Hybrid Indoor-Outdoor Navigation Using Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional GPS systems struggle to provide accurate location and orientation information, especially indoors or in high-density urban areas, due to limited precision and outdated maps, leading to unreliable navigation.
Innovation Solution
The use of a combination of location-determining mechanisms such as GPS, wireless access points, QR codes, RFID, NFC, and orientation sensors to accurately determine the device's position and orientation, switching between signal types as needed, and providing intuitive directional guidance through a graphical user interface with augmented reality overlays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS is used to determine location, then the device can provide navigation information, but the location accuracy deteriorates to +/â20 meters which is insufficient for indoor or limited space navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple location-determining mechanisms (GPS, wireless access points, QR codes, RFID, NFC) and orientation sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses) into an integrated navigation system. This merging allows the device to switch between different positioning methods based on environment, achieving accurate indoor and outdoor navigation by complementing GPS's outdoor strength with alternative methods' indoor capabilities.
2Productivity
If conventional GPS methods are used, then the device can provide directions, but the directions become unreliable when maps are outdated or incorrect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of location determination by transitioning from relying solely on pre-stored GPS maps to using real-time signal detection from multiple sources (wireless access points, RFID tags, NFC devices). This parameter change enables the system to provide reliable directions even when traditional maps are outdated, as the navigation is based on current environmental signals rather than static map data.
3Measurement precision
If GPS alone is used for tracking, then the device can track position, but it cannot accurately track position and orientation when the user moves about indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic tracking system that automatically adapts between indoor and outdoor environments. The system dynamically switches between GPS-based outdoor tracking and sensor-based indoor tracking (using accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compasses combined with wireless access point triangulation). This dynamic adaptation ensures continuous accurate position and orientation tracking regardless of whether the user is moving outdoors or indoors.
4Device complexity
If directions are provided assuming user knowledge of the area, then the navigation system is simple, but the user interface becomes non-intuitive and requires guesswork
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical map-reading navigation with an augmented reality overlay system that visually displays directional guidance on the device's display element. Instead of requiring users to interpret static maps and determine their orientation, the system uses the device's camera and display to show overlaid directional arrows and path indicators directly on the real-world view, making navigation intuitive without increasing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The location of an electronic device can be tracked and updated in order to provide a user of the device accurate directions from the user's current location to a target location, for various types of environments. Upon detecting a trigger (e.g., detecting a QR code or detecting an access point signal), an example device can switch from using a first type of positioning element (e.g., GPS) to a second type of positioning element (e.g., using accelerometers, QR codes, etc.) in determining the user's current location. By using the appropriate type of positioning element for each environment, the device may determine the user's current location more accurately. The device may provide an overlay (e.g., arrows) for displaying the directions over images captured from the user's surroundings to provide a more realistic and intuitive experience for the user.