OA13051A

OA13051A - Location reporting satellite paging system with optional blocking of location reporting.

Info

Publication number: OA13051A
Application number: OA00100067A
Authority: OA
Inventors: Mundi Fomukong
Original assignee: Mundi Fomukong
Priority date: 1998-09-16
Filing date: 1998-09-16
Publication date: 2006-11-10

Description

013051

Location Reporting Satellite Paging System with Optional Blockingof Location Reporting

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to paging télécommunication services and Systems, specifically to suchservices and Systems that employ satellites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today a subscriber to a paging network selects areas where they wish to receive their pages.Each time a subscriber’s message is processed by the paging network, the message is transmittedto ail the global areas pre-selected by the subscriber to receive pages. However if a subscriberelects to receive pages at any worldwide location, the cost of transmitting a page to the subscriberwill be very expensive making this technique highly inefficient. For example, if a caller residingin the same geographical location or neighborhood as a subscriber pages the subscriber, themessage will be transmitted globally even though the subscriber and the caller might be a coupleof miles apart. Other paging Systems hâve gone a little bit further by allowing a subscriber toperiodically update the paging network with their current global position (active area) as thesubscriber travels from one location to another. Each time a paging network processes a messagefor a subscriber, the current global position or active area of the call receiver is validated againstthe areas pre-selected by the subscriber to receive pages. If the active area is within thesubscriber’s pre-selected area to receive pages the message is transmitted to the subscriber. Asthe subscriber travels from city to city or continent to continent , there will clearly be a need toalert the subscriber when they are out of their pre-selected or active paging area. Therefore, thecurrent global active area of the call receiver should be made available to a user or subscriber inpossession of the call receiver such that the network could be updated with this information whenthe need arises. This can only be feasible if the call receiver or pager is equipped with adéquatemeans to résolve its position at any worldwide location.

Today , unlike other mobile télécommunication devices such as cellular téléphonés, pagers areutilized by a greater cross section of the population since they are relatively inexpensive toacquire. To a family, friend or business, the benefits of such a paging System will be tremendous. 1 013051

Individuals sending paging messages will be able to request from the paging network the globallocation where the paging message was sent. This will enable a caller to know the worldwidelocation of a callee or subscriber in possession of the call receiver each time a paging message issent. To the network provider, the cost of transmitting a message to a subscriber will be reducedas pages will be targeted to spécifie global areas rather than using the conventional blind pagingtechnique. A subscriber in possession of the call receiver will hâve the ability to obtaincontinuing global positioning information whenever necessary. A subscriber may allow callerssending a message to obtain positioning information from the network that will reveal theglobal position or location of the call receiver in certain instances while blocking suchinformation from being divulged to callers in other instances. In an emergency situation thepaging network could provide information regarding the global location of a distressed subscriberin possession of the call receiver. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

This invention will provide a call receiver or pager with means to receive, store, and replay voiceand alphanumeric messages transmitted from satellites and earth based communication means.

This invention will provide a call receiver with means to résolve a global position(latitude,longitude) from signais transmitted from satellites and earth based communication means.

This invention will provide an effective means to allow a subscriber to prevent their globalposition from being divulged to a caller or callers at certain instances, while allowing suchinformation to be divulged at other instances.

This invention will provide a means to alert a user in possession of the call receiver or pager eachtime they are out of their pre-selected or current active paging area.

This invention will provide an efficient means to update the paging network, the current globalposition of the call receiver. 2 013051

This invention will provide an efficient means for a call receiver, to concurrently processpositioning and paging messages transmitted from satellites and earth based communicationmeans.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the global satellite paging network in accordance with the présent invention.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the call receiver or pager in accordance with the présentinvention.

Figure 3 shows a flow chart illustrating the operation of a paging network control station eachtime a caller request for the global position of a call receiver.

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of a call receiver when a global position isresolved in an attempt to détermine if the call receiver is out of their paging area.

Best Mode for Carrying Out Invention

The présent system will consist of satellites in space [2], communicating with earth basedstations [4] and the call receiver or pager [8]. Ground based transmitters [10] will be employed totransmit pages to the call receiver[8], Terrestrial network control stations [6], will be employedto effectively control the activities of the entire global paging network. The system will bedeveloped such that a call receiver or pager operating under an existing paging Systems willwork.

