Mobile network based geolocation estimation system consisting of an online database and android application

Abstract

A system for location estimation based on information about visible base stations on mobile device is presented. The system consists of a web application with a database and a mobile android application that communicate with each other via REST APIs. In the system, two primary functionalities can be activated depending on the availability of global navigation system information on a mobile device. In the case of availability, information about the mobile device, its location, altitude, time and visible base stations are stored in the web application database. In the case of inaccessibility of the global navigation system information, the mobile application sends to a web application the location query based on information about the visible base stations on the mobile device and obtains location estimate. Within the web application, a location estimation algorithm and data validity management algorithm are carried out. During preliminary experimental period of data gathering in one urban and one suburban environment, the performance evaluation was carried out and the system showed good initial performance. The benefit to all potential target industries and challenges of presented system are given.