METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING TIME OF ARRIVAL ESTIMATES

摘要

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating time of arrival estimates for use by a wireless communication network for locating the position of a wireless or mobile source (102) within the service area of the wireless communication network. The mobile source generates time of arrival estimates from data bursts received from base sites (100) operating within the network. In at least one embodiment, the mobile source (102), then, communicates the time of arrival estimates for each of the base sites (100) to the network, from which the location of the mobile source (102) is determined. In at least some instances, the mobile units additionally determine a variance estimate for each time of arrival estimates, which is representative of the degree of confidence in the time of arrival information being supplied to the network.