WO1997017623A1 - Multi layer vehicle tracking system - Google Patents

Multi layer vehicle tracking system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997017623A1
WO1997017623A1 PCT/AU1996/000692 AU9600692W WO9717623A1 WO 1997017623 A1 WO1997017623 A1 WO 1997017623A1 AU 9600692 W AU9600692 W AU 9600692W WO 9717623 A1 WO9717623 A1 WO 9717623A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
mobile telephone
tracking system
vehicle
vehicle tracking
location
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU1996/000692
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Branko Vukovich
Colin Preston Veal
Original Assignee
Borundi International Pty. Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Borundi International Pty. Ltd. filed Critical Borundi International Pty. Ltd.
Publication of WO1997017623A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997017623A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W64/00—Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S5/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
    • G01S5/02—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves
    • G01S5/08—Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S5/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
    • G01S5/02—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves
    • G01S5/12—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of tracking vehicles and other mobile bodies such as shipping containers, and even people, by using the management data generated within a mobile telephone operating on the GSM digital mobile telephone system.
  • the present invention overcomes these problems by using the very extensive and pre-existing mobile telephone infrastructure, which provides extremely good coverage and a high degree of redundancy so that it is possible to achieve reliable operation in areas where antenna shielding would make the satellite systems unreliable, and whilst not having to fund the infrastructure associated with other radio triangulation systems.
  • the mobile telephone system also provides the required communications link.
  • the present invention provides a multi -layer tracking system utilising the mobile telephone to provide an initial approximate location (Layer 1), a more precise location by forcing the telephone to gather and report additional information (Layer 2) and, together with other commercial location devices that are controlled via the mobile telephone link, an exact location when required (Layer 3).
  • the present invention is essentially a radio signal triangulation system the unique features of which are the extraction and use of data that is already generated within the GSM digital mobile telephone to provide the data required to perform the triangulation calculations.
  • SlffiSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) Normal operation of the GSM digital mobile telephone system requires the mobile unit to determine and store a number of items of information relating to the local mobile telephone network. These data are used to make decisions relating to the management of calls to and from that mobile telephone. Some of these data that are of particular relevance to the present invention are:
  • BSIC Base Station Identity Code
  • ARFCN Base Station Frequency
  • the mobile telephone In normal operation, the mobile telephone will determine and store a full set of these data values in relation to the base station that is best positioned to immediately handle calls on behalf of that mobile. In addition it will determine and store some of these data values for up to six nearby base stations.
  • the data is used internally within the telephone to manage calls to and from the mobile telephone to achieve the most efficient and reliable telephone operation.
  • the present invention takes advantage of the existence of this data within the telephone as well as the ability to control the telephone so as to obtain a more complete set of data.
  • the telephone may then be used to send the data to a remote monitoring station.
  • Each GSM base station transmits radio signals on one of 124 specific radio frequencies and therefore base stations may be co-located with other base stations or operated separately.
  • the antenna system is usually (although not necessarily) designed to transmit and receive signals in an omni -directional pattern.
  • the antenna system is designed to have directional properties so that each base station services mobile telephones in a sector that is different from the other co-located base stations. Therefore, by determining the Base Station Identity Code it is possible to uniquely identify the operating base station and with knowledge of the antenna characteristics of that base station to determine an approximate azimuth direction from the base station to the mobile telephone.
  • the above listed management data related to each of the base stations may be used together with information related to the physical location and antenna characteristics of those base stations to determine the position of the mobile telephone by triangulation from the several base stations.
  • the degree of redundancy of the information will provide a sufficiently accurate position definition for many applications.
  • a second embodiment of the invention provides enhanced accuracy by using the Timing Advance data.
  • This data effectively provides the range from the mobile telephone to the base station. Addition of this information to the triangulation calculation further improves the accuracy of the position fix.
  • a third embodiment of the invention involves controlling the mobile telephone so as to transfer the call through one or more of the other base stations that are within range. In this way the Timing Advance data for each of the base stations is obtained. Adding this data to the triangulation calculations further enhances the accuracy of the position fix.
  • a vehicle is fitted with a security system, a mobile telephone, an interface and control unit (ICU) and a commercial beacon transmitter.
  • the security system will generate an alarm signal that will trigger the ICU.
  • the ICU may then take control of the mobile telephone and initiate a telephone call to a monitoring station, passing over the link so established the available telephone management data, together with identification details of the vehicle.
  • the ICU will also force the mobile telephone to operate via two or more base stations in order to obtain additional Timing Advance data.
  • the call may initiate an alarm while at the same time the data received is correlated with known information about each base station in order to perform the triangulation calculations and to present the location information on a map display.
  • the monitoring station operator may then send back control information to the vehicle.
  • This control information could, for example, cause the ICU to activate a commercial beacon transmitter in the vehicle and may also immobilise the vehicle's engine.
  • the monitoring station operator would then despatch an armed guard to the location indicated by the telephone data. The guard would identify the vehicle by means of a radio direction finding system tuned to the tracking transmitter.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

