Patent ID: 8233912

Claim:
A method performed by a mobile station (MS) operating in a wireless network, the method comprising: measuring a first signal strength received at the MS from a first base station (BS 1 ); measuring a second signal strength received at the MS from a second base station (BS 2 ); receiving first path loss parameter values at the MS broadcast from the BS 1 , wherein the first path loss parameter values include each of: a value of transmit power at the BS 1 , an antenna height associated with the BS 1 , and a position of the BS 1 ; receiving second path loss parameter values at the MS broadcast from the BS 2 , wherein the second path loss parameter values include each of: a value of transmit power at the BS 2 , an antenna height associated with the BS 2 , and a position of the BS 2 ; and calculating a three-dimensional location of the MS using the measured first signal strength, the measured second signal strength, the received first path loss parameter values, and the received second path loss parameter values; wherein the position of the BS 1 includes grid coordinates corresponding to location of the BS 1 relative to a two-dimensional grid, and wherein the position of the BS 2 includes grid coordinates corresponding to a location of the BS 2 relative to the two-dimensional grid; and wherein the first path loss parameter values and the second path loss parameter values are broadcasted from the BS 1 and the BS 2 respectively using a position assistant information (PAI) field of a broadcast frame.