Wireless Modem Dead Reckoning for VoIP Location Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
VoIP users face challenges in accurately determining their location during 911 calls, as VoIP adapters can be used from anywhere, and indoor GPS receivers often fail to provide a signal, leading to incorrect location data being sent to emergency services.
Innovation Solution
A communication system that includes a wireless modem with a dead reckoning device, such as MEMS inertial sensors or accelerometers, which reports its initial and subsequent locations to a service node, enabling accurate determination of relative position changes and enabling or disabling VoIP services based on location updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a GPS receiver is installed in the VoIP modem to determine location, then location information can be obtained, but the GPS receiver will likely be indoors and unable to get a signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dead reckoning technology as an intermediary method to determine location when GPS is unavailable. The system uses sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) to measure movement and calculate position changes from a known starting point, thereby mediating the location determination function when direct GPS signaling fails indoors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the GPS satellite-based electromagnetic positioning system with a mechanical sensor-based dead reckoning system. Instead of relying on external satellite signals, the system uses onboard inertial sensors to detect motion and compute location, substituting one positioning mechanism for another that works in different environmental conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If VoIP adapters can be plugged into any broadband internet connection, then users have flexibility in using VoIP services, but the caller could be hundreds or thousands of miles away from their home address
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous location tracking using dead reckoning technology that provides feedback to the service node about the modem's actual position. The system monitors movement via sensors and updates location information in real-time, creating a feedback loop that ensures emergency services receive accurate location data regardless of where the VoIP adapter is physically connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a known starting location and uses it as a reference point for subsequent dead reckoning calculations. By preliminarily determining the initial position and continuously tracking deviations from that point, the system proactively maintains accurate location information before emergencies occur, rather than attempting to determine location reactively.
3Loss of information
If 911 callers using a modem with VoIP service must verbally verify their location, then emergency services can obtain location information, but response time is delayed and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the VoIP modem to automatically determine and report its own location using dead reckoning technology without requiring user intervention. The system self-monitors its position through sensors and autonomously communicates location data to emergency services, eliminating the need for callers to verbally verify their location and thereby reducing response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent continuously tracks and maintains location information in advance using dead reckoning, so that when emergency services are contacted, accurate location data is already available and can be immediately transmitted. This preliminary preparation of location information eliminates the time delay that would otherwise be required for verbal verification during the emergency call.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures that VoIP users can accurately report their location to emergency services, preventing misdirection of 911 calls by using dead reckoning technology to track and report location changes, thereby enhancing emergency response efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A dead reckoning device within the wireless modem is configured to determine a second location of the wireless modem
Implementation Method 2
A communication system that includes a wireless modem with a dead reckoning device, such as MEMS inertial sensors or accelerometers
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided in a communication system for determining a relative position change of a wireless modem. The first location of the wireless modem is determined, and then the wireless modem reports the first location to a service node. A dead reckoning device within the wireless modem then determines a second location of the wireless modem. If the second location is greater than a predetermined distance from the first location, then the wireless modem reports the second location to the service node.