Satellite SMS Location Sharing for No-Coverage Emergency Use
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users in geographic areas with poor or no mobile signal reception face challenges in receiving voice and data services, and existing satellite systems provide only limited SMS capabilities, hindering effective location sharing, especially in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A satellite-based system that utilizes pre-defined character strings in SMS messages to identify location sharing requests, enabling the transmission of precise user location data through text strings, URL links, or map applications, even when wireless and Wi-Fi networks are unavailable, and automatically alerting emergency services if needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If satellite system is used for radio access in areas with no mobile signal, then location-based service can be provided, but the service is limited to very basic SMS only
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the basic SMS capability to perform multiple functions including location sharing, emergency alerting, and position reporting by interpreting specific message formats and triggering appropriate responses from the location sharing system
2Loss of information
If traditional SMS system is used in satellite communication, then basic messaging is available, but location sharing functionality is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the SMS message into specific formats with predefined character strings that indicate different types of location sharing requests, allowing the system to distinguish between regular messages and location-based service requests without requiring a completely new communication protocol
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a location sharing server as an intermediary that receives SMS messages, interprets the message formats, retrieves location data from positioning systems, and sends location information to recipients, thereby enabling location sharing without modifying the basic SMS communication infrastructure
3Ease of operation
If location data is obtained from positioning system via satellite, then location can be shared in areas with no network coverage, but the system requires integration with existing SMS infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the satellite positioning system with the existing SMS communication infrastructure by having the location sharing server obtain location data from positioning systems and embed it within standard SMS messages, combining two separate systems into a unified location sharing solution
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for sharing user location are disclosed. According to an implementation, a computing device may receive a user input addressed to a recipient entered from a user equipment. The computing device may determine that the user input includes a pre-set character string. The pre-set character string may correspond to a type of location sharing request, for example, sharing a current location, updating the location periodically, sharing all cached location of the user, etc. Based on type of location sharing request, the computing device may obtain, from a positioning system, location data of the UE. The computing device may generate a text message and insert the location data in the text message as a character string. The location data may also be inserted to the text message as a URL link that shows the location of the user.