Asynchronous Mobile Station Location Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location estimation methods in wireless telecommunications networks are limited by their reliance on specific triggers, such as calls or identifiers, which do not allow for continuous and asynchronous updating of mobile station locations, especially for roaming stations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that continuously monitor communication links, like the Abis links, to detect International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and Network Measurement Reports (NMR) for all mobile stations in a geographic region, using a list and database to maintain freshness and generate location estimates based on sequential indexing, independent of specific network events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If location estimation is triggered by specific network events (calls, identifiers), then the system complexity is reduced and energy consumption is lowered, but location updates are discontinuous and roaming stations cannot be continuously tracked
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring and storing IMSI and NMR data from all mobile stations before location estimation is needed. This pre-capturing of data enables immediate location updates without triggering network events, resolving the contradiction between continuous tracking and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of communication links to capture IMSI and NMR data streams without interruption. This continuous data collection, combined with asynchronous processing, maintains uninterrupted location tracking for all mobile stations including roamers, while decoupling the monitoring function from the location estimation function to manage complexity.
2Reliability
If location estimation is triggered by specific network events, then energy consumption is reduced, but location service responsiveness is delayed and unreliable for roaming stations
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-processes and stores IMSI and NMR data continuously before location requests occur. This preliminary data preparation ensures that location estimates can be generated immediately and reliably when needed, without requiring energy-intensive network triggering events, thus improving reliability while managing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system operates autonomously to capture and maintain location data without requiring external triggers or additional energy from mobile stations. The system serves itself by continuously populating databases with IMSI and NMR information, ensuring location service reliability without increasing mobile station energy consumption.
3Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring of all mobile stations is implemented, then location accuracy for roaming stations is improved, but data processing load and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the continuous data stream into discrete IMSI and NMR records that are stored in separate database structures. This segmentation allows efficient indexing and retrieval of location data without processing the entire data stream continuously, reducing the effective data processing load while maintaining location accuracy for all mobile stations including roamers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization and indexing of IMSI and NMR data as they are captured, arranging them in searchable database structures before location estimation is needed. This pre-organization reduces the processing load during actual location queries, enabling high location accuracy without proportionally increasing real-time processing requirements.
4Ease of operation
If trigger-based location estimation is used, then system operation is simpler and easier to manage, but location updates are not continuous and roaming stations are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-captures and maintains IMSI and NMR data continuously in databases before location estimation is required. This preliminary data availability ensures that location information is never lost for roaming stations, while the actual location estimation process remains simple and trigger-based, preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces databases as intermediary storage structures between the monitoring system and location estimation function. These databases hold IMSI and NMR data, decoupling the continuous data collection from the on-demand location estimation, thus preventing information loss while maintaining simple system operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for triggering location estimation of mobile stations in a geographic region of interest. The disclosed system includes a list of International Mobile Subscriber Identities (“IMSI”) used to track which mobile stations are to have location estimates generated, a database of Network Measurement Reports (“NMR”) used for generating the location estimates, and a location engine. The system operates as a group of concurrently executing processes that i) process IMSIs and NMRs that are extracted by and received from probes that monitor communication links; ii) generate location estimates of mobile stations in the region of interest, based on a sequential indexing of the IMSI list; iii) maintain the freshness of the NMR database; and iv) maintain the freshness of the IMSI list. These processes operate such that the triggering of the location estimations occurs asynchronously with respect to the detection of information on the communication links.