Invented and Commercialized WLS Technology
Polaris pioneered its patented and industry-leading Wireless Location Signatures (WLS™) technology. Polaris WLS™ is a sophisticated pattern-matching approach for determining the location of a mobile phone. It relies on neighbor cell signal strengths and other standard network measurements automatically reported as part of normal network operation. Reports are compared against an established geo-referenced database that models the radio environment. The system identifies the best pattern match to get an accurate fix on the location of a handset.
Cracking the Code
Previous signal strength approaches by other vendors did not meet accuracy requirements for E911 or location-based services. Determined to deliver a viable alternative, Polaris engineers developed and validated a suite of proprietary algorithms. These algorithms take advantage of state-of-the-art propagation models and advanced statistical methods to enable a dramatically higher degree of accuracy in determining handset location than ever before.
Polaris technology has been proven over the past five years through extensive field testing and successful customer deployments. The proprietary algorithms have won several blind competitive trials conducted by leading wireless service providers. In less that two years of commercial operation, Polaris has become a profitable company delivering innovative products that meet the global demand for location determination applications.
Technology Overview
The Polaris WLS™ technology is based on the principle that every location has a unique radio frequency (RF) signature. Like a fingerprint's pattern of lines and swirls, a location can be identified by a unique set of values including measurements of neighbor cell signal strengths, time delay, and other network parameters.