Upon subscribing to a paging network a subscriber selects global areas (pre-selected pagingareas) where they wish to receive paging messages. The pre-selected areas, pager ID, pagingprotocol and other relevant information of the call receiver are stored in the data library of apaging control station[6] for ail pagers utilizing the paging network. A call receiver[8], willperiodically résolve a global position from signais transmitted from satellites and earth basedcommunication means. The resolved global position will be periodically utilized to update thenetwork each time a user is out of their paging area or each time the paging network requests a call receiver to disclose their global position. This will enable the paging network to know the 3 013051 exact global location of a call receiver whenever the need arises. Messages received for a call receiver are processed by the network and transmitted to the global or active area of the call receiver.

To initiate a page, a caller may use any regular communication device such as a téléphoné toaccess the paging network. The caller may add spécifie codes to a paging message to enable thepaging network to disclose the call receiver’s global position after the message is transmitted.The caller’s message is firstly processed by the local téléphoné switching office [9] beforetransmission to the paging control station[6]. The paging control station [6] will be employed tocontrol ail the activities of the network. Upon receiving a paging message, a paging controlstation décodés the message for relevant information such as pager ID and détermines if a callerrequires the global position of the pager. Other relevant information such as the paging protocolof the call receiver, pre-selected or preferred worldwide areas to receive pages and the currentactive area of the call receiver are retrieved from the paging control station’s data library. Thepaging control station [6] validâtes the current active area of the call receiver with the callreceiver’s pre-selected areas to receive pages. If the call receiver’s current active area is validand within a pre-defined time interval the message is transmitted to the call receiver. If thecurrent active area is invalid (call receiver is out of pre-selected paging area) the message is nottransmitted to the callee and the caller is notified. In instances where the current active area of thecall receiver is valid but the call receiver has not updated the network with its current positionover a pre-defined time period, the paging control station will encode the message such that arequest will be placed for the call receiver to update its current active global position. As asubscriber of the paging network can only travel a limited distance by air, land or sea within apre-defined time interval; the paging network, based upon when a call receiver last updated theirglobal location will select appropriate earth based stations and space satellites to transmit themessage to the call receiver at specified worldwide locations. The call receiver upon receivingthis signal will disclose their global location.

As a user travels from city to city or country to country, the call receiver will periodically résolvea global position from signais transmitted from satellites and earth based communication means.This information will be utilized by the call receiver or user in possession of the call receiver toupdate the current active area held by the paging network for that call receiver. Also, the callreceiver will store this information in its memory such that future resolved global positions coul<^ 4 013051 be validated against this information to ensure that the active area currently held and utilized bythe paging network to transmit pages to the call receiver is not outdated.

Once a control station détermines where a message will be sent, the control station déterminesthe best possible way to transmit the message. With a knowledge of the geographical distributionof ail earth based satellite transmitters[4] , ground base transmitter stations [10] and spacesatellites [2], the paging control station[6] will encode a message such that the sequence oftransmission of the message will be included. The ID of ail the ground stations or space satellitesthat will be employed in the message transmission chain will be encoded in a chronological orderand the message will be routed to the first ground station. This station could be an earth stationthat transmits directly to satellite[4],or a ground based transmitter[10]. For example, after apaging control station encodes a message and détermines which stations (earth or satellite)should transmit the message, the message is routed to the first earth station. The first earth stationcould either transmit the message directly to satellite or beam the message to their coverage area.Subséquent stations that receive the message décodé the message and détermine if other stationsare required to transmit the message. If other stations are required to transmit the message thecurrent station re-encodes the message so as to eliminate itself from the message transmissionchain before retransmitting the message to the next station. By re-encoding the message an earthstation or satellite station will prevent subséquent stations involved in the message transmissionchain to retransmit the message back to that station. If an earth station or satellite détermines it isrequired to broadcast a message, the message is beamed to the area covered by that station. Thetransmission chain continues until the last station broadcasts the message and acknowledges witha status signal which is sent back to the paging control station. Upon receiving this signal, theground control station can alert the caller that the message was successfully sent. Therefore, witha knowledge of the geographical distribution of the paging network’s earth and satellitetransmitters, and a knowledge of the current active area of a call receiver, a ground controlpaging station could effectively encode a caller’s message to include ail satellite and earth basedstations that will be employed in the message transmission chain. This will eventually minimizethe risk of a satellite or earth based transmitter from being overloaded.

