An overview of positioning systems and technologies

Applications requiring positioning in mobile networks gained importance in recent years. Examples are not only Location Based Services (LBSs), but also enhanced emergency call services such as the North American E911, or the newly defined eCall, which is planned to become a European standard as a part of the eSafety initiative of the European commission. Mobile network providers already offer LBS along with positioning, although the accuracies and reliabilities of the present techniques do not yet meet the requirements of the newly defined services in all cases. One of the most popular positioning systems in navigation is the GPS, which is satellite-based, quite accurate and widely available, as long as the receiver to be localized and the satellites have a LOS connection. In this presentation, an overview of positioning and tracking schemes will be given.