Finding lat/long without GPS

Legacy Open AT
1

Hi i need to find lat/long without using GPS receiver.

I tried to find the position based on Cell id. I used the following command AT+CCED. It returns me the cell id but i am not sure how to get the lat/long using this cell id. If anyone has a sample code/ideas kindly share and help me.

2

You need some kind of database that relates Cell-IDs to physical locations!

This is called “Geolocation” - it is the foundation of “Location-Based Services” (LBS).

Your Service Provider may have something that you can use (probably for a fee).

Yahoo Fire Eagle has a geolocation API: fireeagle.yahoo.net/developer/do … n/location

As does Google: code.google.com/apis/gears/api_geolocation.html

and probably others.

3

I literally found those only yesterday - so please report back with how you get on!

4

Thanks for the Reply.

Is there any other way to obtain the location without doing a match of cell-id to locations. I have seen in some old nokia mobile phones displaying the location information. I guess they don’t have any database about the cell-id against the location name.

More over my requirement is to display the location in my wavecom device with out connecting to any server.

5

No. There is no location information “encoded” into the Cell-ID.

It must have relied upon something provided by the specific network (USSD? Cell Broadcast?) - again, you’ll have to ask your provider (and they are likely to charge for this kind of thing)

6

Hi As you have mentioned i tried to use the cell broadcast information. One of the member in the forum has used the following sequence of at commands to get the location info.

AT+CNMI=2,2,2,0,0
OK
AT+CMGF=1
OK
AT+CSCB=1
OK
AT+CSCB=0
OK
+CBM: 50176,50,1,1,1
NORTH MAIN RD

I tried in the same way but i don’t receive any +CBM notifications. Also if i reset the processor using at+cfun=1, the at+cnmi? returns 0,1,0,0,0

Thanks & Regards,
Rajamanickem. S

7

Do you have any reason to beleive that your network is actually broadcasting the information?

If the network is not sending the information, then you obviously won’t be able to receive it!

Did you save the settings?

8

I checked the official website of my network provider. It has been mentioned over there that cell broadcast is a free service and it is used in the handset of those network mobiles for displaying the location information.

The following information i got from my network provider official website in the FAQ section

  1. Why do I see suburb/town names on my phone?
    This is Cell Broadcast - a free service which allows information to be sent from a base station to all mobile phones that are located within the range of that base station. The information displayed on your Mobile handset is usually the name of the suburb you are in or a well-known landmark in the area, but look out for changes in the Cell Broadcast when you go to special events.
9

Hi,

Now i am able to get the location using cell broadcast. Earlier i was not able to get the location information since i have not saved the settings to receive the broadcast messages.

Thanks & Regards,
Rajamanickem. S