Mobile Network Travel Behavior Estimation via Trajectory Interpolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating dynamic population migration using mobile network data face challenges due to limited information in event data, which provides only sector-level location information and is collected at low frequency, limiting the accuracy of tracking user trajectories and population distribution.
Innovation Solution
The method involves receiving event data from user equipment, preprocessing it to estimate intermediate positions through straight line interpolation, and counting individuals in a given area, combining this with personal attributes and geographic information to enhance accuracy and resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sector-level location information from event data is used, then population migration can be estimated, but location accuracy is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The sector-level location information is segmented into multiple discrete position points along the trajectory. By dividing the movement path between two sector locations into multiple intermediate position segments, the system recovers finer location detail that was lost in the original sector-level data, thereby improving location accuracy without requiring more detailed input data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary trajectory estimation and intermediate position calculation before final population migration analysis. By pre-computing the likely path and intermediate positions between sector locations, the system prepares accurate location estimates in advance, which then enables precise population migration measurement without being constrained by the coarse sector-level input data.
2Measurement precision
If event data is collected at low frequency, then messaging overhead and battery consumption are reduced, but tracking accuracy of user location is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary trajectory estimation using the limited low-frequency event data points that are available. By calculating the likely path and intermediate positions between these sparse measurements, the system recovers continuous location information that would otherwise be lost, thereby achieving high tracking accuracy without requiring frequent data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a reconstructed trajectory copy that fills in the gaps between low-frequency event data measurements. By generating intermediate position points along the estimated path, the system creates a continuous location record that copies the essential movement information without requiring actual high-frequency measurements, thus maintaining tracking accuracy while keeping time intervals large.
3Measurement precision
If straight line interpolation is performed to estimate intermediate positions, then location resolution is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trajectory estimation problem is segmented into discrete interpolation steps between consecutive event data points. By dividing the overall trajectory into multiple small segments and applying straight line interpolation to each segment individually, the system achieves high location resolution through simple, repeatable calculations rather than complex global optimization, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for estimating travel behavior in a mobile network. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving event data indicative of user equipment location, pre-processing received event data to produce pre-processed data, performing straight line interpolation on pre-processed data of one or more individuals in the population to estimate intermediate positions of a trajectory of each of the one or more individuals from a first position to a second position, and counting a number of individuals in population at a given time and at a given area.