A vehicle tracking system is disclosed. The system uses management data generated or stored within a GSM digital mobile telephone to enable the location of the telephone to be determined by triangulation. The management data used includes Base Station Identity Code, Base Station Frequency, Signal Strength, Signal Quality and Timing Advance. The tracking system can also be used to track or locate shipping containers or to track or locate an individual carrying the mobile telephone.

Description

MULTI LAYER VEHICLE TRACKING SYSTEM
This invention relates to a method of tracking vehicles and other mobile bodies such as shipping containers, and even people, by using the management data generated within a mobile telephone operating on the GSM digital mobile telephone system.
Several different techniques for tracking of motor vehicles have been implemented in the past. The major disadvantages of these methods are antenna shielding, high infrastructure costs and the need to provide a dedicated communications link from the vehicle to a monitoring station. For example satellite based navigation systems are largely ineffective in high-rise building areas and inside buildings due to antenna shielding, while radio signal triangulation systems require dedicated and expensive infrastructure to be established to provide coverage of the required operating area. Both methods require the addition of a communications capability between the vehicle and the monitoring station. The present invention overcomes these problems by using the very extensive and pre-existing mobile telephone infrastructure, which provides extremely good coverage and a high degree of redundancy so that it is possible to achieve reliable operation in areas where antenna shielding would make the satellite systems unreliable, and whilst not having to fund the infrastructure associated with other radio triangulation systems. The mobile telephone system also provides the required communications link.
The present invention provides a multi -layer tracking system utilising the mobile telephone to provide an initial approximate location (Layer 1), a more precise location by forcing the telephone to gather and report additional information (Layer 2) and, together with other commercial location devices that are controlled via the mobile telephone link, an exact location when required (Layer 3).
The present invention is essentially a radio signal triangulation system the unique features of which are the extraction and use of data that is already generated within the GSM digital mobile telephone to provide the data required to perform the triangulation calculations.
SlffiSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) Normal operation of the GSM digital mobile telephone system requires the mobile unit to determine and store a number of items of information relating to the local mobile telephone network. These data are used to make decisions relating to the management of calls to and from that mobile telephone. Some of these data that are of particular relevance to the present invention are:
Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) Base Station Frequency (ARFCN) Signal Strength Signal Quality
Timing Advance (TA)
In normal operation, the mobile telephone will determine and store a full set of these data values in relation to the base station that is best positioned to immediately handle calls on behalf of that mobile. In addition it will determine and store some of these data values for up to six nearby base stations. The data is used internally within the telephone to manage calls to and from the mobile telephone to achieve the most efficient and reliable telephone operation. The present invention takes advantage of the existence of this data within the telephone as well as the ability to control the telephone so as to obtain a more complete set of data. The telephone may then be used to send the data to a remote monitoring station.
Each GSM base station transmits radio signals on one of 124 specific radio frequencies and therefore base stations may be co-located with other base stations or operated separately. When individually sited, the antenna system is usually (although not necessarily) designed to transmit and receive signals in an omni -directional pattern. When two or more base stations are co-located the antenna system is designed to have directional properties so that each base station services mobile telephones in a sector that is different from the other co-located base stations. Therefore, by determining the Base Station Identity Code it is possible to uniquely identify the operating base station and with knowledge of the antenna characteristics of that base station to determine an approximate azimuth direction from the base station to the mobile telephone.
In one embodiment of the invention, the above listed management data related to each of the base stations may be used together with information related to the physical location and antenna characteristics of those base stations to determine the position of the mobile telephone by triangulation from the several base stations. The degree of redundancy of the information will provide a sufficiently accurate position definition for many applications.
A second embodiment of the invention provides enhanced accuracy by using the Timing Advance data. This data effectively provides the range from the mobile telephone to the base station. Addition of this information to the triangulation calculation further improves the accuracy of the position fix.