Once a paging control station[6] receives a message from a caller, the control station, déterminesif the caller requested the global position of the call receiver. The control station then vérifiésfrom its data library if the positioning disclosure feature for that call receiver or pager has notbeen blocked by the subscriber. Each call receiver will hâve a spécial code whereby if identifie^ 5 013051 in a caller’s paging information, will allow the paging control station to disclose the callreceiver’s global position. If such a code is not detected in a callers message and the callerrequested the global location of a callee in possession of the call receiver, the caller will beimmediately notified that their request was not authorized by the subscriber or callee. Asubscriber may change their positioning disclosure code at anytime and reveal such informationonly to individuals who could acquire information regarding their global whereabouts from thepaging network. The paging network will only override the users request and disclose asubscribers global position only in an emergency circumstance.

If the positioning disclosure feature is blocked for any call, a message is sent to the callerindicating that the subscriber does not wish their current global position disclosed. If thepositioning disclosure feature is active, the control station retrieves the coordinates of the callreceiver’s global position and encodes that information before transmission to the caller. Suchinformation may describe the latitude and longitude of the subscriber including a more simplifiedinformation such as the country, city or town were the message was sent. The steps carried out bythe control station during this process are best illustrated in step 1, fig. 3. In this illustration, thepaging control station upon receiving a paging message décodés the message and checks if themessage includes a request for the call receiver’s global position. If such information is notrequired the message is processed normally. If the call receiver’s global position is required andthe positioning disclosure code is detected, the call receiver’s positioning information is retrievedfrom the data bank of the paging control station. If the information retrieved from the pagingcontrol station’s databank is unavailable or out of date, a request could be made that the callreceiver’s disclose its current position. If the control station establishes that the positioningdisclosure feature is blocked for that message, the caller is immediately notified with theappropriate message. If the call receiver’s positioning disclosure feature for the message inprocess is active, the positioning information of the call receiver is processed and transmitted tothe caller and the caller’s message is processed for dispatch to the call receiver as previouslydisclosed.

For global positioning, the call receiver will be pre-programmed to periodically résolve a positionfrom signais transmitted from satellites and earth based communication means. Some of thesatellites and earth based transmitters used to transmit paging information could be employed totransmit referenced positioning signais to the call receivers. Alternatively the Global PositioningSystem well known in the art as GPS could also be utilized by the call receiver to résolve a 6 013051 global position. However the call receiver should hâve a means to résolve a global position fromL-band signais transmitted from at least one satellite, depending on the resolving techniqueemployed. GPS is currently being used to provide worldwide positioning information to mobileusers around the globe. Such positioning information has an accüracy of about one hundredmeters and could further be improved to an accüracy of five meters if referenced signais fromground based transmitters are utilized in the resolving process. A fully operational GlobalPositioning System includes up to 24 satellites dispersed around six circular orbits. Thedispersion and inclination of the satellites is such that at least three or more satellites are readilyvisible from most parts on the earth surface. In a typical example, for a call receiver to résolve aglobal position, the call receiver need to solve for two variables of position, latitude andlongitude. The satellites, equipped with atomic docks act as a beacon and transmit signais thattell the call receiver where it is and what time the signal was sent. From this information, a callreceiver can détermine how far it is from the satellite by comparing the time sent with the timereceived and multiplying by the speed of light (distance = velocity * time). Since there is a biasbetween the GPS time and the user’s time, a third variable time will be required. Having threesatellites in view at any point in time, a call receiver will be able to solve for latitude, longitudeand time. For three dimensional positioning a fourth variable and satellite will be required. Uponresolving a global position the call receiver or pager could update the network with its présentglobal location or the call receiver could alert a user when they are out of their active orpreselected global areas to receive pages.

