Small Cell Crowdsourcing for Positioning Reference Signal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile device crowdsourcing for position estimation faces challenges such as limited battery life, position uncertainty, and privacy concerns, as well as the need for bandwidth and accurate location data, which can lead to inaccurate information quality and user experience degradation.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing small cells, such as micro, pico, or femtocells, as reliable crowdsourcing agents with a known location and wired broadband connection, which can observe wireless signals and provide positioning reference signal information to crowdsourcing servers for assisting mobile devices in determining their location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mobile devices are used for crowdsourcing position estimation, then position information can be collected from multiple sources, but battery life is limited and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces small cells as intermediary devices between mobile devices and the crowdsourcing server. Small cells collect signal strength information from base stations and transmit this data to the server, eliminating the need for mobile devices to continuously transmit data and perform complex calculations, thus reducing mobile device power consumption while maintaining position estimation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Small cells autonomously collect and process signal strength information from base stations in their coverage areas. They independently determine the position of mobile devices based on received signal strength without requiring continuous communication with the mobile device, enabling self-service operation that reduces energy consumption.
2Measurement precision
If mobile devices continuously transmit data to the server, then position information quality improves, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Small cells serve as intermediaries that aggregate position-related data from multiple mobile devices in their coverage area. Instead of each mobile device transmitting individually, the small cell collects and consolidates this information, significantly reducing the total network bandwidth required while maintaining comprehensive position information quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges data collection functions at the small cell level, combining signal strength measurements from multiple mobile devices into a single data stream transmitted to the server. This consolidation reduces redundant transmissions and optimizes network bandwidth utilization.
3Loss of information
If mobile device crowdsourcing is implemented, then position data can be obtained, but privacy concerns arise and user experience may degrade
Solution Approach 1:
Small cells act as privacy-protecting intermediaries that collect and process position-related data locally. The server receives aggregated data from small cells rather than raw data from individual mobile devices, making it more difficult to trace position information back to specific users and thereby addressing privacy concerns while maintaining position data availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for using a small cell as a reliable crowd-sourcing agent are presented. In some embodiments, a small cell installed at a known location may observe one or more wireless signals at the known location, wherein the small cell comprises a built-in network listen receiver for observing cellular downlink signals. Subsequently, the small cell may provide, to at least one crowdsourcing server, information that identifies the location and describes one or more detected properties of the one or more observed wireless signals. In at least one arrangement, the information provided to at least one crowdsourcing server is a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) configuration based on an observed LTE downlink signals. In at least one arrangement, the information provided to at least one crowdsourcing server is configured to be used by the at least one crowdsourcing server in providing position assistance information.