, when the wireless location system is triggered to perform location processing on a voice channel transmission, the wireless location system queries the wireless communications system to obtain the current voice channel assignment information for the particular transmitter for which the wireless location system has been triggered;
• and wherein the wireless location system, as part of a query, commands the wireless communications system to prevent a handoff from occurring for the particular wireless transmitter during the time period in which the wireless location system is receiving RF data.

A centralized database system for use in a wireless location system that determines the geographical locations of mobile wireless transmitters, the wireless location system including signal collection systems, location processors for processing digitized RF data provided by the signal collection systems, and a centralized database system for managing resources in the wireless location system, the centralized database system comprising:

• a computer;
• a database;
• and a plurality of software processes for managing the wireless location system, providing interfaces to external users and applications, and storing location records and configuration information;
• wherein the wireless location system communicates messages over an interface to a wireless communications system, including a mobile switching center (MSC) or a mobile positioning controller (MPC);
• and wherein the wireless location system uses a command/response message set to query the wireless communications system about the identity of a wireless transmitter that had been using a particular voice channel at a particular cell site at a particular time, whereby the wireless location system is enabled to first perform location processing on transmissions without knowing the identities, and then later to determine the identity of the wireless transmitters making the transmissions and append this information to the location record.

A centralized database system for use in a wireless location system that determines the geographical locations of mobile wireless transmitters, the wireless location system including signal collection systems, location processors for processing digitized RF data provided by the signal collection systems, and a centralized database system for managing resources in the wireless location system, the centralized database system comprising:

• a computer;
• a database;
• and a plurality of software processes for managing the wireless location system, providing interfaces to external users and applications, and storing location records and configuration information;
• wherein the wireless location system communicates messages over an interface to a wireless communications system, including a mobile switching center (MSC) or a mobile positioning controller (MPC);
• and wherein the wireless location system includes a mechanism for receiving a trigger from the wireless communications system to perform location processing on a voice channel transmission without knowing the identity of the wireless transmitter.

A centralized database system for use in a wireless location system that determines the geographical locations of mobile wireless transmitters, the wireless location system including signal collection systems, location processors for processing digitized RF data provided by the signal collection systems, and a centralized database system for managing resources in the wireless location system, the centralized database system comprising:

• a computer;
• a database;
• and a plurality of software processes for managing the wireless location system, providing interfaces to external users and applications, and storing location records and configuration information;
• and wherein the wireless location system includes a mechanism for performing large scale random anonymous location processing, whereby applications that require the gathering of a large volume of data about a population of wireless transmitters are served.