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There is a company Cell-loc that has been working on this same sort of thing, wireless location technology, without GPS.

I can certainly see that this sort of thing is going to get big, and a large number of companies are going to want it bad.

It's kinda neat stuff, and it nicely fits where GPS doesn't: Downtown. GPS requires line-of-site to the satelites, and without that you get no position. When you are downtown, amongst big buidlings, you can't find anything.

Asset tracking is going to be big too. Help! I lost my car/pet/wife/computer!

BUUUUUT!

I just can't see how that information is going to be private, I mean when the cops can simply get a warrent for the information, bam! instant confirmation of location. Privacy Agreement or not.

Measurements are made on transmissions from the cellular phone or other wireless device. At the Network Controller (Host Server), Cellocate's software performs the TDOA analysis and interpolation followed by hyperbolic multilateration using expert systems and neural network techniques.

Measurements are made on transmissions from the cellular phone or other wireless device. At the Network Controller (Host Server), Cellocate's software performs the TDOA analysis and interpolation followed by hyperbolic multilateration using expert systems and neural network techniques.

This soon will be less of an issue. There are companies building triangualation software that allows the telcos to id your position.

Cell-loc and TimesThree are building cell-phone positioning technology. This sort of thing will soon be availible to your ordinary cell phone carrier. The FCC is trying to make the cell carriers provide locations of cell phones for 911 purposes...

chilling, no?

(This was on Dave Farber's list.)

If the press release is to be believed, it's a patent on
using a wireless handset to deliver information that's
dependent on where you are, such as telling you the nearest MacDonald's.
- handset-based services granted now, network-based pending.
I'm not sure how broad their patent claims are,
as opposed to their marketing PR (:-), but it sounds like it's
way over-broad, steps on lots of things that should be obvious enough
to anyone skilled in the trade, and sounds like Yet Another
Stupid Patent Office Trick.

Their Press Release www.cell-loc.com

..."U.S. patent office has conditionally allowed Cell-Loc to claim the
delivery of handset-based wireless location content and services over
the Internet as its property, regardless of technological method employed."


Unfortunately, after downloading the half megabyte of animated Web Designer Candy
that serves as their main web page, it wasn't possible to get to any
real information, but YMMV... :-)

(This was on Dave Farber's list.)

If the press release is to be believed, it's a patent on
using a wireless handset to deliver information that's
dependent on where you are, such as telling you the nearest MacDonald's.
- handset-based services granted now, network-based pending.
I'm not sure how broad their patent claims are,
as opposed to their marketing PR (:-), but it sounds like it's
way over-broad, steps on lots of things that should be obvious enough
to anyone skilled in the trade, and sounds like Yet Another
Stupid Patent Office Trick.

Their Press Release www.cell-loc.com

..."U.S. patent office has conditionally allowed Cell-Loc to claim the
delivery of handset-based wireless location content and services over
the Internet as its property, regardless of technological method employed."


Unfortunately, after downloading the half megabyte of animated Web Designer Candy
that serves as their main web page, it wasn't possible to get to any
real information, but YMMV... :-)