Science & Technology 
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Tue, February 10, 2009
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.: TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. Issued U.S. Patent for Assisted GPS Location of Handsets
ANNAPOLIS, MD--(Marketwire - February 10, 2009) - TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (
The patent describes a means for prioritized selection of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites for use in computing location, where GPS satellites are defined as higher priority and lower priority based on the dwell time that each satellite remains in a defined geometric shape.
In a conventional GPS system, data is provided to each GPS-enabled device that allows the device to keep track of where each of the relevant satellites should be located at the time a fix is to be computed. When a location is requested, the device determines which of the 24 or more GPS satellites are to be used for determining location. This requires more time than is typically acceptable to a mobile user. This TCS invention allows a mobile subscriber's location to be determined more quickly and accurately than conventional GPS or assisted GPS (A-GPS) methods. By selecting two smaller groups of satellites, the mobile device using the patented technology needs much less time to compute the device's latitude and longitude.
"A-GPS technology has been chosen by both CDMA and GSM carriers and by handset vendors as the preferred method for quickly computing precise location in mobile networks," said Drew Morin, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for TCS. "TCS will continue to support mobile operator's A-GPS deployments with our Xypoint® products and services."
This latest A-GPS patent represents the ninth in TCS' A-GPS patent portfolio. A-GPS usage is expected to grow as operators worldwide deploy A-GPS handsets and infrastructure for precise location-determination requirements. ABI Research recently stated that 225 million GPS enabled handsets were shipped in 2008, and that figure is expected to increase to more than 550 million GPS-enabled handsets by 2012.
TCS now holds 69 patents with 212 applications pending.
About the patent
There are 29 satellites in the GPS network, each orbiting the Earth approximately six times per day. As a user moves his or her wireless GPS device from one location to another, the satellites in view relative to that location change. GPS devices attempting to determine the user's position can now take advantage of this invention and receive a culled list of satellites from which a faster and more accurate location can be determined.
The "Culled Satellite Ephemeris Information for Quick, Accurate Assisted Locating Satellite Location Determination for Cell Site Antennas" patent describes a method and apparatus for culling satellites into two smaller sub-groups identified as being a higher priority and a lower priority for determining the location of a mobile device. The two groups are selected by the dwell time the satellites remain in a defined geometric shape above a reference point physically distant from the mobile device. The reference point can be a wireless base station. The selecting of the satellites can be done by the mobile device or by the wireless base station that the mobile device is in communication.
About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS)
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that if incorrect would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Risks include without limitation those detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.