Beacon False Positive Immunity via Confiner Signal Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional locator beacon systems face issues with false positives and negatives due to overlapping signal areas, multipath interference, and constructive interference, which can lead to inaccurate location detection and unwanted notifications.
Innovation Solution
The use of confiner beacons to define a confined triggering area for locator beacons, where a localization unit associates locator and confiner signals with a location of interest, suppresses location indications outside the threshold, and initiates notifications only when within the defined area, thereby improving the accuracy of location detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the triggering area is expanded to cover the entire desirable target geographic area, then false negative events are reduced, but false positive events increase due to overlapping signal areas from multiple beacons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the triggering area into multiple non-overlapping zones, each associated with a specific beacon. By segmenting the coverage area and assigning exclusive triggering regions to each beacon, the system eliminates false positives caused by signal overlap while maintaining comprehensive coverage of the target geographic area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different signal strength thresholds and triggering criteria to different geographic locations. Each beacon's triggering area is configured with local quality parameters that reflect the specific geographic context, allowing the system to achieve high location detection accuracy without unnecessary false positives.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the triggering area is reduced to eliminate overlapping with other beacons, then false positive events are reduced, but false negative events increase when the receiver is within the desirable target area but outside the triggering area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall coverage area into distinct non-overlapping triggering zones, each properly sized to cover its associated beacon's effective range without encroaching on adjacent zones. This segmentation ensures that each beacon triggers only within its designated area, eliminating false positives while maintaining complete coverage of the target geographic area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces additional spatial dimensions and boundary definitions to precisely delimit triggering areas. By using multi-dimensional geographic boundaries and coordinate systems, the system can accurately define triggering zones that match the desirable target geographic area without overlap, resolving the contradiction between reducing false positives and maintaining detection accuracy.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple powerful locator beacons are used to improve location detection, then the coverage area increases, but false positive events increase due to non-unique solutions in computing distance estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coverage area into distinct non-overlapping zones, each assigned to a specific beacon. This segmentation allows multiple beacons to operate simultaneously without causing false positives, as each beacon's triggering area is explicitly defined to prevent overlap. The system maintains wide coverage while ensuring unique, reliable location detection through proper zone assignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geographic boundary definitions and triggering area delimiters as intermediary elements between multiple beacons. These intermediaries prevent direct signal overlap conflicts by establishing clear spatial boundaries, allowing multiple powerful beacons to expand coverage without creating non-unique distance solutions or false positives.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate, generally, to beacon systems where a locator beacon is used as a marker for a location of interest, and improving false positive immunity in such beacon systems. Confiner beacons are included in such beacon systems to confine a triggering area for triggering a location indication for a location of interest marked by a locator beacon. In other embodiments, arbitrarily shaped triggering areas are defined using confiner beacons. In other embodiments, errant locator signals are identified and handled (e.g., ignored).