Mobile Device Location Determination Using Broadcast Transmission Point Coordinates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current location-based services for mobile devices face challenges such as GPS signal unavailability indoors and in urban areas, high power consumption, and inability to distinguish devices on different floors due to lack of altitude information, with existing alternative techniques offering limited accuracy for device location estimation.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where mobile devices receive broadcasted location information messages from transmission points in a wireless network, allowing them to determine their location using physical layer detection information and triangulation or multilateration techniques, without requiring a separate infrastructure for location information provision, by utilizing existing wireless communication infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS system is used for location determination, then absolute geographic location information is obtained, but GPS signal is unavailable indoors or in urban areas and extensive power is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces transmission points (base stations) as intermediary elements that broadcast their location information to enable device positioning without requiring direct GPS satellite reception. These transmission points serve as mediators between the satellite system and the mobile device, allowing location determination through wireless signal exchange rather than direct line-of-sight GPS reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device performs autonomous location calculation by receiving broadcast location information from multiple transmission points and independently computing its position using triangulation or multilateration algorithms. The device serves itself by processing the received signals and determining its location without requiring continuous GPS satellite contact or external positioning assistance.
2Measurement precision
If GPS system is used for location determination, then absolute geographic location is obtained, but extensive power is consumed in computing the location
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs location calculation only periodically or when needed, rather than continuously tracking GPS satellites. By using broadcast location information from transmission points and calculating position only when sufficient signals are available, the device reduces computational overhead and power consumption while maintaining acceptable location accuracy.
3Device complexity
If traditional positioning techniques are used, then location information is obtained, but accuracy is limited to cell or access point level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional cell-level or access point-level location identification to three-dimensional precise geometric positioning by utilizing signal propagation time measurements from multiple transmission points. This dimensional enhancement enables sub-cell level accuracy through triangulation and multilateration calculations based on distance measurements.
4Measurement precision
If location information is broadcasted from multiple transmission points, then location determination accuracy is improved, but resource search burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
Transmission points pre-broadcast their location information along with synchronization signals, so that mobile devices can acquire location data as part of their initial network synchronization process. This preliminary broadcasting eliminates the need for devices to separately search for and request location information, reducing resource search time while maintaining high location accuracy.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
There is provided a method, apparatus and system for determining a location of a mobile device operatively coupled to a wireless network such that the mobile device can locally calculate its location information with high accuracy. The method comprises receiving, by a mobile device from each one of one or more transmission points of a wireless network via a respective broadcast transport channel designated for transmission of location information, a respective location message. The respective location information message contains an indication of geographic location of said one of the one or more transmission points. The method further comprises determining, by the mobile device, a location of the mobile device based on content of the location information message. The apparatus and system perform any or all of operations of the above methods and features explicitly or implicitly described.