Location information system for a wireless communication device and method therefor

A method, performed by a location information system including a controller, a location entry device, a plurality of radio frequency transceivers, a memory device, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, by a controller from the location entry device, location information representing a plurality of location descriptions associated with a plurality of predetermined areas, respectively, associated with the plurality of radio transceivers, respectively, in a facility;
• storing, by the controller, the location information in the memory device responsive to the step of receiving;
• and
• sending, by one of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers under the control of the controller, the location information from the memory device to a cellular telephone proximate to one of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers associated with one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the facility responsive to the step of storing, the location information informing the cellular telephone a location of the cellular telephone in the facility,
• wherein the radio frequency transceiver sending the location information to the cellular telephone is located in a location in the facility other than the location of the cellular telephone in the facility,
• wherein the cellular telephone and each of the plurality of radio frequency transceivers are designed to communicate the location information over a short-range radio frequency communication channel in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification,
• wherein the step of sending is performed at least one of before, during and after the cellular telephone communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point, and
• wherein the location information sent to the cellular telephone is used for an automatic location identification of the cellular telephone in the facility by the public safety answering point.

A method, performed by a wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

• receiving location information from a location information system over a short-range wireless communication channel when the wireless communication device is present in one of a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility, wherein the location information represents a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with the plurality of predetermined areas, the location information informing the wireless communication device a location of the wireless communication device in the facility;
• and
• sending the location information to a location-enabled service, via at least one of the location information system over the short-range wireless communication channel and a wireless communication network over a long-range wireless communication channel, responsive to the step of receiving;
• wherein the location information is sent to the wireless communication device from a location in the facility other than the location of the wireless device in the facility.

A method, performed by a cellular telephone device, comprising the steps of:

• receiving location information from a location information system over a short-range radio frequency communication channel when the cellular telephone device is present in one of a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility, wherein the location information informs the cellular telephone device a location of the cellular telephone device in the facility, wherein the location information represents a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with the plurality of predetermined areas, wherein each of the cellular telephone device and the location information system further comprise a radio frequency transceiver designed to communicate the location information over the short-range radio frequency communication channel in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification, and wherein the location information is transmitted to the cellular telephone device from a location in the facility other than the location of the wireless communication device in the facility;
• storing the location information responsive to the step of receiving;
• and
• sending the location information to a cellular telephone network over a long-range radio frequency communication channel responsive to the step of storing, wherein the step of sending is performed at least one of before, during and after the cellular telephone communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point, and wherein the location information sent to the cellular telephone is used for an automatic location identification of the cellular telephone in the facility by the public safety answering point.

A location information system comprising:

• a controller for receiving location information representing a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility;
• and
• a wireless communication unit, coupled to the controller, for sending the location information to a wireless communication device present in one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the facility over a short-range wireless communication channel responsive to the controller receiving the location information, the location information informing the wireless communication device a location of the wireless communication device in the facility;
• wherein the wireless communication unit is positioned in a location of the facility other than the location of the wireless communication device in the facility.

A location information system comprising:

• a location entry device for generating location information representing a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility;
• a controller, coupled to the location entry device, responsive to receiving the location information from the location entry device;
• a memory device, coupled to the controller, for storing the location information responsive receiving the location information from the controller;
• and
• a radio frequency transceiver, coupled to the controller, for sending the location information from the memory unit to a cellular telephone device present in one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the facility over a short-range radio frequency communication channel responsive to the memory unit storing the location information, the location information informing the cellular telephone device a location of the cellular telephone device in the facility,
• wherein the radio frequency transceiver is positioned in the facility at a location other than the location of the cellular telephone device in the facility,
• wherein each of the radio frequency transceiver and the cellular telephone device are designed to communicate the location information over the radio frequency communication channel in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification,
• wherein the radio frequency transceiver sends the location information at least one of before, during and after the cellular telephone device communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point, and
• wherein the location information sent to the cellular telephone device is used for an automatic location identification of the cellular telephone device in the facility by the public safety answering point.

A wireless communication device comprising:

• a short-range communication circuit for receiving location information from a location information system over a short-range wireless communication channel when the wireless communication device is present in one of a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility, wherein the location information informs the wireless communication device a location of the wireless communication device in the facility, wherein the location information represents a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with the plurality of predetermined areas, and wherein the location information is sent to the wireless communication device from a position in the facility other than the location of the wireless communication device in the facility;
• a long-range communication circuit for sending the location information to a wireless communication network over a long-range wireless communication channel responsive to receiving the location information;
• and
• a controller, coupled to each of the short-range communication circuit and the long-range communication circuit, for controlling each of the each of the short-range communication circuit and the long-range communication circuit.

A cellular telephone device comprising:

• a short-range radio frequency transceiver for receiving location information from a location information system over a short-range radio frequency communication channel when the cellular telephone device is present in one of a plurality of predetermined areas in a facility, wherein the location information informs the wireless communication device a location of the wireless communication device in the facility, wherein the location information represents a plurality of location descriptions respectively associated with the plurality of predetermined areas, wherein each of the short-range radio frequency transceiver and the location information system are designed to communicate the location information over the short-range radio frequency communication channel in accordance with a Bluetooth technology specification, and wherein the location information is transmitted to the cellular telephone device from a location in the facility other than the location of the cellular telephone device in the facility;
• a memory device, coupled to the short-range radio frequency transceiver, for storing the location information responsive to receiving the location information;
• a long-range radio frequency transceiver for sending the location information to a cellular telephone network over a long-range radio frequency communication channel responsive to the memory device storing the location information, wherein the short-range radio frequency transceiver sends the location information at least one of before, during and after the cellular telephone device communicates an emergency telephone call to a public safety answering point associated with the cellular telephone network, and wherein the location information sent to the cellular telephone device is used for an automatic location identification of the cellular telephone device in the facility by the public safety answering point;
• and
• a controller, coupled to each of the short-range radio frequency circuit and the long-range radio frequency circuit, for controlling each of the each of the short-range radio frequency circuit and the long-range radio frequency circuit.