U S West Technologies, Inc.

U S West, Inc.

Mediaone Group, Inc.

Alparslan M Uysal

Gregory Eugene Wilson

Frederick Warren LeBlanc

Frederick W Leblanc

An improved positioning system and method for use in a wireless communication system including a plurality of base stations each having a corresponding coverage area. Scaled contour shapes are generated having minimum and maximum boundaries based upon determined RF measurements of each of the base stations. The intersections of the contour shapes define a bounding polygon area that describes the position of a mobile unit in terms of minimum and maximum error estimate. Once the bounding polygon area has been defined, the latitude and longitude of the center of the polygon area is determined whereupon corresponding street addresses may be obtained through reference to one or more databases.

Positioning system having an RF-measurements databank

Positioning system and method

A method for determining position by obtaining directional information from spatial division multiple access (SDMA)-equipped and non-SDMA-equipped base stations. The method is directed for use in a wireless communication system which includes a plurality of base stations each having a corresponding coverage area. For each of the base stations, a plurality of RF measurements are determined in cooperation with a receiver, including a link budget of the base station, for a predetermined plurality of distances and directions. Determined RF measurements for each of the base stations are modeled as a scaled contour shape having minimum and maximum boundaries. Base stations which neighbor the mobile unit are determined so as to define a first bounding polygon area by their intersecting contours. The first bounding polygon area generally describes the relative position of the mobile unit. A second bounding polygon area is determined in accordance with the lobes of neighboring base stations as described in terms of azimuth angles. The intersection of the first and second bounding polygon areas are determined so as to define a location polygon which more precisely describes the position of the mobile unit in terms of minimum and maximum error estimate.

Method for determining position by obtaining directional information

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Alparslan M Uysal