Disclosed is a method and apparatus for locating a wireless device especially
useful for locating a cellular telephone making a call from an unknown location.
The call may be a request for emergency assistance, or for location-based commercial
services, for example. Various embodiments may optionally include a mobile location
component, a cellular telephone enabled to chirp-on-demand, and/or an interferometer
link. A mobile location component may include a directional antenna. The directional
antenna may be mounted on an antenna boom on top of an emergency vehicle, for example.
The mobile location component may alternately or additionally comprise a hand-held
unit. System elements may cooperate to generate a situation awareness map or other
display. The mobile location component may be moved in the general direction of
a first location calculation associated with a first circular error of probability.
After being moved in the general direction, the mobile location component may cooperate
with other elements to determine a second location calculation associated with
a second circular error of probability. Second and subsequent location calculations
are of increasing precision, enabling an emergency vehicle or attendant to zero
in on a cellular telephone.