Machine-Readable Geographic Code Intermediary for Mobile Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPS technologies on mobile devices are expensive, difficult to use, and may not function well in areas with obstructed sky views, raising privacy concerns and limiting their effectiveness in dense urban areas.
Innovation Solution
A system that encodes geographic information in machine-readable representations, such as barcodes or QR codes, which can be displayed at locations and decoded using a mobile device, allowing users to capture and decode these representations to obtain location-specific information without relying on satellite communication, thus providing an alternative method for accessing location-based information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS functionality is used on mobile devices, then location determination capability is provided, but cost increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces machine-readable representations (barcodes, QR codes, etc.) as intermediary elements placed at geographic locations. Instead of directly using GPS satellites to determine location, the system uses these visual codes as mediators that encode location information. The mobile device captures images of these codes with its camera and decodes them to obtain location data, thereby replacing the complex GPS satellite communication system with a simpler visual code recognition system.
2Reliability
If GPS functionality is used on mobile devices, then location determination capability is provided, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The machine-readable representations serve as user-friendly intermediaries that simplify location identification. Users simply need to capture an image of the visual code at the location, and the system automatically decodes and processes it to provide location information. This eliminates the need for users to understand or configure complex GPS settings, making the operation much simpler and more intuitive.
3Reliability
If GPS functionality is used on mobile devices, then location determination capability is provided, but adaptability to different environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The machine-readable representations are placed directly at geographic locations, serving as environment-independent intermediaries. Unlike GPS signals that require unobstructed sky views and may fail in dense urban areas, tunnels, or indoors, these visual codes can be positioned on buildings, signs, or other structures that are visible from ground level. The mobile device's camera can capture these codes regardless of sky conditions, making the system adaptable to various environmental conditions including dense metropolitan areas, indoor locations, and areas with obstructed sky views.
4Reliability
If GPS functionality is used on mobile devices, then location determination capability is provided, but loss of information increases due to privacy concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The machine-readable representations act as privacy-protecting intermediaries. Instead of the mobile device continuously transmitting its location to GPS satellites or being tracked by them, the system requires the user to actively initiate location identification by capturing an image of a visual code. The location information is encoded in the code itself, not transmitted via satellite communication, giving users control over when and where their location is identified and reducing unauthorized tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented location identification method involves obtaining a digital image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location, decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier, and presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.