Push-to-locate wireless communication device and method of use

A wireless communication and location system for geographically locating a target wireless communication device, comprising:

• at least one base station;
• a target wireless communication device configured to place a call to and receive an incoming call from a contact of a predetermined, limited number of contacts, and to limit outgoing calls to the predetermined number of contacts, the incoming calls being push-to-talk calls;
• the target wireless communication device comprising:
• a display-less, keypad-less wireless push-to-talk voice communication device configured to send and receive ½ duplex wireless communications, the target wireless communication device including a GPS receiver for providing a geographical location of the target wireless communication device through a location-based service, the target wireless communication device including a housing, a call activation mechanism situated on the housing, a memory storing a predetermined number of contacts, and a controller configured to initiate an outgoing call to one of the predetermined number of contacts upon actuation of the call actuation mechanism, the controller further configured to limit outgoing calls to selection buttons each corresponding to a respective contact of the selected number of contacts, the housing of the target wireless communication device having a plurality of icons associated with a respective call selection button and comprising a visual identifier for the contact associated with the respective call selection button, and each call selection button being a push-to-talk button, and the target wireless communication device including phone number information mapped to each respective push-to-talk button by a method including programming each push-to-talk with phone number information by a user accessing a web page on the Internet, the user entering phone number information for each push-to-talk, and the second wireless communication device receiving over-the-air messages with phone number information for each push-to-talk button, and mapping the phone number information for each push-to-talk button with each respective push-to-talk button,
• a locating wireless communication device configured to send and receive ½ duplex wireless push-to-talk voice communication device communicatively coupled with the target wireless communication device through the at least one base station and which obtains and displays the geographical location of the target wireless communication device.

A method of geographically locating a second wireless communication device using a wireless communication device including a push-to-locate actuation mechanism, and a display, comprising:

• detecting selection of a push-to-locate activation mechanism at the first wireless communication device, which is a push-to-talk voice communication device configures to send an receive ½ duplex wireless communications;
• detecting selection of a target number at the first wireless communication device, the target number corresponding to a second communication device which is a display-less, keypad-less wireless push-to-talk voice communication device configured to send and receive ½ duplex wireless communication, the second wireless communication device includes a GPS receiver for providing a geographical location of the second wireless communication device through a location-based service, the second wireless communication device including a housing, a call activation mechanism situated on the housing, a memory storing a predetermined number of contacts, and a controller configured to initiate an outgoing call to one of the predetermined numbers of contacts upon actuation of the call actuation mechanism, the controller further configured to limit outgoing calls to the predetermined number of contacts, the call actuation mechanism including a plurality of call selection buttons each correspond to a respective contact of the selected number of contacts, the housing of the target wireless communication device having a plurality of icons, each icon associated with a respective call selection button and comprising a visual identifier for the contact associated with the respective call selection button, and each call selection button being a push-to-talk, the second wireless communication device including phone number information mapped to each respective push-to-talk button by a method including programming each push-to-talk button with phone number information by a user accessing a web page on the Internet, the user entering phone number information for each push-to-talk button, and the second wireless communication device receiving over-the-air messages with phone number information for each push-to-talk button, and mapping the phone number information for each push-to-talk button with each respective push-to-talk button;
• establishing a connection with a carrier network;
• sending a push-to-locate request for the target number to the carrier network to obtain a geographical location of the second wireless communication device using location-based service;
• receiving the geographical location of the second communication device;
• displaying the geographical location of the second wireless communication device on a display at the first wireless communication device.