Co-located Transceiver Location Accuracy via Virtual Centroid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location services face inaccuracies when estimating the location of co-located sectored cell sites, particularly due to uneven distribution of user locations, leading to increased errors in determining mobile device positions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that identify co-located transceivers at sectored cell sites, determine a virtual transceiver location by averaging individual transceiver location estimates, and assign this location to each transceiver, effectively combining location estimates to reduce errors and improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If location estimate of each transceiver is determined independently, then individual transceiver locations can be calculated, but accuracy deteriorates due to uneven user distribution and bias
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines location estimates from multiple transceivers co-located at the same cell site by calculating an average position. This merging approach reduces the impact of uneven user distribution on any single transceiver and eliminates bias toward dominant sectors, thereby improving both measurement precision and reliability of the location estimate.
2Ease of operation
If centroid of mobile device positions is used to estimate cell site location, then location can be determined from user data, but error increases when users are not evenly distributed about the transceiver
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on centroid calculation from potentially unevenly distributed users, the patent merges location estimates from multiple transceivers at the same cell site. This approach maintains the ease of using user data while improving accuracy by averaging across multiple transceiver perspectives, reducing the bias introduced by uneven user distribution.
3Ease of operation
If GPS receiver is used to determine mobile device location, then location can be obtained, but accuracy is insufficient in particular radio frequency environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using cell site transceiver locations as reference points for network-based location estimation. Instead of relying directly on GPS signals that may be blocked or inaccurate in certain RF environments, the system uses independently determined transceiver positions combined with signal strength measurements to calculate mobile device location, thereby maintaining service availability while improving accuracy in GPS-challenged environments.
Data Source
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AI summary
Improved location estimates for transceivers is described. The location estimate of transceivers can be improved for sector transceivers that are co-located at a sectored cell site. The location estimate for each individual co-located sector transceiver can be updated as a centroid of all of the co-located sector transceivers. The location information of the transceivers can be used to provide network location estimation to mobile devices which do not have accurate positioning estimates.