METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETERMINE A BASE STATION LOCATION

• US 20150038160A1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ngai, Dominic, Sonnaila, Sreenivas
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine a base station location. A disclosed example method includes identifying first signals comprising a same first signal identifier, identifying second signals comprising a same second signal identifier; identifying a first location associated with one of the first signals having a highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second signals having a highest signal quality value; and determining that the first signals and the second signals are transmitted from a first base station if a distance between the first location and the second location satisfies a threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying first signals comprising a same first signal identifier;

identifying second signals comprising a same second signal identifier;

identifying a first location associated with one of the first signals having a highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determining that the first signals and the second signals are transmitted from a first base station if a distance between the first location and the second location satisfies a threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising estimating a base station location of the first base station based on the first location and the second location.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the first and second signals were received in a same area if the first signals reference the second signals and the second signals reference the first signals.

4. A method according to claim 1, determining the first and second signals were received in a same area based on signal records,

wherein the signal records comprise at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first signals and the second signals were received.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying that the first signals are transmitted from a first sector transmitter of the base station and the second signals are transmitted from a second sector transmitter of the base station.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying that at least one of the first signals or the second signals references third signals;

identifying a set of the third signals having a same third signal identification, the third signals in the set referencing at least one of the first or the second signals;

identifying a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determining the base station location of the base station based on the third location, the first location, and the second location.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

plotting a grid graph over an area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids;

determining that a first portion of the first signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

aggregating signal records corresponding to the first portion of the first signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying third signals associated with the first identifier; and

determining the third signals are transmitted from a second base station if the third signals are received more than a second threshold distance from where the first signals were received.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a signal correlator to identify first signals comprising a same first signal identifier, and to identify the second signals comprising a second signal identifier; and

a signal localizer to identify a first location associated with one of the first signals having a highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second signals having a highest signal quality value, the signal localizer to determine that the first signals and the second signals are transmitted from a first base station if a distance between the first location and the second location meets a threshold criterion.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a base station locator to estimate a location of the first base station based on the first location and the second location.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the signal correlator is to determine the first and second signals were received in a same area if the first signals reference the second signals and the second signals reference the first signals.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the signal correlator is to determine the first and second signals were received in a same area based on signal records, the signal records comprising at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first signals and the second signals were received.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the base station comprises a first sector transmitter of the base station to transmit the first signals and the second signals are transmitted from a second sector transmitter of the base station.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the signal correlator is further to identify that at least one of the first signals or the second signals references third signals;

identify the third signals having a same third signal identification, the third signals referencing at least one of the first or the second signals,

the signal localizer is to identify a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value, and

the apparatus further comprises a base station locator to determine the location of the base station based on the third location being within the threshold distance of the first and second locations.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a sub-grid ID assigner to plot a grid graph over the same area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids and to determine that a portion of the first signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

a signal record aggregator to aggregate signal records of the first portion of the first signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.

16. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a signal differentiator to:

identify third signals comprising the same first signal identification; and

determine the third signals are transmitted from a second base station based on the third signals being received more than a second threshold distance from where the first signals were received.

17. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed, cause a machine to at least:

identify first signals comprising a same first signal identifier;

identify second signals comprising a same second signal identifier;

identify a first location associated with one of the first signals having a highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determine that the first signals and the second signals are transmitted from a first base station if a distance between the first location and the second location satisfies a threshold.

18. A storage medium according to claim 17, where in the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to estimate a base station location of the first base station based on the first location and the second location.

19. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first and second signals were received in a same area if the first signals reference the second signals and the second signals reference the first signals.

20. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first and second signals were received in a same area based on signal records, the signal records comprising at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first signals and the second signals were received.

21. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first signals are transmitted from a first sector transmitter of the base station and the second signals are transmitted from a second sector transmitter of the base station.

22. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

identify that at least one of the first signals or the second signals references third signals;

identify a set of the third signals having a same third signal identification, the third signals in the set referencing at least one of the first or the second signals;

identify a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determine the base station location of the base station based on the third location, the first location, and the second location.

23. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to

plot a grid graph over an area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids;

determine that a first portion of the first signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

aggregate signal records corresponding to the first portion of the first signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.

24. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

identify third signals associated with the first signal identification; and

determine the third signals are transmitted from a second base station if the third signals are received more than a second threshold distance from where the first signals were received.