Indoor Location Accuracy Using Fixed Wireless Device Database
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional location-determination technologies for wireless devices are ineffective indoors, leading to inaccuracies in identifying the location of emergency callers, which can have severe consequences, and existing solutions face challenges in populating the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) with necessary information.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating a database of fixed wireless devices within buildings, using mobile reporting devices to collect and report information on WiFi access points, Bluetooth beacons, and IoT devices, including location and non-location data, to enhance indoor location accuracy and populate the NEAD database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional location-determination technologies (A-GPS) are used, then outdoor location accuracy is maintained, but indoor location accuracy deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location determination system into outdoor mode (using A-GPS) and indoor mode (using fixed wireless device identifiers). The system automatically switches between these segmented approaches based on whether the device is indoors or outdoors, thereby maintaining high location accuracy in both environments without compromising adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal location determination system that can function both outdoors (using traditional A-GPS methods) and indoors (using fixed wireless device identifiers from NEAD). This multi-functional approach allows the same system to adapt to different environments, resolving the contradiction between maintaining outdoor accuracy and achieving indoor accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If a National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) is implemented to improve indoor location accuracy, then indoor emergency calling precision is improved, but challenges arise in acquiring and populating the necessary device information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having fixed wireless devices pre-register their identifiers (MAC addresses) and location information in the NEAD database before emergency calls occur. This advance population of the database eliminates the complexity of real-time data collection during emergencies, as the information is already available when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by enabling fixed wireless devices to automatically provide their own identification information to the NEAD database without requiring manual data entry or complex external verification processes. This reduces the overall complexity of database population, as the devices themselves contribute their data autonomously.
3Reliability
If fixed wireless device identifiers are used for indoor location determination, then indoor emergency response capability is improved, but additional challenges are introduced in device identification and database management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by having the mobile device capture and report the identifier (MAC address) of the fixed wireless device it is connected to or detecting. This copied identifier is then used to look up the pre-stored location information in the NEAD database, simplifying the verification process while improving emergency response reliability through accurate location identification.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating a database containing the internal locations (e.g., floor, compass direction, room number, nearest fixed landmark, etc.) of fixed wireless devices within a building. To collect data for the database, a report-provider traverses a building with a mobile reporting device. As the provider traverses the building, the mobile reporting device directs the reports-provider to detected wireless devices (e.g., WiFi access points, Bluetooth beacons, Internet-connected appliances, etc.) and instructs the provider to enter information regarding the internal location of each device. When a walk-thru of a building is complete, the mobile reporting device generates a building report that contains the building's location and the internal locations of the detected wireless device. Multiple such reports may be combined by the system to generate the database of internal locations of wireless devices in various buildings.