E-GPS Offers More Accurate Handset Locating

CPS (Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd) today announced the launch of their new E-GPS (Enhanced Global Positioning System) technology – harnessing their Matrix technology to improve satellite-based location performance indoors and in busy city centres.

E-GPS brings together GPS technology, which relies on a location fix from satellites, with CPS’ software-only Matrix solution that uses synchronisation signals from cellular base stations.

This means that the location provided by E-GPS is always based on the best quality signals, from either satellites or base stations in that particular area, resulting in accurate and consistent sub-100 metre performance across all environments.

E-GPS effectively resolves issues that have constantly plagued satellite-based technologies – lack of coverage in indoor and dense urban areas, time delays in returning a location, and cost.

In poor satellite coverage areas E-GPS provides an immediate high accuracy location. This contrasts with current solutions whereby there is a significant delay before GPS fails and a Cell-ID location is returned which can be several km’s in error.

Fundamentally, E-GPS will improve GPS performance in GSM and WCDMA networks, which cover over 80 per cent of the global wireless market. Both these network technologies are unsynchronised which to date has made provision of quality assistance information difficult, resulting in limited coverage and delays in returning a location. Rigorous testing and live trials – and operator and end user feedback - have highlighted the issues that A-GPS solutions face when operating in such networks. CPS is already in active discussions with partners to bring E-GPS to market.

CPS CEO Chris Wade said: “E-GPS is a powerful new addition to our Matrix portfolio. We have been working for two years to bring this to market, working with and listening to operators, end users and manufacturers. The cornerstone of E-GPS is Matrix technology, and its ability to combine with the best attributes of GPS is a ringing endorsement of our vision of ‘Matrix Everywhere’. We look forward to developing E-GPS products with our partners, and finally providing a cost-effective and thoroughly reliable satellite location solution to the market”.

“Matrix remains the best low-cost option for GSM and WCDMA. But we recognize that there is a market for GPS-based products where, in open-sky environments, satellite solutions generally offer precision tracking for navigation. E-GPS offers tremendous opportunities to the wireless world to develop and deliver new services that work everywhere, and particularly in those indoor and city centre locations where people make most use of mobile data.”