Methods and apparatus to determine a base station location

1. A computer-implemented method to associate signals with corresponding base stations comprising:

identifying a first set of signals comprising a same first signal identifier;

identifying a second set of signals comprising the same first signal identifier;

identifying a first location associated with one of the set of first signals having a first relative highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second set of signals having a second relative highest signal quality value; and

preventing erroneous association of the signals to the corresponding base stations due to base station signal identifier reuse by determining when the first set of signals and the second set of signals are transmitted from a first one of the corresponding base stations and a second one of the corresponding base stations, the base station signal identifier reuse dismissed when the first location and the second location (a) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (b) do not exceed a threshold distance value, and the base station signal identifier reuse confirmed when the first location and the second location (c) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (d) exceed the threshold distance value.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising estimating a base station location of the first one of the corresponding base stations based on the first location and the second location.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the first and second set of signals were received in a same area if the first set of signals reference the second set of signals and the second set of signals reference the first set of signals.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the first and second set of signals were received in a same area based on signal records, wherein the signal records comprise at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first set of signals and the second set of signals were received.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying that the first set of signals are transmitted from a first sector transmitter of one of the corresponding base stations and the second set of signals are transmitted from a second sector transmitter of the one of the corresponding base stations.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying that at least one of the first set of signals or the second set of signals references third signals;

identifying a set of the third signals having a same third signal identifier, the third signals in the set referencing at least one of the first or the second set of signals;

identifying a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determining the location of the corresponding base station based on the third location, the first location, and the second location.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

plotting a grid graph over an area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids;

determining that a first portion of the first signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

aggregating signal records corresponding to the first portion of the first set of signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.

8. An apparatus to associate signals with corresponding base stations comprising:

a signal correlator to identify a first set of signals comprising a same first signal identifier, and to identify a second set of signals comprising the same first signal identifier; and

a signal localizer to:

identify a first location associated with one of the first set of signals having a first relative highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second set of signals having a second relative highest signal quality value; and

prevent erroneous association of the signals to the corresponding base stations due to base station signal identifier reuse by determining when the first set of signals and the second set of signals are transmitted from a first one of the corresponding base stations and a second one of the corresponding base stations, the base station signal identifier reuse dismissed when the first location and the second location (a) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (b) do not exceed a threshold distance criterion, and the base station signal identifier reuse confirmed when the first location and the second location (c) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (d) exceed the threshold distance criterion.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a base station locator to estimate a location of the first one of the corresponding base stations based on the first location and the second location.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the signal correlator is to determine the first and second sets of signals were received in a same area if the first set of signals reference the second set of signals and the second set of signals reference the first set of signals.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the signal correlator is to determine the first and second sets of signals were received in a same area based on signal records, the signal records comprising at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first set of signals and the second set of signals were received.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein one of the corresponding base stations comprise a first sector transmitter to transmit the first set of signals, and a second sector transmitter to transmit the second set of signals.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the signal correlator is to:

identify that at least one of the first set of signals or the second set of signals references third signals;

identify the third signals having a same third signal identification, the third signals referencing at least one of the first or the second signals,

the signal localizer is to identify a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value, and

the apparatus further comprises a base station locator to determine the location of the base station based on the third location being within the threshold distance of the first and second locations.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a sub-grid ID assigner to plot a grid graph over the same area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids and to determine that a portion of the first set of signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

a signal record aggregator to aggregate signal records of the first portion of the first set of signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.

15. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed, cause a machine to at least:

identify a first set of signals comprising a same first signal identifier;

identify second set of signals comprising the same first signal identifier;

identify a first location associated with one of the first set of signals having a first relative highest signal quality value and a second location associated with one of the second signals having a second relative highest signal quality value; and

prevent erroneous association of the signals to corresponding base stations due to base station signal identifier reuse by determining when the first set of signals and the second set of signals are transmitted from a first one of the corresponding base stations, the base station signal identifier reuse dismissed when the first location and the second location (a) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (b) do not exceed a threshold distance value, and the base station signal identifier reuse confirmed when the first location and the second location (c) exhibit the same first signal identifier and (d) exceed the threshold distance value.

16. A storage medium according to claim 15 , where in the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to estimate a base station location of the first one of the corresponding base stations based on the first location and the second location.

17. A storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first and second sets of signals were received in a same area if the first set of signals reference the second set of signals and the second set of signals reference the first set of signals.

18. A storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first and second sets of signals were received in a same area based on signal records, the signal records comprising at least one of time or location information corresponding to when or where, respectively, the first set of signals and the second set of signals were received.

19. A storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine the first set of signals are transmitted from a first sector transmitter of one of the corresponding base stations and the second set of signals are transmitted from a second sector transmitter of the second one of the corresponding base stations.

20. A storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

identify that at least one of the first set of signals or the second set of signals references third signals;

identify a set of the third signals having a same third signal identifier, the third signals in the set referencing at least one of the first or the second sets of signals;

identify a third location associated with one of the third signals having a highest signal quality value; and

determine the location of the corresponding base station based on the third location, the first location, and the second location.

21. A storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

plot a grid graph over an area, the grid graph comprising a plurality of sub-grids;

determine that a first portion of the first set of signals were received within a same sub-grid; and

aggregate signal records corresponding to the first portion of the first set of signals by combining the signal records into a single aggregated signal record.