Augmented Reality Navigation Using Wi-Fi and Image Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Civilian GPS systems suffer from limited accuracy, leading to navigation errors and inefficiencies, especially in urban areas and for short-distance navigation, as they may not provide precise positioning, causing users to become lost or unable to locate destinations due to blocking obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A mobile viewing system with an augmented reality system that uses a combination of wireless access points and image capture technology to determine location and generate object guiding or indicating messages, displayed on a viewing unit, allowing users to navigate within buildings by connecting to wireless access points and capturing images to refine their position and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If civilian GPS is used for navigation, then the system is simple and widely available, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates to several tens or hundreds of meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple positioning systems (GPS, wireless access points, image recognition) into a hybrid navigation system. The mobile terminal integrates GPS module, wireless communication module, and image capture module to cross-validate and refine position information, achieving higher accuracy than any single system alone while managing complexity through modular integration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless access points as intermediary elements between GPS satellites and the mobile terminal. When GPS accuracy is insufficient, the system uses Wi-Fi signal triangulation from multiple access points as an intermediary positioning method, bridging the gap between satellite-based GPS and ground-based navigation needs
2Measurement precision
If GPS provides broad coverage, then the system works globally, but the accuracy deteriorates in urban areas and for short-distance navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between different positioning methods based on environmental conditions. The system automatically selects GPS for open areas, switches to wireless access point triangulation in urban canyons, and uses image recognition for indoor navigation, adapting to different environments in real-time to maintain accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the positioning system based on environment. In urban areas, it adjusts by using lower-frequency Wi-Fi signals that penetrate buildings better; indoors, it switches to visual landmark recognition parameters; for short distances, it uses high-frequency updates from multiple sensors to achieve meter-level precision
3Reliability
If the user follows GPS directions, then the navigation path is provided, but the user may become lost when blocked by obstacles or when GPS error exceeds building dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback loops where the system constantly monitors position accuracy from multiple sources (GPS coordinates, Wi-Fi signal strength variations, image recognition results). When discrepancies are detected or obstacles block the path, the system receives feedback and recalculates the navigation route in real-time, maintaining reliability even when single-point GPS errors occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-mapping the environment using image capture and feature recognition before navigation begins. The system stores landmark positions and building layouts in advance, so when GPS fails or obstacles appear, the pre-captured spatial data provides a backup navigation framework, ensuring continuous reliability
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality system having a server and a mobile viewing is provided. The mobile viewing system registers that the mobile viewing system enters a building at the server. Several wireless access points are disposed in the building, and the mobile viewing system is connected to some of the wireless access points. The mobile viewing system receives a request message from the server and captures an image via an image capture module according to the request message. The server obtains a location of the mobile viewing system according to the connected wireless access points and the image captured, and generates an object guiding message or an object indicating message according to the location of the mobile viewing system. The mobile viewing system displays the object guiding message or the object indicating message on the viewing unit.