Cellular telephone system that uses position of a mobile unit to make call management decisions

Abstract

A cellular telephone system has call management decisions made based on the exact geographic location of the mobile unit. These call management decisions include billing and taxing decisions, cell site selection, frequency selection and even cellular system selection. The decisions are continuously updated during a call whereby decisions can be made and changed regardless of where a call originated. Cell site location, and even cellular system selection, can be made in a specific manner to best serve the needs of the mobile user, the cellular system as well as the public. It is even possible for a cellular system to locate one or more of its cell sites in the geographic area served by another cellular system. In some cases, cellular systems might even share cell sites.

1 . A method of providing emergency call information for a mobile unit, comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a mobile unit identification number for the mobile unit via a cellular communication system comprising a plurality of networked antennas in communication with a plurality of mobile units;    acquiring positional data for the mobile unit corresponding to an exact geographic location of the mobile unit via the cellular communication system; and    providing emergency call information to an emergency service, the emergency call information comprising at least the positional data.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emergency call information further comprises information based on the mobile unit identification number.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing geographical location data for a plurality of emergency service locations; and    selecting one of the emergency service locations based on a comparison of the positional data to the geographical location data.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the emergency call information further comprises information based on the mobile unit identification number.  
   
   
       5 . A method of providing an emergency service for a mobile unit in a cellular communication system comprising a plurality of networked antennas in communication with a plurality of mobile units, comprising the steps of: 
 acquiring an exact geographic location of a mobile unit in communication with at least one antenna;    designating a provider of an emergency service for the mobile unit based on the exact geographic location; and    routing the exact geographic location to the designated provider.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the exact geographic location is acquired using a global positioning system.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the exact geographic location is acquired using triangulation.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing geographical location data for providers of the emergency service; and    comparing the exact geographic location to the geographical location data as a basis to designate the provider of the emergency service.    
   
   
       9 . A method of making emergency call decisions in a cellular telephone system having a plurality of cell sites at various geographic locations comprising: 
 a) providing a mobile unit which can be located at various and changeable geographic locations;    b) receiving a call from the mobile unit requesting emergency service via a cellular telephone system;    c) determining the exact geographic location of the mobile unit from which the call is received;    d) storing geographic data in the cellular telephone system and which are required to complete the call requesting emergency service;    e) comparing the exact geographic location of the mobile unit placing the call requesting emergency service to the stored geographic data; and    f) automatically routing the mobile unit call requesting emergency service to an emergency service based on the comparison regardless of cell site location.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the exact geographic location of the mobile unit is constantly updated.  
   
   
       11 . A telecommunications system, comprising: 
 a data storage system for recording a geographic location associated with a mobile unit identification number, and    an updating system responsive to an inaccuracy in the geographic location associated with the mobile unit identification number that exceeds an interval defined by said updating system, and in response thereto updating said data storage system to identify an updated geographic location for said mobile unit identification number, wherein the updated geographic location is an exact geographic location provided to an emergency service.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the emergency service comprises a plurality of emergency service locations and the exact geographic location is provided to a selected one of the emergency service locations based on one of a recorded and updated geographic location.  
   
   
       13 . A cellular communications system comprising: 
 a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of cell sites and a plurality of mobile units, for radio frequency communication between said cell sites and mobile units, at least one of said cell sites receiving an identification of a specific mobile unit, said cellular communication network communicating with said specific mobile unit via a cell site chosen based upon signal strength, and    a positioning system obtaining a position for said specific mobile unit identifying an exact geographic location of the specific mobile unit, and forwarding said exact geographic location and specific mobile unit identification for use in a subsequent service, wherein the subsequent service comprises a plurality of service locations and said exact geographic location is forwarded to one of said service locations based on stored data indicating a geographic location of the mobile unit.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the subsequent service is an emergency service.