Bluetooth Beacons for Indoor Positioning via Ambient Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current indoor positioning technologies face challenges in scalability, high deployment and maintenance costs, and complexity in integrating multiple technologies, especially when trying to achieve precise positioning and floor detection accuracy without requiring new infrastructure or exhaustive manual surveys.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing ambient pressure measurements from existing Bluetooth beacons, which are automatically and repeatedly measured and sent, allowing mobile devices to receive and utilize this information for positioning without the need for manual actions or additional hardware, leveraging existing infrastructure and device capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dedicated indoor positioning infrastructure (beacons, tags) is deployed, then positioning precision is improved, but deployment cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes Bluetooth beacons serve dual functions: their original advertising function and the new pressure sensing function for positioning. By utilizing the existing Bluetooth Low Energy beacons already deployed for other purposes and adding pressure sensor capability to them, the system achieves multi-functionality without requiring dedicated positioning infrastructure, thus reducing deployment complexity while maintaining positioning precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables mobile devices to perform self-positioning by utilizing ambient pressure measurements from nearby Bluetooth beacons. The devices autonomously collect pressure data, process the information to determine their location, and eliminate the need for complex manual surveying or configuration of positioning infrastructure, thereby reducing deployment and maintenance complexity
2Measurement precision
If manual radio-surveying is performed, then positioning accuracy is improved, but time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for manual radio-surveying by enabling mobile devices to automatically collect and process pressure measurement data for positioning. The devices autonomously perform what would otherwise require manual surveying activities, significantly reducing the time and resources needed to establish positioning accuracy without sacrificing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from traditional radio signal strength measurements (requiring manual surveying) to ambient pressure measurements. Pressure measurements can be obtained automatically by mobile devices without manual intervention, allowing positioning accuracy to be achieved through automated data collection rather than time-consuming manual surveying
3Reliability
If multiple positioning technologies are integrated, then positioning reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes Bluetooth beacons serve dual functions: their original advertising function and the new pressure sensing function for positioning. By utilizing the existing Bluetooth Low Energy beacons already deployed for other purposes and adding pressure sensor capability to them, the system achieves multi-functionality without requiring dedicated positioning infrastructure, thus reducing deployment complexity while maintaining positioning precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the pressure sensing function from the mobile device and places it in the stationary Bluetooth beacon infrastructure. This allows mobile devices to simply read pressure measurements from beacons without needing to perform complex measurements themselves, reducing the complexity of integration while maintaining positioning reliability through the use of dedicated pressure sensing hardware in beacons
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables globally scalable, low-maintenance indoor positioning with precise horizontal and floor detection accuracy, reducing deployment costs and simplifying integration, as Bluetooth beacons are widely supported and require minimal energy, facilitating seamless indoor navigation.
Implementation Method 1
automatically and repeatedly obtaining, by the first apparatus, information representative of an ambient pressure at the first apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
A method, performed by at least a first apparatus, is disclosed, comprising: automatically and repeatedly obtaining, at said first apparatus, information representative of an ambient pressure at said first apparatus; and automatically and repeatedly sending or triggering sending, by said first apparatus, at least a part of said obtained information representative of an ambient pressure at said first apparatus. A method, performed by at least a second apparatus, is disclosed, comprising: obtaining information representative of an ambient pressure at a first apparatus sent by said first apparatus and received at a device; and estimating an ambient pressure at said device at least based on said information representative of an ambient pressure at said first apparatus.