Wireless Location Gateway for Accurate Mobile Station Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless location technologies face challenges in providing accurate and reliable location services for mobile stations across different geographical areas, especially when roaming, and require complex network coordination, which can be costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a wireless location gateway that integrates multiple location techniques, allowing for seamless location determination across various networks and technologies, including handset-centric, network-centric, and hybrid systems, with a platform that enables complex network services such as location-based services, advertising, and tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple wireless location techniques are used in combination, then location accuracy and reliability are improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple wireless location techniques (handset-centric GPS, network-centric TDOA/TOA/AOA, and hybrid approaches) into a unified location service framework. The system integrates these diverse techniques through a common service platform that can select and coordinate multiple location estimation methods to improve reliability while managing complexity through standardized interfaces and protocols.
2Measurement precision
If location processing is performed at the mobile station (handset-centric), then location accuracy is improved, but mobile station complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location processing functions between the mobile station and the network. The handset-centric component handles GPS signal reception and basic position calculation, while the network component performs additional processing, validation, and integration with network-centric techniques. This segmentation allows the mobile station to maintain relatively simple hardware while still achieving high location accuracy through coordinated processing.
3Device complexity
If location processing is performed at the network (network-centric), then mobile station simplicity is maintained, but location accuracy and responsiveness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic location service architecture that can adaptively switch between handset-centric, network-centric, and hybrid processing modes based on service requirements, available resources, and environmental conditions. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain mobile station simplicity when high accuracy is not critical, while enabling high-accuracy modes when needed, thus balancing accuracy requirements with device complexity constraints.
4Adaptability or versatility
If wireless location services are provided across multiple networks and technologies, then service versatility is improved, but network coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal location service platform that can operate across multiple wireless networks and technologies (different carriers, GSM, CDMA, GPS, etc.). The system provides standardized location service interfaces and protocols that enable versatile support for various networks and technologies while abstracting away the underlying coordination complexity through a unified service layer that handles network-specific details.
Data Source
AI summary
A location system is disclosed for commercial wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location centers for outputting requested locations of commercially available handsets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local MS location requests and more global MS location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) pattern recognition; (3) distributed antenna provisioning; (5) GPS signals, (6) angle of arrival, (7) super resolution enhancements, and (8) supplemental information from various types of very low cost non-infrastructure base stations for communicating via a typical commercial wireless base station infrastructure or a public telephone switching network. Accordingly, the traditional MS location difficulties, such as multipath, poor location accuracy and poor coverage are alleviated via such technologies in combination with strategies for: (a) automatically adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; (b) automatically capturing location signal data for continual enhancement of a self-maintaining historical data base retaining predictive location signal data; (c) evaluating MS locations according to both heuristics and constraints related to, e.g., terrain, MS velocity and MS path extrapolation from tracking and (d) adjusting likely MS locations adaptively and statistically so that the system becomes progressively more comprehensive and accurate. Further, the system can be modularly configured for use in location signaling environments ranging from urban, dense urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. Accordingly, the system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.