External GPS Antenna for High Precision Geofencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current location-based services, such as those provided by smartphones, are not accurate enough for high-risk environments like construction sites, where a few feet of misstep can result in severe injury or death, and higher-accuracy location devices are too expensive and large for widespread use.
Innovation Solution
A high precision geofence system that uses an external location device with a more robust antenna, designed specifically for GPS signal reception, to provide highly accurate location data to client devices via short-range wireless communication, enhanced by real-time kinematic positioning, allowing for precise location tracking and alerts in dangerous environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If smartphone location services are used, then the system is easy to operate and widely accessible, but the location accuracy is insufficient for high-risk environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external location device as an intermediary between GPS satellites and the smartphone. This external device contains a robust antenna specifically designed for GPS signal reception and processes the signals to achieve high precision location data (within 0.1 feet), while the smartphone maintains its role as a simple display and alert device, thus resolving the contradiction between accuracy and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the location functionality into two parts: the external location device handles the complex GPS signal reception and processing, while the smartphone handles the user interface and alert generation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high accuracy without making the entire system complex.
2Measurement precision
If higher-accuracy location devices are used, then location precision improves, but the device size and cost increase making widespread use impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The external location device serves as a portable intermediary that can be attached to or near the smartphone. It contains the specialized robust antenna and processing capabilities needed for high precision GPS, while the smartphone remains a mass-producible standard device. This approach achieves high accuracy without requiring expensive custom smartphones, enabling widespread deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring every smartphone to have expensive specialized hardware, the patent uses a separate external location device that can serve multiple smartphones. This external device can be shared among multiple users, reducing the per-unit cost and making high precision location services economically viable for widespread use.
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
The system achieves location accuracy within 0.1 feet, enabling effective alerts and preventing accidents by providing reliable location data in high-risk settings, making it safer for workers in environments like construction sites.
Implementation Method 1
an external location device with a more robust antenna, designed specifically for GPS signal reception
Implementation Method 2
enhanced by real-time kinematic positioning, allowing for precise location tracking
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media for a high precision geofence system. An external location device providing high-accuracy location data is used in conjunction with a client device. The external location device includes components to provide high-accuracy location data, such as a higher quality and more robust antenna than what is included in current client devices. The antenna and other components may be purpose built to determine a geographic location of the external location device, such as by being designed specifically for the sole purpose of accepting Global Positioning System signals. By limiting the components included in the external location device to those used for its primary purpose of determining its geographic location, the size and cost of the external location device can be minimized. Accordingly, the external location device may be designed to be attached/affixed to a client device or easily carried by a user.