Method and system or determining the location of an improved carrier signal

• US 20050245275A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Byford, Derrick J., Lanyon-Hogg, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,471,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.600
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method for determining the location of an improved carrier signal emitted by a base station relative to the position of a communication device, the carrier signal having a signal strength, and the communication device having access to a digital map. A determination is made to determine the signal strength of the carrier signal at the current location of the communication device; locating an adjacent location on the digital map and determining the signal strength at the adjacent location; and in response to a greater signal strength being determined at the adjacent location, displaying the direction of the position of the adjacent location on the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of an improved carrier signal emitted from a base station relative to a position of a communication device, the carrier signal having a signal strength and the communication device receiving signal strength information of the carrier signal from a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information of a signal strength at an adjacent location; and

in response the received information of an improved signal strength being received at the adjacent location, displaying a direction of a position of the adjacent location on the communication device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the receiving step further comprises determining if the signal strength at the adjacent location is greater than the signal strength at a current location of the communication device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjacent location is determined by performing a lookup on a digital map.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the digital map comprises a grid reference depicting a location of a base station and geographical terrain.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the digital map further comprises a signal strength emitted by the base station at a grid reference.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the digital map further comprises statistical data comprising refraction and deflection characteristics of the terrain and an effect the statistical data has on the carrier signal strength at the grid reference.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the digital map is maintained by a service provider.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the digital map is requested from the service provider and stored on the communication device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein an icon displays the direction of the adjacent location having improved signal strength on a display of the communication device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the icon is a signal strength direction indicator.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a graphical map displays the direction of the adjacent location of the improved signal strength on the communication device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein in response to an improved signal strength at the adjacent location, returning a ranked list of adjacent locations of improved signal strengths.

25. A computer program product loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing, when said product is run on a computer, the method of claim 1.

13. A system for determining a location of an improved carrier signal emitted from a base station relative to a position of a communication device, the carrier signal having a signal strength and the communication device receiving signal strength information of the carrier signal from a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving information of a signal strength at an adjacent location; and

in response the received information of an improved signal strength being received at the adjacent location, means for displaying a direction of a position of the adjacent location on the communication device.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the means for receiving comprises means for determining if the signal strength at the adjacent location is greater than the signal strength at a current location of the communication device.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the adjacent location is determined by performing a lookup on a digital map.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the digital map comprises a grid reference depicting a location of a base station and geographical terrain.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the digital map further comprises a signal strength emitted by the base station at a grid reference.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the digital map further comprises statistical data comprising refraction and deflection characteristics of the terrain and an effect the statistical data has on the signal strength at the grid reference.

19. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the digital map is maintained by a service provider.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the digital map is requested from the service provider and stored on the communication device.

21. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein an icon displays the direction of the adjacent location having improved signal strength on a display of the communication device.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the icon is a signal strength direction indicator.

23. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein a graphical map displays the direction of the adjacent location of the improved signal strength on the communication device.

24. A system as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for returning a ranked list of adjacent locations of improved signal strengths, in response to an improved signal strength at the adjacent location.

26. A service for determining a location of an improved carrier signal emitted from a base station relative to a position of a communication device, the carrier signal having a signal strength and the communication device receiving signal strength information of the carrier signal from a network, the service comprising the steps of:

receiving information of a signal strength at an adjacent location; and

in response to the received information of an improved signal strength being received at the adjacent location, displaying a direction of a position of the adjacent location on the communication device.