Mobile Location Refinement via Cell Data and Environmental Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location tracking systems using GPS face performance issues due to signal interruptions from landscape obstructions, leading to inaccurate and time-consuming location determination, especially in urban areas where satellite signal reception is intermittent.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that calculates a covered area estimation based on received positioning and cell data, including additional environmental data to refine location determination, allowing for more accurate and faster location identification by selecting the best matching cell data and eliminating errors from poor signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS-based location tracking is used, then location determination can be achieved, but signal reception suffers interruptions from landscape obstructions leading to poor performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces base stations as intermediary elements to establish alternative location determination paths. When GPS signals are blocked by landscape obstructions, the system uses base station identifiers and time delay data as mediators to calculate location through cellular network infrastructure, thereby bypassing the harmful effect of GPS signal obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the determination parameters from relying solely on GPS satellite signals to incorporating base station identifiers and time delay data. By shifting to different measurement parameters (cell identification, timing advance), the system maintains location determination capability even when original GPS parameters become unavailable due to obstruction.
2Reliability
If assisted GPS is used to update almanac and ephemeris data, then performance is improved, but start-up time still takes several minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary location estimation using base station identifiers and time delay data before GPS signal acquisition is complete. By calculating an initial location estimate through cellular network data in advance, the system reduces the cold start time and enables faster positioning without waiting for full GPS signal establishment.
3Productivity
If location estimation is based on base station identifiers and time delay data, then initial location estimate is obtained, but accuracy is reduced when exact base station locations are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously refines location estimates by comparing multiple data sources. When base station location data is unavailable or inaccurate, the system uses feedback from time delay measurements, signal strength variations, and environmental data to iteratively improve location estimation accuracy, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision.
4Ease of operation
If traditional location estimation procedures are used, then location can be determined, but environment obstructions and their influences are ignored leading to inaccurate estimation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite location determination system that combines multiple data types: base station identifiers, time delay data, signal strength information, and environmental data. By synthesizing these different information sources into a unified location estimate, the system achieves higher accuracy while accounting for environmental obstructions that would affect single-source methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for accurately determining the location of the mobile device (10) is disclosed. In the mapping phase collected reference positioning data and collected cell data are used to map a covered area estimation and in the actual location determination phase the covered area estimation is calculated from actual environment data received through wireless cellular communication network (11, 12) and possibly but not necessarily from external databases (17, 19). The covered area estimation comprises at least some of the following calculations: (i) estimation of base station location, (ii) estimation of transmission range, (iii) estimation of signal map and (iv) estimation of area type. The actual location of the mobile device (10) is determined from the covered area estimation based on relative comparison between the actual environment data and estimations (i)-(iv) and weight numbers resulted from the comparison. During the both phases a database is stored in the server (14) and updated whenever new environment data is received.