Small Cell Location Identification via Pre-Registered Signal Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
In locations lacking GPS signals, such as urban or indoor areas, user devices face challenges in determining their location efficiently due to excessive signaling required from small cell base stations, which can degrade network performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation uses pre-registered location information and signal strength measurements from small cell base stations to perform location determination without requesting location assistance from these stations, employing methods like triangulation or trilateration to calculate the user device's location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If location assistance is requested from small cell base stations, then location determination accuracy is improved, but network performance deteriorates due to excessive signaling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-registering location information and signal strength measurements from small cell base stations before they are needed for location determination. The network device collects and stores this data in advance, so when a user device needs location services, the information is already available without requiring real-time requests to the base stations, thus avoiding excessive signaling while enabling accurate location determination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a local copy of base station location information and signal strength measurements at the network device. Instead of repeatedly querying the actual base stations for location data, the network device maintains a copied database of this information, allowing multiple user devices to obtain location services simultaneously without generating excessive signaling traffic to the base stations
2Measurement precision
If GPS signal is used for location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but service availability deteriorates in urban or indoor locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using small cell base stations as intermediate reference points for location determination. When GPS signals are unavailable in urban canyons or indoor environments, the system measures signal strengths from multiple small cell base stations and uses pre-registered location information about these base stations to calculate the user device's position, thereby providing location services in GPS-denied areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by switching from GPS-based location determination to small cell signal strength-based determination. The system changes the fundamental parameter used for location calculation from satellite signal measurements to terrestrial base station signal measurements, enabling location services to function in environments where GPS is blocked but small cell coverage is available
Data Source
AI summary
A device may initiate a location determination for a user device. The device may receive information identifying a set of base stations for performing the location determination. The device may retrieve, from a data structure and utilizing the information identifying the set of base stations, particular base station information associated with the set of base stations. The particular base station information may include location information for the set of base stations. The device may determine one or more signal strength measurements for one or more signals provided by the set of base stations. The device may determine an approximate location for the user device based on the location information for the set of base stations and the one or more signal strength measurements. The device may provide information associated with the approximate location for the user device.