Indoor Location Tracking Using Beacon Clustering and Smartphone Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current indoor location technologies face challenges such as limited accuracy, performance issues due to signal interference and human body obstruction, and high deployment costs, particularly in environments where GPS is ineffective, and they lack efficient tracking and access control for guests in controlled access areas.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing wireless radio, sound, and light-based beacons communicating with smartphones or electronic devices to provide real-time access control and location tracking, allowing for temporary access key management and navigational services, enabling accurate indoor location determination and tracking without the need for extensive infrastructure installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If infrastructure-based technologies with physical beacons are installed, then indoor location accuracy is improved, but deployment costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes smartphones serve multiple functions: they act as both the location determination target and the beacon infrastructure. The smartphone's existing wireless communication capabilities are utilized to receive and process location data, eliminating the need for separate dedicated beacon hardware at each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the smartphone's own wireless communication infrastructure to determine its location. Instead of requiring external beacons to actively transmit signals, the smartphone passively receives location information from beacons associated with different physical locations, allowing the device to self-determine its position without additional infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If signal triangulation and fingerprinting methods are used, then indoor location determination is achieved, but signal interference and human body obstruction reduce reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-associates wireless beacons with specific physical locations before actual location determination occurs. This preliminary mapping creates a database of location-beacon relationships that can be quickly queried without requiring real-time signal analysis, thus avoiding the reliability issues of signal triangulation and fingerprinting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces signal-based location determination methods (triangulation, fingerprinting) with a database-lookup approach. Instead of analyzing wireless signal characteristics that are susceptible to interference and obstruction, the system simply matches received beacon identifiers against pre-stored location data, eliminating the harmful effects of signal degradation.
3Measurement precision
If GPS is used for outdoor location, then location accuracy is achieved, but it becomes ineffective indoors due to signal attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the indoor space into discrete location segments, each associated with specific wireless beacons. This segmentation allows the system to provide location determination for each distinct area independently, making the indoor location system as versatile and effective as GPS is for outdoor locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless beacons as intermediary elements between the smartphone and the location determination system. These beacons serve as mediators that carry location information from the physical environment to the smartphone, enabling indoor location determination without requiring direct satellite signals like GPS.
4Measurement precision
If custom infrastructure deployment is performed, then location tracking capability is improved, but overhead costs and implementation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables smartphones to serve as location tracking infrastructure, allowing the same device to function both as the tracked object and as part of the tracking system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate custom infrastructure deployment, reducing both time and costs while maintaining tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copies of existing beacon identifiers and location data stored in the smartphone's database rather than requiring direct communication with physical beacons in real-time. This copying approach allows for rapid deployment since the location database can be pre-populated without requiring physical installation of tracking infrastructure at each location.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining the presence of an individual at a particular spot within a location preferably based on the strength of signals received from beacons assigned to the particular spot by a software application (“App”) running on an electronic device of the individual. In one embodiment, certain presence calculations are performed by the App. In another embodiment, the App forwards information regarding the received beacon signals to an electronic identification and location tracking system and the presence calculations are performed by the system.