SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING CELL CENTER POSITION FOR CELL ID BASED POSITIONING

Systems and methods for estimating a cell center location in a wireless communication system having all interface to a satellite positioning system (“SPS”) such as for example, a Geosynchronous Positioning System (“GPS”). The wireless communication system provides service to mobile stations within a cell, each mobile station includes a SPS receiver. Examples of the systems and methods for estimating a cell center location analyze the mobile station locations in a cell as a uniform distribution of mobile station locations and calculate a statistical measure characterizing the mobile station locations as a function of the mobile station locations. In one example, the statistical measure is a maximum likelihood mobile station location. In another example, the statistical measure is the mean mobile station location in the cell. The estimated cell center location may be used to approximate the location of the mobile station during a warm or cold restart of the SPS receiver part of the mobile station.