Abstract: The invention relates to an asynchronous wireless communication system, such as a UMTS system. The various base stations of an asynchronous wireless communication system do not typically have known timing offsets Tb(i), and these timing offsets vary with time. The invention allows the calculation of the difference dTb(i,j) between timing offsets Tb(i), Tb(j) for pairs of base stations B(i), B(j), using the timing of signals received by one or more wireless communication units. Having eliminated the timing offsets between the base stations as a variable, geo-location techniques from synchronous networks may then be used to locate wireless communication units in the asynchronous wireless communication system.

Abstract: A method for geolocating a wireless communication unit. The method comprises receiving measurement data for radio frequency (RF) signals between the wireless communication unit and at least one base transceiver station, calculating an RF measurement based geolocation estimate for the wireless communication unit based at least partly on the received RF signal measurement data, obtaining geographical area data for at least one wireless coverage area visible to the wireless communication unit, determining a geolocation validation area based at least partly on the obtained geographical area data for the at least one wireless coverage area visible to the wireless communication unit, and deriving a confidence factor for the RF measurement based geolocation estimate based at least partly on the determined geolocation validation area.

Abstract: A data management system method of managing call data for at least one radio network element within a cellular communication network. The method comprises receiving call data for at least one call from the at least one radio network element within the cellular communication network, arranging the received call data into call data records, assembling the call data records into at least one data block, and writing the at least one data block to at least one data storage device. The method further comprises, upon receipt of a call data query, retrieving call data records from the at least one data storage device on a per data block basis.

Abstract: A data management system and method of managing call data for at least one radio network element within a cellular communication network. The method comprising receiving call data for at least one call from the at least one radio network element within the cellular communication network, arranging the received call data into call data records of a non-fixed size, and writing the call data records to at least one data storage device such that the call data records are stored adjacent one another.

Abstract: Estimating a location of a first mobile communication unit (220) in a cellular wireless communications system (200) comprises comparing a first signature from the first mobile communication unit with known signatures. The first signature may comprise control information, a set of observable cells and received power level information for the first mobile communication unit (220). A location estimate is provided from the known location of a known signature in a database (410), if that known signature matches the first signature. The comparison may be a correlation to determine the degree of matching. Context information may link two or more known signatures in the database (410), the known signatures having been obtained in temporal succession from one mobile device (258) in use in the system. The context information may be used in the comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deriving indoor/outdoor classification information for call data for a wireless communication network. The method comprises identifying a set of subscriber call data records relating to vehicular calls, deriving a physical channel measurement threshold value based at least partly on physical channel measurement values for the subscriber call data records identified as relating to vehicular calls, and classifying subscriber call data records for the wireless communication network as indoor subscriber call data records and outdoor subscriber call data records based at least partly on a comparison of physical channel measurement values for the subscriber call data records with the derived physical channel measurement threshold value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling near real time analysis of data for a wireless communication network using dynamic allocation backend processing resources. The method comprises, at each of a plurality of distributed components of a data processing system, receiving data from at least one network element of the cellular communication network, parsing the received data to extract a subset of the received data, and forwarding the extracted subset of data to the dynamic allocation backend processing resources for analytical processing of the extracted subset of data for the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method of processing data for at least one wireless communication network and a data processing system for implementing such a method are provided. The method comprises determining geolocation information for data segments received at a plurality of distributed components of a data processing system, the data segments being received from at least one network element of the wireless communication network, and forwarding the data segments to backend processing resources based at least partly on their respective geolocation information.

Abstract: A method of managing data for at least one wireless communication network and a data management system for implementing such a method are provided. The method comprises determining at least one free space metric for at least one data storage device and comparing the at least one determined free space metric for the at least one data storage device to at least one threshold value. If the at least one determined free space metric for the at least one data storage device exceeds the at least one threshold value, the method further comprises identifying data object groups represented by data objects stored within the at least one data storage device, determining a retention priority value for each identified data object group, determining at least one data object group for which to retire data objects based at least partly on the determined retention priority values, and retiring data objects within the determined at least one data object group from the at least one data storage device.

