Augmented Reality Location Specification for Wireless Network Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging to accurately identify low-signal areas or dead zones in wireless communication networks, especially in indoor environments without a local positioning system, which hampers the quality of radio surveys and corrective actions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device that uses augmented reality to specify locations relative to visual landmarks, receives communication performance metrics, and provides graphical representations, such as contour maps, to characterize communication performance without relying on a local positioning system, facilitating improved network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radio surveys are performed to identify low-signal areas or dead zones, then communication performance can be improved, but position uncertainty degrades the quality of the radio survey
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual landmarks as an intermediary reference system to establish device location. Instead of relying on traditional positioning systems, the system uses images captured by a camera and compares them against a database of landmark images to determine device position. This intermediary approach resolves the position uncertainty problem by providing a reliable reference framework independent of conventional positioning infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/electronic positioning systems with an optical recognition system. By substituting the mechanical positioning infrastructure with visual landmark recognition through camera imaging and image processing, the system eliminates dependency on complex positioning hardware while achieving accurate location determination for radio survey correlation.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional radio surveys are conducted without visual reference, then communication metrics can be collected, but it becomes difficult to determine positions in indoor environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two previously separate functions into a unified system: communication metrics collection and position determination. By integrating the camera-based landmark recognition system with the radio survey functionality, the device simultaneously captures both visual reference data and communication performance data, eliminating the need for separate positioning and surveying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-positioning by automatically capturing images, comparing them against the landmark database, and determining device location without external assistance. The device independently executes the full workflow of position determination and communication survey, making the process self-contained and eliminating dependency on external positioning infrastructure or manual position tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device that assesses communication performance is described. During operation, the electronic device receives information specifying a location in an environment. For example, the information may correspond to user-interface activity associated with a user interface. Notably, the user interface may include an augmented reality and the user-interface activity may include defining the location, such as by dropping a pin in the augmented reality. Then, the electronic device provides the information to an access point and/or a controller of the access point, where the location is within communication range of the access point. Next, the electronic device receives, from the access point and/or the controller, measurements of one or more communication performance metrics at or proximate to the location during a time interval. Moreover, the electronic device provides a graphical representation of the communication performance at or proximate to the location based at least in part on the measurements.