Harvesting communication parameter observations in GNSS-denied environments

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, location information from user input received through a mobile device, the location information indicating a name or an address of a location of the mobile device operated by a user in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-location-denied environment;

identifying, at the server, one or more communication parameters associated with communications between the mobile device and a network, wherein the one or more communication parameters include cell site neighbor information and timing information;

associating, at the server, the one or more communication parameters with the name or the address of the location of the mobile device independent of coordinates from a GNSS;

aggregating, at the server, location information and communication parameters associated with a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device, the location information associated with the plurality of mobile devices including the location information received through the mobile device, and the communication parameters associated with the plurality of mobile devices including the identified one or more communication parameters associated with the mobile device, wherein the aggregating comprises:

determining whether a particular communication parameter associated with a particular location is reliable based on a standard deviation threshold of communication parameters that are associated with the particular location; and

aggregating the communication parameters that are determined to be reliable;

receiving, at the server, a location query from a different mobile device, wherein the different mobile device is other than the plurality of mobile devices;

receiving, at the server, a current communication parameter of the different mobile device, wherein the current communication parameter includes cell site neighbor information, and timing information associated with the different mobile device; and providing, from the server to the different mobile device, a location of the different mobile device based on the current communication parameter of the different mobile device and the aggregated location information and the communication parameters from the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication parameters include information identifying whether the mobile device is in motion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the mobile device includes information provided through a check-in feature of a social networking application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the user is based on information provided through a user interface feature allowing specifying location related information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user interface feature is a drop-down menu.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user interface feature is a combo-box control.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user interface features is a list-box control.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the mobile device includes information provided through a location-enabled social application.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user self-identifies their physical location as part of a location-enabled application.

10. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising:

storing location information about the mobile device over a period of time;

storing communication parameters associated with the location information over the period of time;

aggregating the location information and the communication parameters from the mobile device; and

identifying the location of the different mobile device based on at least one of the aggregated location information and the communication parameters from the mobile device.

11. A system comprising:

one or more hardware processors operable to:

receive, at a server, location information from user input received through a mobile device, the location information indicating a name or an address of a location of the mobile device operated by a user in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-location-denied environment;

identify, at the server, one or more communication parameters associated with communications between the mobile device and a network, wherein the one or more communication parameters include cell site neighbor information and timing information;

associate, at the server, the one or more communication parameters with the name or the address of the location of the mobile device independent of coordinates from a GNSS;

aggregate, at the server, location information and communication parameters associated with a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device, the location information associated with the plurality of mobile devices including the location information received through the mobile device, and the communication parameters associated with the plurality of mobile devices including the identified one or more communication parameters associated with the mobile device, wherein the aggregating comprises:

determining whether a particular communication parameter associated with a particular location is reliable based on a standard deviation threshold of communication parameters that are associated with the particular location; and

aggregating the communication parameters that are determined to be reliable;

receive, at the server, a location query from a different mobile device;

receive, at the server, a current communication parameter of the different mobile device, wherein the current communication parameter includes cell site neighbor information, and timing information associated with the different mobile device, wherein the different mobile device is other than the plurality of mobile devices; and

provide, from the server to the different mobile device, a location of the different mobile device based on the current communication parameter of the different mobile device and the aggregated location information and the communication parameters from the plurality of mobile devices.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the communication parameters include information identifying whether the mobile device is in motion.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the mobile device includes information provided through a check-in feature of a social networking application.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the mobile device includes information provided through a location drop-down menu.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the location information indicating the location of the mobile device includes information provided through a location-enabled social application.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user self-identifies their physical location as part of a GNSS-location-enabled application.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

storing location information about the mobile device over a period of time;

storing communication parameters associated with the location information over the period of time;

aggregating the location information and the communication parameters from the mobile device; and

identifying the location of the different mobile device based on at least one of the aggregated location information and the communication parameters from the mobile device.