A third embodiment of the invention involves controlling the mobile telephone so as to transfer the call through one or more of the other base stations that are within range. In this way the Timing Advance data for each of the base stations is obtained. Adding this data to the triangulation calculations further enhances the accuracy of the position fix.
In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter are described one embodiment of the invention, by way of example only. A vehicle is fitted with a security system, a mobile telephone, an interface and control unit (ICU) and a commercial beacon transmitter. In the event of the vehicle being stolen or tampered with, the security system will generate an alarm signal that will trigger the ICU. The ICU may then take control of the mobile telephone and initiate a telephone call to a monitoring station, passing over the link so established the available telephone management data, together with identification details of the vehicle. The ICU will also force the mobile telephone to operate via two or more base stations in order to obtain additional Timing Advance data. At the monitoring station the call may initiate an alarm while at the same time the data received is correlated with known information about each base station in order to perform the triangulation calculations and to present the location information on a map display. The monitoring station operator may then send back control information to the vehicle. This control information could, for example, cause the ICU to activate a commercial beacon transmitter in the vehicle and may also immobilise the vehicle's engine. The monitoring station operator would then despatch an armed guard to the location indicated by the telephone data. The guard would identify the vehicle by means of a radio direction finding system tuned to the tracking transmitter.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:
1. A vehicle tracking system that uses management data generated within a GSM digital mobile telephone to provide data to enable determination of the position of the mobile telephone by triangulation.
2. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1 wherein the mobile telephone itself is used as the communications link to pass the acquired data to a monitoring station.
3. The vehicle tracking system of claims 1 and 2 wherein the mobile telephone is controlled in such a manner as to force it to operate via two or more base stations so as to generate additional management data in order to refine the triangulation calculations.
4. The vehicle tracking system of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the mobile telephone is used to convey control information from a monitoring station to the vehicle in order to control either the tracking system itself or other associated systems within the vehicle so as to enhance the ability of the monitoring station to locate the vehicle.
5. The vehicle tracking system of any of claims 1 to 4 applied in a manner so as to provide tracking/location of mobile telephones installed in shipping containers, railway rolling stock or carried on a person.
AMENDED CLAIMS
[received by the International Bureau on 6 March 1997 (06.03.97); original claims 1-5 replaced by amended claims 1-5 (2 pages)]
1. A vehicle tracking system that uses management data stored within a
GSM digital mobile telephone to provide information to enable determination of the position of the mobile telephone. In particular, cell identity and Timing Advance (TA) information is accessed directly from the mobile telephone. Cell identity information provides the means of accessing a database containing the location and characteristics of the cell's transmission antenna and thereby a reference point and arc centred on that point, within which the mobile telephone is located. Timing Advance information provides a good estimate of the distance from the base station to the mobile telephone. There is specifically no need for access to, or intervention by or through, a mobile network base station or any other element of the mobile cellular network equipment.
2. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1 wherein the mobile telephone itself is used as both the source of the location data and the communications link to pass the acquired data to a monitoring station.
3. The vehicle tracking system of claims 1 and 2 wherein the mobile telephone is controlled in such a manner as to force it to operate via two or more base stations so as to generate additional management data in order to refine the location calculations. In particular, Timing Advance information is generated for each additional base station so used.
4. The vehicle tracking system of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the mobile telephone is used to convey control information from a monitoring station to the vehicle in order to control either the tracking system itself or other associated systems within the vehicle so as to enhance the ability of the monitoring station to locate the vehicle. 5. The vehicle tracking system of any of claims 1 to 4 applied in a manner so as to provide tracking/location of mobile telephones installed in shipping containers, railway rolling stock or carried on a person.
PCT/AU1996/000692 1995-11-06 1996-11-04 Multi layer vehicle tracking system WO1997017623A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPN6374 1995-11-06
AUPN6374A AUPN637495A0 (en) 1995-11-06 1995-11-06 Multi layer vehicle tracking system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997017623A1 true WO1997017623A1 (en) 1997-05-15

