Indoor Location Data Sharing Service for Portable Computing Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable computing devices (PCDs) face memory inefficiencies due to multiple instances of separate indoor location data being stored for individual application programs, leading to significant memory consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for sharing indoor location information across application program modules in PCDs, where the system determines if a location service is running, installs the location engine if necessary, and manages indoor location data through a venue-specific and general resource cache, allowing data to be shared and downloaded efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each application program stores separate indoor location data, then each application can independently access location information, but memory space consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges indoor location data into a single shared database that is accessible by multiple application programs. Instead of each application maintaining its own separate copy of location data, the system creates a centralized data repository that applications query through a common interface, thereby eliminating redundant data storage while maintaining application independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal location data structure that serves multiple application programs simultaneously. The shared database and location service framework provide a multi-functional system where different applications can access the same location information for various purposes such as navigation, nearby services, and indoor positioning, making the data structure universally applicable across applications.
2Ease of operation
If separate indoor location data is stored for each application, then data can be accessed by individual applications, but memory management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location service as an intermediary layer between applications and the shared database. This mediator handles data retrieval, caching, and synchronization operations, shielding applications from direct memory management complexity while maintaining easy data accessibility. The location service manages the complexity of data sharing protocols and memory allocation automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the location data into different categories such as venue-specific data, building-level data, and general location information, allowing applications to access only the relevant segments they need. This segmentation reduces the memory management burden by enabling selective data loading and caching strategies, while maintaining organized and efficient data access patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for sharing indoor location information with one or more application program modules within a portable computing device (“PCD”) includes receiving an indoor location data request and determining if a location service is currently being executed by the PCD. If the location service is not being executed, it is determined if a location engine of the PCD has been installed. If the location engine of the portable computing device has not been installed, then the code for the location engine is downloaded from a communications network. Next, the location service may be executed once the location engine has been installed. It is determined if the indoor location data being requested is present in a memory element of the PCD. If the indoor location data being requested is not present in the memory element of the PCD, then the indoor location data is downloaded from the communications network.