METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTIMATING CELLULAR TOWER LOCATION

摘要

A method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing cellular identification (ID) numbers at various geographic locations to estimate cellular tower locations. The method may include collecting cellular ID numbers obtained by collection mobile devices at a plurality of geographic locations then calculating minimum bounding circles encompassing a set of geographic location points with the same cellular identification numbers. If the cellular ID number of a set of location points indicates that the cellular tower is omni-directional, a center of the minimum bounding circle is an estimated cellular tower location. If the cellular ID number indicates that the cellular tower is multi-sector, the apparatus may calculate the estimated cellular tower location as the location at which lines that extend from the centers of a plurality of related minimum bounding circles intersect with each other to form equal angles.