Wireless Device Location Determination Using Anonymous Stationary Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location determination methods using wireless signals lack accuracy and privacy, as they often rely on device identifiers that compromise user anonymity and limit the effectiveness of crowdsourced data.
Innovation Solution
A stateful approach is introduced where unique identifiers, called stationary keys, are generated based on changes in device location, allowing for anonymous crowdsourced measurements that are aggregated to enhance location accuracy without revealing device identity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If device identifiers are used for location determination, then location measurements can be associated with specific devices, but device privacy and anonymity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identifying information from the location measurement data by using anonymous identifiers instead of device identifiers. The system separates the location measurement functionality from the device identification functionality, allowing measurements to be collected and processed without revealing which specific device produced them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces anonymous identifiers as an intermediary between the device and the location determination system. These identifiers act as a mediator that allows the system to associate measurements with a location without creating a direct link to the actual device identity, thus preserving privacy while enabling location tracking.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If anonymous identifiers are used for location determination, then device privacy is maintained, but the ability to aggregate crowdsourced data effectively is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the identifier system into multiple anonymous identifiers that can be used across different devices and time periods. This segmentation allows the system to collect data from multiple sources without needing to track individual device identities, enabling effective crowdsourced data aggregation while maintaining anonymity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anonymous identifiers are designed to be universal and reusable across multiple devices and measurement instances. A single anonymous identifier can be associated with multiple location measurements from different devices or the same device at different times, enabling the system to aggregate diverse crowdsourced data effectively without compromising privacy.
3Measurement precision
If location measurements are collected from multiple devices, then location accuracy can be improved through aggregation, but device complexity and data management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses anonymous identifiers that can be copied and reused across multiple measurement instances without creating complex unique identification schemes. This simplifying approach allows the system to manage crowdsourced data from multiple devices without proportionally increasing data management complexity, as the same anonymous identifier structure can be replicated across numerous devices and time periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for location determination of a device within a wireless network are described. In some embodiments, techniques for such may include generating, by the device, a first identifier corresponding to a first location of the device, the device being associated with a first identifier corresponding to the first location; determining, by the device, a change of location of the device relative to the first location of the device; based on the change of the location of the device exceeding a threshold, generating, by the device, a second identifier associated with the device and corresponding to a second location of the device, the second identifier being distinct from the first identifier; obtaining, by the device, one or more positioning measurements associated with the second location of the device corresponding to the second identifier; and sending, to a network entity, the second identifier and the one or more positioning measurements.