Mobile Unit Location via Wireline Phone Number Lookup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing positioning systems for mobile units, such as GPS and cellular triangulation, are limited in functionality, especially indoors and urban areas, and require costly integration into hand-held devices, while zip code-based methods provide inaccurate location information and are impractical for users in unfamiliar areas, necessitating a more reliable and cost-effective solution for location determination.
Innovation Solution
A method using a wireline telephone number to determine a mobile unit's location through a reverse phone-book operation, where the telephone number is transmitted over a data network to a server, which retrieves an address and location, enabling location-relevant information provision, even without a positioning system, by leveraging widely available wireline telephones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS or cellular triangulation is used for position determination, then location accuracy is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireline telephone numbers as an intermediary medium for location determination. Instead of directly using complex positioning systems, the mobile unit obtains location information by retrieving the telephone number of a nearby wireline telephone (such as a payphone), which serves as a reference point. This intermediary approach provides location information without requiring expensive GPS receivers or complex triangulation capabilities in the mobile device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the existing wireline telephone infrastructure as a copy or alternative reference system for location determination. Rather than equipping every mobile unit with positioning hardware, the system copies location information from the stationary wireline telephone network, which already has known geographic locations associated with each number. This allows location determination through data retrieval rather than through expensive positioning hardware.
2Reliability
If GPS receiver is used, then position can be determined outdoors, but it does not work well indoors where satellite signals are obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wireline telephones as intermediary reference points that do not rely on satellite signals. Since wireline telephones are stationary and have known locations, they can serve as reliable reference points both indoors and outdoors. The mobile unit retrieves the telephone number of a nearby wireline phone (which may be visible or accessible) and uses that number to determine location, bypassing the need for direct satellite signal reception.
3Reliability
If triangulation in cellular network is used, then position can be determined without GPS, but service range is limited by base station availability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the location determination system universal by leveraging the widespread wireline telephone infrastructure. Wireline telephones are available in virtually all locations where people go, including areas without cellular base stations or GPS coverage. By using wireline telephone numbers as reference points, the system achieves broad geographic coverage and adaptability across different environments, making location determination possible anywhere wireline telephones exist.
4Ease of manufacture
If zip code based position determination is used, then implementation is simple, but location accuracy is poor and requires user knowledge of current zip code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the mobile unit automatically retrieves and processes the wireline telephone number without requiring user input about geographic codes. The user simply needs to obtain a telephone number (which is naturally available in most situations), and the system automatically performs the reverse phone-book lookup to determine location. This eliminates the need for users to know or input zip codes while maintaining ease of use.
5Ease of operation
If zip code is required for position determination, then system operation is simplified, but it becomes impractical when user is lost or in unfamiliar area
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the location lookup automatically once a telephone number is provided, without requiring the user to know what zip code to enter or how to translate a physical location into a geographic code. The mobile unit handles the entire process of retrieving the telephone number, performing the reverse phone-book lookup, and determining location, making the system equally usable whether the user is familiar with the area or completely lost.
Data Source
AI summary
A position determination method in a mobile unit uses the telephone number of a wireline telephone and a reverse phone-book operation for determining the location of a mobile unit. In one embodiment, a method for determining the location of a mobile unit using a telephone number of a wireline telephone in the vicinity of the mobile unit includes receiving at a server the telephone number transmitted from the mobile unit using wireless communication through a data network, retrieving an address associated with the telephone number in the server, and retrieving a location of the mobile unit based on the address. The server may provide location-relevant information using the location information. The system and method of the present invention provides a low cost solution to position determination in wireless hand-held devices and can be used to supplement the conventional positioning systems.