THE CALL RECEIVER OR PAGER

The call receiver (figure 2) will receive messages transmitted from satellites and terrestrial basedtransmitters through the transceiver [101]. The connecting circuitry [102] of the call receiver,controlled by the CPU [108], will route satellite based signais via 202 to the satellite receivingmeans[103] and terrestrial based signais via 203 to the terrestrial receiving means[104], Theconnecting circuitry may include a filter arrangement and a switch that will allow L - band orsatellite ffequencies to pass via 202 and terrestrial or Ultra High Frequencies to pass via 203.This signais could either be paging message signais or global positioning signais. Thereforedepending on the pre-loaded protocols and initialization data, the CPU will drive the connectingcircuitry [102], satellite receiving means [103], terrestrial receiving means [104] to scan andprocess spécifie frequencies^ 7 013051

Satellite signais are processed by the satellite receiving means [103]. This unit will processglobal positioning satellite signais and satellite message signais. The satellite receiving unit willinclude satellite signal amplifiers, mixers and filters that will convert the L band globalpositioning and message signais received from the connecting circuit [102] to an appropriatelevel for efficient processing by the decoding circuit [105]. The satellite receiving meanscircuitry is well known by any one well skilled in the art. The operation of this unit is controlledby the microprocessor or CPU [108] via 206.

The CPU détermines the appropriate intermediate frequencies and output signais that will begenerated by the satellite receiving unit [103]. This is based on the initialization parameters pre-loaded in the ROM [110] of the call receiver. The CPU Controls the satellite receiving unit via206, and the output signais produced by the satellite receiving unit [103] are routed via 205 to thedecoder[105] for intelligence extraction and error correction. Décoder [105] is controlled by theCPU [108] via 209. Transmission of data directly by Décoder [105] or Décoder [106] to theCPU input port via 210 is determined by the CPU. If the CPU détermines satellite messages areof high priority Décoder [105] is signaled via 209 to transmit data directly to the CPU via 210and Décoder [106] is signaled via 213 to temporary hold its data. Décoder [106] will store itsdata in the Temporary Store [107] via 211 for later retrie val by the CPU. If terrestrial basedsignais are of a higher priority Décoder [105] is signaled to temporary hold its data. Again eachdécoder could be equipped with a store eliminating the use of the Temporary Store [107], If adécoder is not equipped with storage means, the décoder could download its data via 211 to thetemporary data storage while the other décoder will transmit directly to the CPU via 210. Ifmultiple decoders are required to décodé multiple satellite and earth based signais (message andpositioning signais), the CPU could again détermine when each décoder should transmit it’s datato the CPU’s input port, with each décoder equipped with the appropriate storage means totemporarily hold it’s data until such transmit instruction is received from the CPU.

Terrestrial based signais will be processed by the terrestrial receiving means [104]. This UHF orVHF signais will be routed by the connecting circuitry [102] via 203 to the terrestrialreceiver[104], Again, the terrestrial receiving unit will include Ultra High Frequency (UHF) orVery High Frequency (VHF) amplifiers, filters and down converting circuitry to process thesignal from 203 to an appropriate level for efficient processing by decoder[106]. Directtransmission of data from décoder 2 [106] to the CPU via 210 will be controlled by the CPU. Thq^ 8 013051 operation of this part of the receiver will be similar to the satellite receiving end. Therefore, the CPU [108] will control the operation of the connecting circuitry, the satellite and terrestrial receiving means. The CPU[108] will hâve the ability to détermine exactly when a satellite or terrestrial message or positioning signal is received and processed.

Once the CPU complétés processing data from a decoder[106,107], the CPU retrieves data fromthe temporary data storage[107] for processing. As previously stated multiple decoders could beemployed. In this situation each décoder will hâve the ability to store or hold its data temporarilyor use the temporary storage [107] until signaled by the CPU to transmit data directly via 210.Relevant communication links will be added to interface the newly added decoders to theCPU[108], satellite receiving unit [103], and the terrestrial receiving unit[104], With thistechnique ail message and positioning signais transmitted from either satellite or earth basedcommunication means will be eventually decoded and processed by the CPU, with rarely anymessage being lost or corrupted in this process.

To conserve receiver power, the CPU could be pre-programmed so as to control the connectingcircuitry [102], the satellite receiving module [103], and the terrestrial receiving module[104], toprocess positioning signais periodically. In this situation only paging messages (voice andalphanumeric) will be allowed to pass, while positioning information signais will be periodicallyblocked. If a paging message received requires the call receiver to disclose its current globallocation, the CPU[108] upon detecting this request will allow the call receiver to résolve a globalposition from satellite and earth based referenced signais before resuming operation normally.

