Verify Location - Hard for API invoker to interpret a partial response with match rate

[JoachimDahlgren]

Problem description

In Verify Location today if the network's estimation of the device's location partially overlaps with the requested area, or it fully contains the requested area (because it is larger), the result is PARTIAL. In this case, a match_rate is included in the response, indicating an estimation of the likelihood of the match in percent. Estimation of the match rate between the area in the request (R), and area where the network locates the device (N), calculated as the percent value of the intersection of both areas divided by the network area, that is (R ∩ N) / N * 100.

The area where the network locates the device (N) is however unknown to the API invoker which leads to challenges interpreting a PARTIAL response:

• The match rates can be misleading. Receiving a higher match rate does not always mean the device is closer to the requested area than when receiving a lower match rate. In the example below a fully contained request area in a large network area (C4) gives a higher match rate than a partially overlapping request area in a smaller network area (C2).

• Multiple scenarios can result in the same match rate. The API invoker will not be aware and thereby it is difficult to know if the received match rate it good or bad.

• If R is small (for instance a circle with radius set to 10m) and fully contained within a large network area N is large (for instance a radius of 1km) the match rate is R/N*100, in this example 0.01%. The API invoker does however not know that it will not be possible to get a higher match rate for the given request area.

Possible evolution

There are (at least) two ways to address the problem.

• Modify the API in such a way that the response is not calculated based on information not known by the API invoker.

• Complement the response to include addition information that can help the API invoker to interpret the match rate.

[bigludo7]

HI @JoachimDahlgren
Note sure it will solve all UC but one easy information that could provided is to indicate that the requested area is entirely covered within network coverage.
this 'isFullIncluded" (or any other better name) will be in the response and will be set to true for Cx and false for C2 in your second diagram.
To be check if worthwhile.