Map-based location and tracking in multipath outdoor mobile networks

Technical enhancements of mobile technologies are paving the way to the definition of high-quality and accurate geolocation solutions based on data collected and managed by GSM/3G networks. We present a technique that provides geolocation and mobility prediction both at network and service level, does not require any change to the existing mobile network infrastructure, and is entirely performed on the mobile network side, making it more robust than other positioning systems with respect to location spoofing and other terminal-based security threats. Our approach is based on a novel database correlation technique over Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) data, and provides a geolocation and tracking technique based on advanced map- and mobility-based filtering. The performance of the geolocation algorithm has been carefully validated by an extensive experimentation, carried out on real data collected from the mobile network antennas of a complex urban environment.