Abstract: A large volume of high accuracy location data is determined in many commercial wireless networks from location based services (LBS) and, in the United States, for E911. Uplink-Time-Difference-of-Arrival (UTDOA) and Assisted GPS (AGPS) are the predominant geolocation technologies providing these high accuracy locations. In the US alone over 10 million wireless subscribers are located every month because they dial the national emergency number “911” on their mobile phones. This rich set of location data provides an a priori distribution of the location of subscribers in the wireless network. All digital wireless communications networks have a mechanism for the subscribers to time synchronize their handsets to the network. This mechanism provides a band of ranges from the serving cell site to the handset. An a posteriori location estimate can be determined very quickly by considering the a priori distribution of callers in the range band that the current subscriber is in.

Abstract: Methods having corresponding apparatus and tangible computer-readable media comprise: determining a plurality of first pseudoranges based on a plurality of respective wireless television signals received by an apparatus and a clock signal generated by the apparatus, wherein each of the first pseudoranges represent a difference between a time of transmission of the respective wireless television signal from a respective transmitter and a time of reception of the respective wireless television signal at the apparatus and a time offset of the clock signal; determining a plurality of first estimates of frequency offsets of the wireless television signals received by the apparatus; and determining a first estimate of a location of the apparatus based on the first pseudoranges, the first frequency offsets of the wireless television signals, and locations of the transmitters.

Abstract: In a wireless location system, a method for determining frame and slot timing information for use in receiving an uplink signal from a user equipment (UE) device assigned to an uplink Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) includes receiving signals in the uplink DPCCH at a location measurement unit (LMU) of the WLS. The method also includes detecting a predefined bit pattern known to be present in a plurality of predefined slots of the uplink DPCCH. Next, the frame and slot timing information are determined for the uplink DPCCH based on the detected bit pattern. Finally, the frame and slot timing information is used for collecting uplink signals from the UE for use in location processing.

Abstract: An apparatus for location identification using broadcast wireless signal signatures includes a receiver to receive first measurements of a plurality of wireless television signals. The first measurements are made by a remote device receiving the plurality of wireless television signals. In addition, the apparatus includes a processor to select one or more of a plurality of possible locations of the remote device based on the first measurements and a plurality of associations each associating one of the possible locations with expected values. Moreover, the receiver receives second measurements of the wireless television signals made by one or more monitor units, and the processor generates the expected values for the first measurements and the associations based on the second measurements and the locations of the one or more monitor units.

Abstract: In an overlay, network-based, wireless location system, LMUs typically co-located with BTSs are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels for use in TDOA and/or AOA positioning methods. Information broadcast from the radio network and by global satellite navigation system constellations can be received by the LMU and used to reduce the difficulty of initial system configuration and reconfiguration due to radio network changes.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a receiver to receive a plurality of wireless television signals each representing a television channel, and a measurement circuit to identify the television channels based on the wireless television signals. One or more of a plurality of possible locations of the apparatus are selected based on identities of the television channels identified by the measurement circuit and a plurality of associations each associating one of the possible locations with identities of the television channels expected at one of the possible locations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for position determination is provided using measurements from both Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and terrestrial-based Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA) receivers. The method involves the transformation of downlink satellite measurements into equivalent UTDOA measurements by computing comparable cross-correlation coefficients and time differences of arrival with respect to a UTDOA reference station. The method includes a weighting operation whereby the relative weights of the UTDOA measurements and the relative weights of the GPS measurements are adjusted based on a theoretical scaling followed by empirical adjustments. The method further involves the efficient computation and combining of metrics that are used to minimize the weighted error between candidate location solutions and the UTDOA and GPS measurements.

Abstract: Transmitters are located with a network of sensors by measuring signal characteristics at multiple known locations and processing these measurements at a central node. The sensors communicate their location to the central node along with measured characteristics of the transmitter's signal, and may be required to synchronize with other sensors. Often, GNSS receivers are utilized to locate and synchronize the sensors. However, the GNSS signals may be attenuated by obstructions. In this case, the sensors determine their location by making ranging measurements with sensors that can receive the GNSS signals. The waveform for the wireless backhaul permits this ranging. Additionally, many sensors can determine their location and time synchronize with the geolocation network through reception of signals from other sensors even if they do not have a direct connection to sensors that know their location and are time synchronized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for position determination is provided using measurements from both Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and terrestrial-based Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA) receivers. The method involves the transformation of downlink satellite measurements into equivalent UTDOA measurements by computing comparable cross-correlation coefficients and time differences of arrival with respect to a UTDOA reference station. The method includes a weighting operation whereby the relative weights of the UTDOA measurements and the relative weights of the GPS measurements are adjusted based on a theoretical scaling followed by empirical adjustments. The method further involves the efficient computation and combining of metrics that are used to minimize the weighted error between candidate location solutions and the UTDOA and GPS measurements.