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WO (1) WO1997017623A1 (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998054682A1 (en) * 1997-05-30 1998-12-03 Booth David S Generation and delivery of travel-related, location-sensitive information
EP0984418A2 (en) * 1998-09-04 2000-03-08 N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek NEDAP Method for tracking and tracing goods
WO2000036430A1 (en) * 1998-12-14 2000-06-22 Nokia Networks Oy Locating system for mobile stations
US6154727A (en) * 1998-04-15 2000-11-28 Cyberhealth, Inc. Visit verification
ES2164000A1 (en) * 1999-11-24 2002-02-01 Univ Catalunya Politecnica Procedure for locating mobile GSM terminals.
EP2221736A1 (en) 2009-01-21 2010-08-25 HTC Corporation Method, apparatus, and recording medium for selecting location
US7996017B2 (en) 2000-01-26 2011-08-09 Nokia Corporation Location of subscriber terminal in packet-switched radio system

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5208756A (en) * 1991-01-28 1993-05-04 Song Han L Vehicle locating and navigating system
US5218367A (en) * 1992-06-01 1993-06-08 Trackmobile Vehicle tracking system
US5223844A (en) * 1992-04-17 1993-06-29 Auto-Trac, Inc. Vehicle tracking and security system
US5389934A (en) * 1993-06-21 1995-02-14 The Business Edge Group, Inc. Portable locating system
US5515419A (en) * 1992-06-01 1996-05-07 Trackmobile Tracking system and method for tracking a movable object carrying a cellular phone unit, and integrated personal protection system incorporating the tracking system
WO1996025830A1 (en) * 1995-02-16 1996-08-22 Europolitan Ab Positioning system

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5208756A (en) * 1991-01-28 1993-05-04 Song Han L Vehicle locating and navigating system
US5223844A (en) * 1992-04-17 1993-06-29 Auto-Trac, Inc. Vehicle tracking and security system
US5223844B1 (en) * 1992-04-17 2000-01-25 Auto Trac Inc Vehicle tracking and security system
US5218367A (en) * 1992-06-01 1993-06-08 Trackmobile Vehicle tracking system
US5515419A (en) * 1992-06-01 1996-05-07 Trackmobile Tracking system and method for tracking a movable object carrying a cellular phone unit, and integrated personal protection system incorporating the tracking system
US5389934A (en) * 1993-06-21 1995-02-14 The Business Edge Group, Inc. Portable locating system
WO1996025830A1 (en) * 1995-02-16 1996-08-22 Europolitan Ab Positioning system

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998054682A1 (en) * 1997-05-30 1998-12-03 Booth David S Generation and delivery of travel-related, location-sensitive information
US6154727A (en) * 1998-04-15 2000-11-28 Cyberhealth, Inc. Visit verification
EP0984418A2 (en) * 1998-09-04 2000-03-08 N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek NEDAP Method for tracking and tracing goods
NL1010007C2 (en) * 1998-09-04 2000-03-15 Nedap Nv Goods tracking and tracking system.
EP0984418A3 (en) * 1998-09-04 2001-10-24 N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek NEDAP Method for tracking and tracing goods
WO2000036430A1 (en) * 1998-12-14 2000-06-22 Nokia Networks Oy Locating system for mobile stations
ES2164000A1 (en) * 1999-11-24 2002-02-01 Univ Catalunya Politecnica Procedure for locating mobile GSM terminals.
US7996017B2 (en) 2000-01-26 2011-08-09 Nokia Corporation Location of subscriber terminal in packet-switched radio system
EP2221736A1 (en) 2009-01-21 2010-08-25 HTC Corporation Method, apparatus, and recording medium for selecting location
US9223882B2 (en) 2009-01-21 2015-12-29 Htc Corporation Method, apparatus, and recording medium for selecting location of mobile device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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