Transmitter source location estimation using crowd data

The problem of transmitter source localization in a dense urban area has been investigated where a supervised learning approach utilizing neural networks has been adopted. The cellular phone network cells and signals have been used as the test bed where data are collected by means of a smart phone. Location and signal strength data are obtained by random navigation and this information is used to develop a learning system for cells with known base station location. The model is applied to data collected in other cells to predict their base station locations. Results are consistent and indicating a potential for effective use of this methodology. The performance increases by increasing the training set size. Several shortcomings and future research topics are discussed.