If a decoded message received by the CPU via 210 is voice or alphanumeric, the CPU alerts theuser either through the display [114], alert means [116] or audio means [111] as to the presenceof a new message. Alphanumeric messages are displayed through the display , while voicemessages are routed to the digital to analog (D/A) converter[113], so that they are converted totheir analog format by the D/A converter. The analog signal is amplified by the amplifier [112],and the amplified signal is used to drive the audio means [111] (speaker or earphone). Thememory means [115] is used to store messages for future replay by the user. These messages arefirst compressed by the CPU before storage in memory. Prior to replay or redisplay the messagesare decompressed^ 9 013051

Once a user subscribes to the global paging network, the call receiver is initialized. Relevant data such as the paging protocols, frequencies, preferred paging locations and other relevant data are down loaded into the ROM[110] of the call receiver. As the user travels from one global location to another, this information will be used by the CPU to control the actions of ail modules of the call receiver. A call receiver will hâve the ability to résolve a global position from signais transmitted fromsatellites and earth based communication means. Periodically, the call receiver will résolve aglobal position from these signais and compare it to reference encoded global positioncoordinates pre-loaded in its ROM [110]. If the CPU [108] establishes that the current globalposition of the call receiver is not within the user’s preferred location to receive pages, the user isimmediately alerted that they are out of their paging area and no paging messages will bereceived. If the call receiver’s current active area to receive pages is not within the previouslystored active areas, the user is alerted to update the paging network with their current active area.The network may also request the call receiver for its current global position. If such a messageis received the callee or user in possession of the call receiver is notified that an update of thenetwork is required. The call receiver will scan for the strongest network communicatingchannel via transceiver[101]. If such a link is established, the call receiver will automaticallyupdate the network with its current global positioning coordinates. In circumstances where thecall receiver does not find a suitable network channel for direct communication, the call receiverwill alert the user that no RF communicating channel was found for automatic update of itscurrent global position. In this situation a user could update the network by calling in anddisclosing their current global coordinates resolved by the call receiver. If the user is required toupdate the network, the call receiver will periodically alert the user to update the network until aninput is received from the user through input panel [109] via 220 indicating that the action hastaken place. The CPU[108] will store in its memory the current resolved global position of thecall receiver as the current active area of the call receiver held by the paging network. This willenable the CPU to détermine when an active area update of the paging network is requiredwithout waiting for the network to request for such information. The actions undertaken by thecall receiver during this processes are best illustrated in Step 2, figure 4. In this illustration, thecall receiver first résolves a global position. Such a request might hâve been initiated from theuser through input panel [109], the paging network or from within the call receiver’s CPU. Uponresolving a global position, the call receiver validâtes this position with the pre-selected areas to receive pages usually stored in the ROM. If the pre-selected areas are valid, the call receiver. 10 013051 further checks if its current active area to receive pages is valid. If the call receiver’s current active area to receive pages is valid, the CPU checks if the paging network requires the current global coordinates of the pager. If the network does not require the call receiver to update its position, the call receiver résumés operation normally. If the current active area of the call 5 receiver is invalid or the pre-selected area to receive pages is invalid or the network hadrequested for the call receiver’s global location, the call receiver searches for the strongestnetwork communication channel to transmit its current global position. If such a channel isfound the network is automatically updated. If no such channel is found the user is alerted toupdate the network with the current global coordinates resolved by the call receiver. 10

At any point in time a subscriber could use the call receiver or any relevant terrestrialcommunication device to activate or deactivate their positioning disclosure feature from the network. In the deactivated mode the network will not disclose a subscriber’s global location to a caller requesting that information. A user may override the periodic global positioning15 resolving feature of the call receiver to obtain a current global position through the input panel [109] at any time. Once the CPU[108] résolves and makes this information available to the user,the terrestrial receiving means [104] , satellite receiving means [103] and the connectingcircuit[102] will be signaled to résumé operation normally. With the aid of the input panel [109]and the display [114] relevant information such as current active paging area, pre-selected areas,20 and the call receiver’s current global position will always be made available to a user such that anupdate of the paging network could be done by a user in possession of the call receiver at anypoint in time and at any global location without a request from the network. w il

