System and method for determining position information using cell information

1. A method of determining location information based on cell information, the method comprising:

receiving, using at least one processor, cell information related to a base station servicing at least one mobile terminal;

determining, using the at least one processor, approximate location information based on the cell information using a location information database configured to store location information associated with a plurality of cell information, the stored location information including a plurality of location information gradation levels, the plurality of location information gradation levels including a state gradation level, a city gradation level, a neighborhood gradation level, a street gradation level, and a city block gradation level;

determining, using the at least one processor, a desired gradation level from the plurality of location information gradation levels associated with a location-based service;

extracting, using the at least one processor, the approximate location information corresponding to the desired gradation level associated with the location-based service from the location information database and the determined approximate location information; and

transmitting, using the at least one processor, the location-based service to the at least one mobile terminal based on the extracted approximate location information,

wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information includes,

determining at least one neighboring base station adjacent to the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on the cell information,

estimating a location of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on cell identifier information of the at least one neighboring base station,

calculating a centroid value of a cell covered by the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on a cell shape corresponding to the estimated location of the base station, and

determining location information corresponding to the centroid value of the cell as location information of the at least one mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the approximate location information includes location coordinates corresponding to a centroid value of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal calculated based on a cell shape of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information comprises determining administrative district information of a region corresponding to the approximate location information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

matching, using the at least one processor, location information corresponding to the centroid value of the cell and cell information of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal; and

adding, using the at least one processor, the matching information to the location information database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the approximate location information includes current location coordinates or approximate location coordinates of the mobile terminal in a cell covered by the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-based service is at least one of:

a weather information providing service, a discount coupon providing service, an information providing service, a restaurant related information providing service, a financial related service, a music providing service, and a direction providing service.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, using the at least one processor, global positioning system (GPS) information or additional location information of the at least one mobile terminal from a satellite; and

updating, using the at least one processor, the approximate location information of the at least one mobile terminal based on the GPS information or the additional location information of the at least one mobile terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell information includes at least one of identification information of a country in which the at least one mobile terminal is located, communication company identification information, location area code (LAC) information, identification information of a base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal, and identification information of a cell covered by the base station.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information comprises displaying a region to which the at least one mobile terminal belongs to be refined as coverage of the region becomes narrower.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information comprises determining location information that matches previous cell information as approximate location information of the at least one mobile terminal in response to absence of current cell information of the at least one mobile terminal.

11. A location information determining system comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

receive cell information related to a base station servicing at least one mobile terminal,

determine approximate location information based on the cell information using a location information database configured to store location information associated with a plurality of cell information, the stored location information including a plurality of location information gradation levels, the plurality of location information gradation levels including a state gradation level, a city gradation level, a neighborhood gradation level, a street gradation level, and a city block gradation level,

determining, using the at least one processor, a desired gradation level from the plurality of location information gradation levels associated with a location-based service,

extracting, using the at least one processor, the approximate location information corresponding to the desired gradation level associated with the location-based service from the location information database and the determined approximate location information, and

transmitting, using the at least one processor, the location-based service to the at least one mobile terminal based on the extracted approximate location information,

wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information includes,

determining at least one neighboring base station adjacent to the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on the cell information,

estimating a location of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on cell identifier information of the at least one neighboring base station,

calculating a centroid value of a cell covered by the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal based on a cell shape corresponding to the estimated location of the base station, and

determining location information corresponding to the centroid value of the cell as location information of the at least one mobile terminal.

12. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the approximate location information includes location coordinates corresponding to a centroid value of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal calculated based on a cell shape of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal.

13. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine administrative district information of a region corresponding to the approximate location information.

14. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

match location information corresponding to a centroid value of the cell and cell information of the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal; and

add the matching information to the location information database.

15. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the approximate location information includes a current location coordinates or an approximate location coordinates of the at least one mobile terminal in a cell covered by the base station servicing the at least one mobile terminal.

16. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the location-based service is at least one of:

a weather information providing service, a discount coupon providing service, an information providing service, a restaurant related information providing service, a financial related service, a music providing service, and a direction providing service.

17. The location information determining system of claim 11 , wherein the location information of the at least one mobile terminal is updated based on global positioning system (GPS) information or additional location information of the at least one mobile terminal.

18. A file distribution system for distributing an installation file for installing an application on a mobile terminal of a user, the file distribution system comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

store and manage the installation file; and

transmit the installation file to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal,

wherein the application is configured to,

control the mobile terminal to receive cell information related to a base station servicing the mobile terminal,

control the mobile terminal to determine approximate location information based on the cell information using a location information database configured to store location information associated with a plurality of cell information, the stored location information including a plurality of location information gradation levels, the plurality of location information gradation levels including a state gradation level, a city gradation level, a neighborhood gradation level, a street gradation level, and a city block gradation level,

control the mobile terminal to determine a desired gradation level from the plurality of location information gradation levels associated with a location-based service,

control the mobile terminal to extract the approximate location information corresponding to the desired gradation level associated with the location-based service from the location information database and the determined approximate location information,

control the mobile terminal to receive the location-based service to the mobile terminal based on the extracted approximate location information, and

control the mobile terminal to display the determined approximate location information of the mobile terminal and the location-based service,

wherein the controlling the mobile terminal to determine the approximate location information based on the cell information includes,

controlling the mobile terminal to determine at least one neighboring base station adjacent to the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on the cell information,

controlling the mobile terminal to estimate a location of the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on cell identifier information of the at least one neighboring base station,

controlling the mobile terminal to calculate a centroid value of a cell covered by the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on a cell shape corresponding to the estimated location of the base station, and

controlling the mobile terminal to determine location information corresponding to the centroid value of the cell as location information of the mobile terminal.

19. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

connect to a base station associated with a data network,

receive cell information from a base station, the cell information including at least one of location area code (LAC) information, identification information of the base station, coverage area information related to the area covered by the base station,

transmit a request for a location-based service, the request including the received cell information and a mobile terminal identifier,

wherein the request causes a server to,

determine approximate location information based on the cell information using a location information database configured to store location information associated with a plurality of cell information, the stored location information including a plurality of location information gradation levels, the plurality of location information gradation levels including a state gradation level, a city gradation level, a neighborhood gradation level, a street gradation level, and a city block gradation level,

determine a desired gradation level from the plurality of location information gradation levels associated with the location-based service, and

extract the approximate location information corresponding to the desired gradation level associated with the location-based service from the location information database and the determined approximate location information, and

the at least one processor is further configured to receive the location-based service in response to the request,

wherein the determining the approximate location information based on the cell information includes,

determining at least one neighboring base station adjacent to the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on the cell information,

estimating a location of the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on cell identifier information of the at least one neighboring base station,

calculating a centroid value of a cell covered by the base station servicing the mobile terminal based on a cell shape corresponding to the estimated location of the base station, and

determining location information corresponding to the centroid value of the cell as location information of the mobile terminal.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform the receive the location-based service by:

determining administrative district information based on the received cell information and centroid information stored in the location information database associated with the base station;

storing the administrative district information in the location information database in association with the mobile terminal identifier;

extracting approximate location information related to the mobile terminal based on the determined gradation level and the stored administrative district information; and

receiving the location-based service, the location-based service provided based on the extracted approximate location information.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19 , wherein the location-based service is at least one of a weather information providing service, a discount coupon providing service, an information providing service, a restaurant related information providing service, a financial related service, a music providing service, and a navigation service.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

update the cell information upon receiving a user instruction to request the location-based service; and

update the cell information when the mobile terminal connects to a second base station.