Determining a user equipment position within a coverage sub-area of a cell based on cell identity data

A cellular entity of a data communication network for determining cell coverage from crowdsourced information received at the cellular entity, the cellular entity comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more processing units communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to:
• obtain, at the cellular entity, cell identity data and position data for a plurality of positions within a coverage area of a serving cell, wherein the cellular entity comprises a mobile device or computer system, and wherein, for each position:
• the position data includes the respective position, and
• the cell identity data includes one or more cell identities detected at the respective position of one or more mobile devices;
• store, with the cellular entity, the position data and the cell identity data;
• and
• associate coverage sub-areas of the coverage area with cell identities, based on the cell identity data and position data, wherein:
• each one of the coverage sub-areas is associated in a data structure with a cell identity of the serving cell, and
• at least one of the coverage sub-areas being further associated in the data structure with a cell identity of a neighbor cell.

An apparatus for determining cell coverage from crowdsourced information received at a cellular entity of a data communication network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for obtaining, at the cellular entity, cell identity data and position data for a plurality of positions within a coverage area of a serving cell, wherein the cellular entity comprises a mobile device or computer system, and wherein, for each position:
• the position data includes the respective position, and
• the cell identity data includes one or more cell identities detected at the respective position of one or more mobile devices;
• means for storing, with the cellular entity, the position data and the cell identity data;
• and
• means for associating coverage sub-areas of the coverage area with cell identities, based on the cell identity data and position data, wherein:
• each one of the coverage sub-areas is associated in the data structure with a cell identity of the serving cell, and
• at least one of the coverage sub-areas being further associated in the data structure with a cell identity of a neighbor cell.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining cell coverage from crowdsourced information received at a cellular entity of a data communication network, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

• obtaining, at the cellular entity, cell identity data and position data for a plurality of positions within a coverage area of a serving cell, wherein the cellular entity comprises a mobile device or computer system, and wherein, for each position:
• the position data includes the respective position, and
• the cell identity data includes one or more cell identities detected at the respective position of one or more mobile devices;
• storing, with the cellular entity, the position data and the cell identity data;
• and
• associating, by the cellular entity using a data structure, coverage sub-areas of the coverage area with cell identities, based on the cell identity data and position data, wherein:
• each one of the coverage sub-areas is associated in the data structure with a cell identity of the serving cell, and
• at least one of the coverage sub-areas being further associated in the data structure with a cell identity of a neighbor cell.