Device, a system, a method and computer program product for identifying interfering devices in position measurements

A method of identifying if an interference device is active in a positioning system determining positions of a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

• receiving, at an interference detection device from at least one mobile terminal, individual position data of the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, wherein the individual position data indicates an individual location of the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals based on positioning signals from one or more satellites received by a satellite positioning signal receiver of the mobile terminals;
• receiving further individual position data from the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, the further individual position data based on a network positioning technique different than a positioning technique used to determine the individual position data, wherein the further individual position data is received by a network receiver of the least one mobile terminal;
• determining whether that a number of the plurality of mobile terminals in an area is greater or less than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is an expected number of mobile phones in the area;
• in response to determining that the number of the plurality of mobile terminals in the area being is greater or less than the first threshold, determining that a deviation between the individual position data and the further individual position data of the at least one mobile terminal exceeds a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals is located;
• in response to determining that the deviation exceeds the second threshold, determining that at least some of the individual position data of the number of mobile terminals was affected by one or more interfering signals transmitted by at least one interfering device and interfering with the positioning signals;
• and when:
• a deviation between the individual position data and the further individual position data exceed a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals is located;
• and
• in response to the determining that at least some of the individual position data was affected by one or more interfering signals, calculating a location of the at least one interfering device based at least in part on signal strength of the one or more interfering signals.

A method of identifying if an interference device is active in a positioning system determining positions of a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

• receiving, by at least one mobile terminal via a respective satellite positioning signal receiver, positioning signals from one or more satellites;
• calculating, by the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, individual position data indicating a location where the at least one mobile terminal of the mobile terminals based on the positioning signals received by the mobile terminals;
• receiving, by an interference detection device, the individual position data from the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals;
• receiving further individual position data from the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, the further individual position data based on a network positioning technique different than a positioning technique used to determine the individual position data, wherein the further individual position data is received by a network receiver of the least one mobile terminal;
• determining whether that a number of the plurality of mobile terminals in an area is greater or less than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is an expected number of mobile phones terminals in the area;
• in response to determining that the number of the plurality of mobile terminals in the area being is greater or less than the first threshold, determining that, by the interference detection device, a deviation between the individual position data and the further individual position data of the at least one mobile terminal exceeds a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals is located;
• in response to determining that the deviation exceeds the second threshold, determining that at least some of the individual position data of the number of mobile terminals was affected by one or more interfering signals transmitted by at least one interfering device and interfering with the positioning signals;
• and when:
• a deviation between the individual position data and the further individual position data exceed a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals is located;
• and
• in response to the determining that at least some of the individual position data was affected by one or more interfering signals, calculating a location of the at least one interfering device based at least in part on signal strength of the one or more interfering signals.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processor to:

• calculate, by individual ones of a plurality of mobile terminals, individual position data indicating a location where each individual one of the mobile terminals is located based on positioning signals received by the mobile terminals, wherein each of the mobile terminals including a satellite positioning signal receiver, wherein the positioning signals are from one or more satellites;
• receive, by an interference detection device, the individual position data from the individual ones of the plurality of mobile terminals;
• receive further individual position data from individual ones of the plurality of mobile terminals, the further individual position data based on a different positioning technique than a positioning technique used to determine the individual position data;
• determine whether a number of the plurality of mobile terminals in an area is greater or less than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is an expected number of mobile phones in the area;
• in response to the number of the plurality of mobile terminals in the area being greater or less than first threshold, determine that, by the interference detection device, at least some of the individual position data of the number of mobile terminals was affected by one or more interfering signals transmitted by at least one interfering device and interfering with the positioning signals, when:
• a deviation between the individual position data and the further individual position data exceed a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which individual ones of the mobile terminals are located;
• and
• in response to the determining, calculate a location of the interfering device based at least in part on signal strength of the plurality of mobile terminals.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• receive individual position data from at least one mobile terminal of a plurality of mobile terminals which individual position data indicates an individual location where the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals based on positioning signals received by a satellite positioning signal receiver of the mobile terminals from one or more satellites;
• receiving further individual position data from the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals, the further individual position data based on a network positioning technique different than a positioning technique used to determine the individual position data, wherein the further individual position data is received by a network receiver of the least one mobile terminal;
• determine whether a number of the plurality of mobile terminals in an area is greater or less than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is an expected number of mobile phones in the area;
• in response to the number of the plurality of mobile terminals in the area being greater or less than the first threshold, determine that at least some of the individual position data of the number of mobile terminals was affected by one or more interfering signals transmitted by at least one interfering device and interfering with the positioning signals, when:
• a deviation between the individual position data and further individual position data exceed a second threshold, wherein the further individual position data indicates further areas in which the at least one mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals are located;
• and
• in response to the determining, calculating a location of the interfering device based at least in part on signal strength of the plurality of mobile terminals.