Enhancing cell resolution mobile positioning estimates via signal strength measurement reported by mobile station

1. A method for estimating the position of a subscriber station in a radio communication system, comprising:

receiving reports from the subscriber station at a receive station providing coverage for a radio cell in which the subscriber station is located, each report containing information relating to a signal strength at a location of the subscriber station of at least one receive signal received by the subscriber station and sent by a transmitting station;

storing the reports in a memory of the receive station of the radio communication system providing coverage for the radio cell in which the subscriber station is located, such that received signal strength information is stored for signals received at the subscriber station from at least two different transmitting stations;

receiving a request for position estimation at the receive station of the radio communication system; and

estimating the position at a position determining unit taking into account at least two reports stored prior to the request for position estimation, wherein

the position determining unit estimates position by comparing signal strengths obtained from the reports with signal strengths stored in a signal strength database;

the position determining unit requests a second number of reports from the receive station;

if the number of reports stored is fewer than the second number when the request for position estimation is received, then the receive station stores additional reports until the second number of reports has been stored or until a maximum period of time has expired,

if the second number of reports is stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the receive station sends the second number of reports prior to the expiry of the maximum period of time, and

if the second number of reports cannot be stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the base station sends all stored reports after the expiry of the maximum period of time, even if the number of stored reports remains smaller than the second number of reports.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reports are received and/or stored regularly at specific time intervals.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reports are received and stored regularly at specific time intervals, and the reports are received and stored during both an active connection and in an idle mode.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a first number of reports as a maximum.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each report also contains information relating to a transmitting power used to transmit the at least one receive signal.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reports also contain:

a transmitting power used by the subscriber station to transmit the report to the receive station, and

a receive power at which each report was received by the receive station in each case.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reports are received and stored regularly at specific time intervals, and

the reports are received and stored during both an active connection and in an idle mode.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the memory stores a first number of reports as a maximum.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the position determining unit requests a second number of reports from the network device.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

if the number of reports stored is fewer than the second number when the request for position estimation is received, then the receive station stores additional reports until the second number of reports has been stored or until a maximum period of time has expired,

if the second number of reports is stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the receive station sends the second number of reports prior to the expiry of the maximum period of time, and

if the second number of reports cannot be stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the base station sends all stored reports after the expiry of the maximum period of time, even if the number of stored reports remains smaller than the second number of reports.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the position determining unit estimates position by comparing signal strengths obtained from the reports with signal strengths stored in a signal strength database.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein each report also contains information relating to a transmitting Power used to transmit the at least one receive signal.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the reports also contain:

a transmitting power used by the subscriber station to transmit the report to the receive station, and

a receive power at which each report was received by the receive station in each case.

14. A receive station for a radio communication system, comprising:

a memory for storing the reports, which the receive station providing coverage for a radio cell in which a subscriber station is located has received from the subscriber station, in which the reports in each case contain information relating to a signal strength at a location of the subscriber station of at least one receive signal received by the subscriber station and sent by a transmitting station, such that received signal strength information is stored for signals received at the subscriber station from at least two different transmitting stations;

a transmitter to transmit, after a request for position estimation has been received at the receive station of the radio communication system, at least two reports stored prior to receiving the request for position estimation, the reports being transmitted to a position determining unit, in which the position is estimated taking into account the at least two reports; and

a controller to control the receive station so that at least two reports are stored prior to the request for position estimation, wherein

the position determining unit estimates position by comparing signal strengths obtained from the reports with signal strengths stored in a signal strength database;

the position determining unit requests a second number of reports from the receive station;

if the number of reports stored is fewer than the second number when the request for position estimation is received, then the receive station stores additional reports until the second number of reports has been stored or until a maximum period of time has expired,

if the second number of reports is stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the receive station sends the second number of reports prior to the expiry of the maximum period of time, and

if the second number of reports cannot be stored before expiration of the maximum period of time, then the base station sends all stored reports after the expiry of the maximum period of time, even if the number of stored reports remains smaller than the second number of reports.