The location of a mobile wireless communication unit in the service area of a
CDMA communications system is predicted utilizing two likelihood functions that
define maximum likelihood estimators of the mobile unit's location, based on attribute
measurements, such as but not limited to pilot signal strength, being made at the
location of the mobile unit and reported back to a base station. One of the likelihood
functions comprises a frequentist likelihood function and the other comprises a
Bayesian-modified likelihood function. The likelihood functions are based on the
assumption that there is an RF model which provides the probability a mobile unit
is able to detect one or more attributes associated with an arbitrary base station,
given it is located at an arbitrary location within the service area. Each of the
likelihoods are also incorporated into a sequential Bayesian procedure which outputs
a posterior distribution indicative of the location of the mobile unit.
