Patent ID: 7797000

Claim:
A system for automatically collecting and storing key cell transmitter information for use in locating a mobile wireless device operating in a wireless communications network (WCN), wherein the WCN includes a network of base stations including base station transmitters configured to transmit broadcast signals in one or more prescribed wireless frequency bands, wherein the broadcast signals from different base station transmitters are not synchronized with one another, comprising: a location processing node configured to determine key transmitter information concerning base station transmitters of the WCN, wherein said key transmitter information is determined using information automatically determined by wireless scanning devices; a plurality of wireless scanning devices, wherein each of said wireless scanning devices is configured to communicate with said location processing node via a communications link, and to scan available wireless bands and to make scanning measurements of unsynchronized base station broadcast signals from one or more geographically distributed base station transmitters of the WCN, wherein each wireless scanning device is further configured to assist the location processing node in determining said key transmitter information, including cell identification information, cell transmitter location information, and cell transmitter signal timing information, by receiving and measuring characteristics of said signals and providing information about said characteristics via the communications link to said location processing node; and a location server configured to communicate with a mobile station (MS) to be located, and to cause said MS to be located to make signal measurements of signals from one or more WCN cell transmitters and to provide measurement information, including signal timing and received power level, to said location processing node; wherein the system is configured such that, once a set of cell transmitter positions is established, these positions are assumed to be correct in the future and are not solved for on a frequent basis, and wherein the system periodically checks for new cell identification information and determines the coordinates for new cell transmitters.