System and method for location boosting using proximity information

Abstract

A system and method for determining the location of a target mobile device in a communications network. A set of mobile devices in proximity to the target mobile device may be determined (210) as a function of a common parameter of information observed by mobile devices in the set. Measurement data may be shared (220) for the set of mobile devices and the target mobile device, and a location of the target mobile device (230) determined as a function of the shared measurement data. This sharing of measurement data may occur amongst the set of mobile devices and the target mobile device or may also occur at a communication network entity.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A method of determining the location of a target mobile device in a communications network, the method comprising:
 selecting a set of mobile devices to be used in locating the target mobile device, wherein the mobile devices are selected according to a function based on a common parameter of information observed by the mobile devices, and wherein each mobile device in the set of mobile devices is configured to originate and/or terminate communications with the communications network;   determining a location of one or more mobile devices in the set;   sharing the determined location amongst mobile devices in the set and the target mobile device; and   determining a location of the target mobile device as a function of the shared determined locations.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a location of the target mobile device comprises selecting from the group consisting of a location of one mobile device in the set, a centroid of locations of mobile devices in the set, a straight average of locations of mobile devices in the set, a weighted average of locations of mobile devices in the set, and a weighted average and a straight average of mobile devices in the set. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a location of the target mobile device further comprises:
 determining a location for the set of mobile devices, and   determining the location of the target mobile device as a function of determined location for the set.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining the location of the set of mobile devices comprises determining the location of the set of mobile devices is selected from the group consisting of determining a location of one mobile device in the set, determining a centroid of locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a straight average of ones of the locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a weighted average of ones of the locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a weighted average and a straight average of ones of the mobile devices in the set, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . A program product for determining the location of a target mobile device in a communications network, tangibly stored on a non-transitory storage medium in a mobile device, comprising instructions operable to cause at least one programmable processor to do the following:
 selecting a set of mobile devices to be used in locating the target mobile device, wherein the mobile devices are selected according to a function based on a common parameter of information observed by the mobile devices, and wherein each mobile device in the set of mobile devices is configured to originate and/or terminate communications with the communications network;   determining a location of one or more mobile devices in the set;   sharing the determined location amongst mobile devices in the set and the target mobile device; and   determining a location of the target mobile device as a function of the shared determined locations.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining a location of the target mobile device comprises selecting from the group consisting of a location of one mobile device in the set, a centroid of locations of mobile devices in the set, a straight average of locations of mobile devices in the set, a weighted average of locations of mobile devices in the set, and a weighted average and a straight average of mobile devices in the set. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining a location of the target mobile device further comprises:
 determining a location for the set of mobile devices, and   determining the location of the target mobile device as a function of determined location for the set.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the location of the set of mobile devices comprises determining the location of the set of mobile devices is selected from the group consisting of determining a location of one mobile device in the set, determining a centroid of locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a straight average of ones of the locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a weighted average of ones of the locations of mobile devices in the set, determining a weighted average and a straight average of ones of the mobile devices in the set, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A method for determining the location of a target mobile device, the method comprising:
 identifying the target mobile device;   identifying an unplanned set of other mobile devices in proximity with the target mobile device, wherein each mobile device in the unplanned set of mobile devices is configured to originate and/or terminate communications with a communications network; and   determining the location of the target mobile device based on a set of data provided by the unplanned set of mobile devices in proximity to the target mobile device and by the target mobile device.