Patent ID: 8265635

Claim:
A method of positioning originating terminals, in a positioning system in which a location of a receiving terminal is determined based on a position of an originating terminal that transmitted information that was received at the receiving terminal, the method comprising: determining a value of an origination characteristic of one or more fixed originating terminals which enables a required positioning accuracy to be achieved, when a communication quality is estimated to be at a maximum, from a value of a reception characteristic of said receiving terminal, a fluctuation factor of the communication quality when said communication quality is estimated to be at the maximum, and a required communication quality; measuring a positioning-possible region when the communication quality is estimated to be at a minimum from said determined value of the origination characteristic of the one or more fixed originating terminals, said value of the reception characteristic of the receiving terminal, and said fluctuation factor when said communication quality is estimated to be at a minimum, wherein the positioning-possible region is a total area within which the receiving terminal can communicate with the one or more fixed originating terminals; and obtaining a necessary number of fixed originating terminals from the positioning-possible region and a required positioning area, and determining an installation position of at least one fixed originating terminal based on said positioning-possible region and said necessary number of the fixed originating terminals.