Distributed Antenna Units for Indoor Location Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems, particularly in indoor environments, face challenges in providing accurate location-based services to clients due to the inability of GPS signals to penetrate building materials, making it difficult to determine the location of wireless client devices for services like E911.
Innovation Solution
A distributed communication system that uses optical fiber-based Radio-over-Fiber technology to provide location information to client devices through protocols such as RFID, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Dash7, leveraging building plans, RF surveys, and client device interactions to calculate and communicate location data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS satellites are used for location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but the system fails to work indoors due to signal penetration issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces distributed antenna units as intermediary components between GPS satellites and indoor client devices. These antenna units receive satellite signals outdoors and redistribute them indoors through wireless communication, acting as a mediator that enables GPS functionality to work both indoors and outdoors. The antenna units create localized coverage areas that bridge the gap between outdoor satellite reception and indoor signal requirements.
2Reliability
If distributed antenna units with short coverage ranges are deployed, then bandwidth sharing among users is minimized, but the system complexity and deployment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large-scale wireless communication system into multiple small distributed antenna units, each covering a limited area. This segmentation allows each unit to serve fewer users with dedicated bandwidth, ensuring reliable service quality. The modular segmented architecture makes the system scalable and manageable despite the increased number of components.
3Ease of operation
If triangulation techniques from outside network are used, then location determination is simplified, but the technique cannot determine location of clients indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from outdoor satellite-based three-dimensional positioning to an indoor distributed system using two-dimensional coverage area mapping. Each antenna unit's coverage area is mapped and stored in a database, creating a planar location determination system adapted for indoor environments. This dimensional adaptation allows location tracking using the same wireless communication infrastructure designed for voice and data services.
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
Enables the provision of location-based services to wireless client devices indoors by accurately determining their location, even when GPS signals are unavailable, thereby supporting emergency services and other location-dependent applications.
Implementation Method 1
The remote antenna units each include RF transceivers coupled to an antenna to transmit RF signals wirelessly, wherein the remote antenna units are coupled to the head-end station via optical fiber links. The RF transceivers in the remote antenna units are transparent to the RF signals, and convert incoming optical RF signals from the optical fiber link to electrical RF signals via optical-to-electrical (O/E) converters
Implementation Method 2
The remote antenna units then convert the electrical RF signals via electrical-to-optical (E/O) converters. The optical RF signals are then sent to the head-end station via the optical fiber link
Data Source
AI summary
Distributed communication systems provide location information to mobile terminals that may not be able to receive otherwise global positioning system (GPS) information from GPS satellites. Providing location information to clients inside a building or other location may make location based services, such as emergency (E911) services, possible based on the location information. The distributed communications system may be provided location information about its components through a number of techniques. Once the distributed communications system has the location information, such location information may be passed to clients.