Abstract: In an overlay, U-TDOA-based, Wireless Location System, LMUs typically co-located with BTSs, are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels. Techniques are used to compensate for sparse LMU deployments where sections of the U-TDOA service area are uplink demodulation or downlink beacon discovery limited.

Abstract: In a wireless location system, a method for determining frame and slot timing information for use in receiving an uplink signal from a user equipment (UE) device assigned to an uplink Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) includes receiving signals in the uplink DPCCH at a location measurement unit (LMU) of the WLS. The method also includes detecting a predefined bit pattern known to be present in a plurality of predefined slots of the uplink DPCCH. Next, the frame and slot timing information are determined for the uplink DPCCH based on the detected bit pattern. Finally, the frame and slot timing information is used for collecting uplink signals from the UE for use in location processing.

Abstract: A service depends on the location of a device. The device location is determined using DTV signals. More specifically, the device location is determined based on pseudo-ranges between the device and a plurality of digital television (DTV) transmitters and the pseudo-ranges are determined based on broadcast DTV signals received by the device from the DTV transmitters. Examples of DTV signals include the American Television Standards Committee (ATSC) signals, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) signals and the Japanese Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) signals.

Abstract: In an overlay, U-TDOA-based, Wireless Location System, LMUs typically co-located with BTSs, are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels. Techniques are used to compensate for sparse LMU deployments where sections of the U-TDOA service area are uplink demodulation or downlink beacon discovery limited.

Abstract: A wireless location system may include geolocation of a wireless device connected to Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) adapter. The VoIP adapter may include a wireless transceiver or a wireless location determining receiver that facilitates the location of a wireless device connected to the VoIP adapter. The wireless transceiver or the location determining receiver may provide location information to an emergency dispatcher.

Abstract: A method for improving the results of radio location systems that incorporate weighted least squares optimization generalizes the weighted least squares method by using maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability metrics to incorporate characteristics of the specific positioning problem (e.g., UTDOA). Weighted least squares methods are typically used by TDOA and related location systems including TDOA/AOA and TDOA/GPS hybrid systems. The incorporated characteristics include empirical information about TDOA errors and the probability distribution of the mobile position relative to other network elements. A technique is provided for modeling the TDOA error distribution and the a priori mobile position. A method for computing a MAP decision metric is provided using the new probability distribution models. Testing with field data shows that this method yields significant improvement over existing weighted least squares methods.

Abstract: Several techniques for locating wireless devices involve the Mobile Stations (MS) making measurements of the signals transmitted by geographically distributed base stations within a wireless network. If some key site information is known about these transmitters, such as the transmitter location, transmit signal power, signal propagation, and transmit signal timing, measurements of these transmit signals by a MS can be used to determine the position of the MS. An automatic method to detect transmitters, identify key transmitter information, and utilize the base station transmit signals to perform location is presented. In addition, this method facilitates the use of cell site transmit signals that are part of multiple wireless networks.

Abstract: Various aspects are disclosed herein for determining a location estimate for multi-mode mobile devices using measurements from one or more radio access technologies and providing a combined location solution. Using the multiple radio access technology capability of the wireless communications system, a mobile communications device may be located on a first radio network characterized by a first radio modulation technique, radio network topology, and channel bandwidth. The mobile communications device may then be handed off to a second radio network and located using a second radio network characterized by a second radio modulation technique, radio network topology, and channel bandwidth. The two location estimates may then be used to develop a combined location estimate.

Abstract: For Wireless Communications Networks (WCNs) that support soft handover, cooperator receiver selection for a TDOA, AOA, TDOA/AOA, or hybrid network-based or network-overlay Wireless Location System (WLS) must contend with one or more network base stations as a serving cell. When the active set contains more than one member, two techniques for determining a set of cooperating and demodulating receivers to use in the signal collection for location estimation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the active set members are constructively reduced to a single member that is used as a proxy serving cell. In another embodiment, the information contained in the active set membership is retained and a new set of demodulating and cooperator receivers are generated based on the entire membership of the active set.

Abstract: For Wireless Communications Networks (WCNs) that support soft handover, cooperator receiver selection for a TDOA, AOA, TDOA/AOA, or hybrid network-based or network-overlay Wireless Location System (WLS) must contend with one or more network base stations as a serving cell. When the active set contains more than one member, two techniques for determining a set of cooperating and demodulating receivers to use in the signal collection for location estimation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the active set members are constructively reduced to a single member that is used as a proxy serving cell. In another embodiment, the information contained in the active set membership is retained and a new set of demodulating and cooperator receivers are generated based on the entire membership of the active set.

Abstract: Collection and analysis of network transaction information which includes the mobile device's usage, location, movements coupled with data from non-wireless network sources allow for the automation of analysis for the detection of anti-social behaviors.