Abstract: A method of deriving cell characteristic values for cells within a wireless communication network. The method for determining a set of cells for which cell characteristic values are to be derived, and using a genetic algorithm to derive cell characteristic values for the set of cells based at least partly on measurement data obtained by wireless communication subscriber units within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method of deriving signal strength attenuation characteristic values for cells within a wireless communication network. The method for determining a set of cells for which signal strength attenuation characteristic values are to be derived, and using a genetic algorithm to derive signal strength attenuation characteristic values for the set of cells based at least partly on signal strength information for signal strength measurements obtained by wireless communication subscriber units within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A modular data processing system (200) for processing communication session data from a cellular mobile communications system (210) comprises at least two autonomous data processing units (340). The autonomous data processing units (340) are arranged in parallel, and are operable simultaneously. Each data processing unit (340) receives and processes raw communication session data from an associated set of controllers of the cellular mobile communications system (210). At least one data collection subsystem (215) supplies the raw communication session data to the at least two autonomous data processing units (340), for calls made within the coverage area of the set of controllers associated with the data processing unit. Processed data may be available more rapidly with the invention. The invention is scalable, and the system may expand as a cellular mobile communications system grows.

Abstract: A method and system for a cellular mobile communication system (900) are provided. The location of a mobile communication unit (905) in the cellular wireless communications system (900) can be estimated from: a first estimate of position, based on received signal power difference for signals received by the mobile communication unit (905) from at least two base stations (910); and a second estimate of the position of the mobile communication unit (905), from further information. A likelihood function for each estimate is weighted. The weighted first and second likelihood functions are combined, and one or more locations are selected as the estimated location. Propagation model parameters may be iteratively updated and/or refined, using location estimates obtained for large numbers of calls in the cellular mobile communication system (900).

Abstract: A method for deriving pathloss estimation values within a cellular communication network. The method comprises receiving pathloss data obtained from a plurality of wireless communication units located within the cellular communication network, receiving location information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communications units, associating received pathloss data with individual sectors within a coverage area of the cellular communication network based at least partly on the location information for the respective wireless communications unit, and deriving pathloss estimation values for individual sectors within the cellular communication network based at least partly on the received pathloss data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wireless mobile communication system (400), such as a mobile telephone network. Network configuration data may contain inaccuracies, such as an error in the location of a base station (432, 434). These inaccuracies may lead to errors in estimating the location of a mobile communication unit (410). The invention creates probability density functions for the location of a mobile communication unit, based on communications with the mobile communication network (430). A confidence score may be calculated for each probability density function. A combined function can then be derived from the individual confidence scores. Maximization of the combined function may then lead to a corrected value for a network parameter of the network configuration data. Corrected network configuration data leads to more accurate measurements of the location of mobile communication units. In addition, upgrades to the antennae and base stations can be planned more effectively.

Abstract: A geolocation data acquisition system (200) and method (400) for acquiring communication session data from a mobile radio communications network (210). A data extraction module (222, 226) extracts call session data continuously from a network of call processors (224, 228), each call processor supporting mobile communication units in an associated geographical region of the coverage area of the mobile radio communications network. The data extraction module (222, 226) provides the extracted data to one of several storage areas (260). In each storage area, a record is created of the communication session data for each call made within the coverage area of an associated set of call processors (224, 228). The records stored in each storage area (260) comprise the data available for all communication sessions in the geographical region associated with the corresponding set of call processors (224, 228).

Abstract: A method for deriving timing information for a femto cell of a wireless communication system comprises a wireless communication unit of the system receiving observed timing data for a femto cell within a macro cell, and observed timing data for the macro cell. Timing difference values between timing offsets for the femto cell and timing offsets for the macro cell are used to determine a central reference timing difference value for the femto cell. The central reference timing difference value is set as reference timing information for the femto cell. A network element and computer program product for implementing the method of the invention are also provided.