Adaptive Cell Location via Iterative Outlier Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current geographic location determination methods in cellular communications networks are inaccurate due to large cell coverage areas and the lack of precise location data for cell towers, especially for non-GPS-enabled devices and in areas with weak GPS signals.
Innovation Solution
A server computer uses location information from GPS-enabled mobile devices to calculate an average geographic location and error margin within a cell, iteratively excluding outliers to provide a precise estimated location for both GPS-enabled and non-GPS-enabled devices, which is more accurate and up-to-date based on real-time data from mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the cell tower location is used to determine mobile device location, then the location estimation is simple to implement, but the accuracy is poor due to large cell coverage areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses mobile devices themselves to provide location data that defines cell boundaries. Location-aware mobile devices report their positions, and these positions are used by the server to dynamically determine cell boundaries, eliminating the need for complex external surveying or fixed tower-based definitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The server pre-calculates cell boundaries based on collected location data before location estimation is needed. The system accumulates location reports from multiple devices, computes the convex hull to define cell boundaries in advance, and stores this information for rapid retrieval when a device needs location estimation.
2Reliability
If cell boundaries are defined by cell tower locations, then the system is easy to maintain, but the data is not up-to-date as it relies on service provider or government databases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously collects location data from mobile devices and uses this feedback to update cell boundary definitions. The server monitors location reports, recalculates cell boundaries based on the convex hull of reported positions, and maintains current geographic area definitions without relying on external databases.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that collects raw location data from multiple mobile devices and transforms it into defined cell boundaries. Rather than directly using tower locations or external database entries, the server mediates between device reports and the final cell definition through convex hull calculation.
3Measurement precision
If GPS signals are used for location determination, then high accuracy is achieved, but the system fails in areas with weak GPS signals such as inside buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides a universal location estimation method that works both when GPS signals are strong and when they are weak. By using cell-based location determination as a fallback or complementary method, the system maintains functionality across different environmental conditions without requiring GPS to be the sole mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inexpensive cell tower infrastructure and simple location reporting from mobile devices instead of relying on expensive and fragile GPS satellite signals. The cell-based approach provides a robust alternative that doesn't require line-of-sight to satellites and works reliably in urban canyons and indoor environments.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, program products, and systems for adaptive location determination are described. A server computer can receive location information from location-aware mobile devices (e.g., GPS-enabled devices) located in a cell of a cellular communications network. The server computer can calculate an average geographic location using the received locations and distance between each location and the calculated average. The server computer can exclude locations that are sufficiently far away from the average. The server computer can repeat the calculation and exclusion until a level of precision is achieved for the average geographic location. The average geographic location and an error margin can be associated with the cell. The server computer can provide the average geographic location and the error margin to a mobile device (e.g., a non-GPS-enabled device) that is in the cell. The mobile device can display the information on a map display of the mobile device.