SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPUTING THE LOCATION OF A MOBILE TERMINAL IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

A system and method for computing the location of a mobile terminal in a wireless communications network, such as an ad-hoc wireless communications network. In particular, the system and method estimates the location of a mobile terminal in a wireless communications network, such as an ad-hoc terrestrial wireless communications network, based on estimated distances to a plurality of terrestrial reference terminals using error minimizing techniques, such as those based on Gauss's postulate. In doing so, the system and method estimate a respective distance from the mobile terminal to each of the reference terminals based on the respective signals received at the mobile terminal from the reference terminals, calculate a respective simulated pattern, such as a sphere or circle, about each of the respective reference terminals based on the respective distance from the terminal to each respective reference terminal and the respective locations of the respective reference terminals, estimates a location at which each of the simulated patterns intersect each other, and identifies the estimated location as representing the location of the terminal.