Claims

01 305 1 We claim:

1. A communication System comprising: a network of signal transmitting and receiving units; a mobile remote unit able to communicate with at least a signal transmitting andreceiving unit to establish mobile remote unit location information at the network; a pool of signal transmitting and receiving units front the said network, sotne ofwhich are pre-authorized to be able to access the location of the mobile remote unit at thenetwork for a time; the System able to accept or deny the provision of mobile remote unit locationinformation to a network resource selected front the said pool of preauthorized signaltransmitting and receiving units, during the said time; wherein the location of the mobile remote unit is continuously tracked during the tintethat the location is being denied to said network resource selected from said pool ofpreauthorized signal transmitting and receiving units, 2 The communication System of claim 1, the network of signal transmitting andreceiving units includes a terrestrial control station and at least one of terrestrial signaltransmitting and receiving stations and satellite signal transmitting and receiving stations.
3. The communication System of claim 1, the remote receiving unit having means forproviding the network of signal transmitting and receiving units with location dépendentinformation.
4. The communication System of claims 1, the remote unit comprising: means to résolve a global position from a signal received from a po3itioning transmitterconnecting means to connect satellite signais to a satellite receiving end and terrestrial signais to a terrestrial receiving end, satellite receiving means for receiving and processing satellite pnsitioningand message signais; terrestrial receiving means for receiving and processing terrestrial positiomng andmessage signais; 12 01 305 1
5. The communication System of daim 4, thc remots unit further comprisingstorage nteans to hold either data fromthe satellite or terrestrial receiving circuitry while the other is being processed;
6. A communication System compnsing. (i) a mobile remote receiving unit located ai a first network node or géographie area; (ii) a network of communication resources; (iii) preauthorizing some of the communication resources to be able to obtain thelocation of the mobile remote unit at a given time wherein the location of the mobile istracked within the System, fiv) a control unit located. ot a second network node. the control unit capable ofvalidating a pre-authorized request for the location information of the mobile remote unitand capable of querying for mobile remote unit location disclosure instruction at the network, (v) the control unit able to utilize the said location disclosure instruction for themobile remote unit to allow' the provision of mobile remote unit location information tocertain network resources of step (iii) whüe blocking sucb information from being divulgedto other network. resources (iii) at the given time;
7. The communication System of daim 6 including means for detecring an absence ofcommunication with the remote receiving unit.
8. The communication System of daim 6, the signal transmitting and receiving unitsincluding satellite units and terrestrial units.
9. The communication System of daim 6 further comprising at least one positioning transmitter for transmitting posilioning information, the remotereceiving unit being capable of establishing the position of the remote receiving unit fromthetransmitting positioning information and selectively providing the established remotereceiving unit position information to the network of signal transmitting and receiving units. 01305 1
10. The communication System of claim 9, the remote receiving unit being capable ofcommunication with the at least one positioning transmuter and capable of two waycommunication with the network of signal transmitting and receiving umts to disclose aglobal location to the network
11. A method for divulging or bloeking the information of a mobile remote unit receivingunit associated with a network comprising: receiving a request al the network for information of the mobile remote receiving unit;îdantifying the source of request, verifying lhat the source of request is pre-authorized to access information of themobile remote unit at the network: querying at the network for information disclosure instruction for the mobile remoteunit pertaining to the source of request; using the said queried instruction to allow or block mobile remote unit information tothe pre-authorized source of request;
12. The method of claim J1 wherein the step of querying at the network for informationdisclosure instruction for the mobile remote unit may further include communicating with themobile remote receiving unit to obtain information disclosure instruction firom the mobileremote receiving unit;
13. The method of daim 11 further comprising providing positional information about the remote receiving unit to the remote receiving unit;transmitting the positional information front the remote receiving unit to the network.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising periodically transmitting a sensory signal firom the remote receiving until transmitting thepositional information is successfully completed.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing positional information about the remote receiving unit to the remote receiving unit; comparing the positional information with pre-selected active areas stored in theremote receiving unit; 14 01 305 1 generating a sensorv signal at the remote receiving unit if the comporison ie négative;updating the network with the positional information of the remote receiving unit.
16. The method of daim 15 fiirther comprising adding the active area corresponding to the positional information to the pre-selectedactive areas stored in the remote receiving unit.
17. A method for limiting access to the location information of a mobile remote mut to anetwork of communication resources some of which are pre-authorized to access the locationof the remote unit comprising. (i) obtaining identification information of the renwie unit; (ii) sclecting a pre-authorized communication resource from the said network of pre-authorized communication resources; (iii) specifying by wav of a location disclosure information for the mohile remote unit,whether the pre-authorized communication resource of step (ii) should be disallowed orallowed to access the location information of the remote unit at the network, (iv) exposing the location disclosure information at the network; (v) using tire exposed location disclosure information at the network to limit access tothe location information of the remote unit to the pre-authorized communication resource ofstep (ii);
18. The method of claitn 17 wherein the step of exposing the said location disclosureinformation for the purpose of limiting access to the location information of the remote unitmay also include forw arding the said specified location disclosure information to a second communication node at the network;
19. A mobile communication System co mprising: (i) a mobile remota unit; (ii) at least a first network resource residing at a network node different fromthaï of the said mobile remote unit, the at leasL fiist network resource able to pro videa pre-authorized service for the mobile remote unit at the network; 15 01 305 1 (iii) ai least a second network communication resource pre-authorized and able toaccess the said service at the network; (îv) at least a third network resource able to provide to the at least first networkresouive, information indicating when the said pre-authorized service could be inhibited froifla network communication resource selected from (iii), for a time; (v) the at least first network résout ce able to utilize the said information provided bvthe at least second communication resource, to inhibit for a time, the provision ofthe saidpre-authorized service to the network resource selected from (iii): (vi) wherein the at least first network resource continues to provide said preauthorizedservice to other preauthonzed network resources of (iii) during the time that access to saidservice is being denied to a preauthorized network resource selected from (iii)
20. The System of daim 19 the mobile remote unit able to provide mobile remote unitlocation information to the network and the at least first network resource able to utilize thesaid mobile remote unit location information to provide a pre-authorized service for themobile remote unit,
21. The System of claim 19 the at least second network resource being able to operatewithin the mobile remote unit;
22. A communication System for limxting access to a pre-authorized location basedservice provided for a mobile lemotc by the System, wherein the mobile remote unit isestablishing its location for use by the System, the System comprising: i) a network of communication resources some of which are able to communicatewith the mobile remote unit; ii) at least a first communication network resource preauthorized to be able to access said location based service at the network; iii) at least a second network communication resource able to inhibit a pre-authorizednetwork resource according to (ii) firom accessing the said location based service for a timewhile allowing other network resources of (ίί) to access the said location based service. 16 013051
23. The System of claim 22 sa)h location based service fui hier including, obtaining mobile remote unit location information at the network and providing it to the at least first network communication resource, and the at least second network communication rcsource able to operate wilhin the mobile remote unit.
24. A communication System for accepting or denying access to the location informationof a mobile remote associated with the System, such a system comprising: the mobile remote unit able to communicate with the System to estabhsh mobileremote unit location information; a network of communication resources also associated with the System and some ofwhich are pre-aulhuùzed to obtain said establish mobile remote location information frontthe System; the mobile remote unit able to accept or deny the provision of said establish mobileremote unit location information to a pre-authorized communication resource selected frontthe network of pre-authonzed communication resources tirât are able to access the locationinformation of the remote unit at the network;.
25. The System of claim 24, die mobile remoto unit able to disclose mobile remote unitlocation information to the System when the pre-authorized communication resource is beingdenied access to the location information of the mobile remote unit.
26. The system of claim 24, a network communication resource able to generate a requestfor the location information of the mobile remote unit and the mobile remote unit being ableto accept or deny the provision of its location information to the requestor.
27. A method for transmitting a message to a remote receiving unit by a netw ork of signaltransmitting and receiving units comprising: configuring the message to include the addresses of at least selected signaltransmitting and receiving units of the network; transmitting the message to a first signal transmitting and receiving unit of thenetwork; re-transmitting the message from the first signal transmitting and receiving unit of thenetwork and seriallv from succeeding signal transmitting and receiving units of the networkto at least some of the selected signal transmitting and receiving units of the network. 17