Indoor Navigation Feasibility Detection Using Crowdsourced Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile device navigation systems are unreliable and inaccurate due to outdated or incorrect map information, especially in indoor environments, leading to faulty positioning and navigation capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for a mobile device to obtain map information and additional measurement information based on previous position measurements from multiple devices, determining feasible or infeasible access to regions within an indoor environment, and adjusting navigation routes accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional map information is used for indoor navigation, then the system is simple to implement, but the positioning accuracy and reliability deteriorate due to outdated or incorrect data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple data sources including map information, measurement information from multiple mobile devices, and position measurement information to create a comprehensive navigation system. This merging of diverse information sources improves positioning accuracy while distributing the complexity across multiple components rather than relying on a single complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The system collects position measurement information from multiple mobile devices and uses this feedback to determine feasible and infeasible regions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to continuously improve positioning accuracy by learning from actual device locations and comparing them against map information, thereby resolving the contradiction between accuracy and complexity
2Reliability
If navigation routes are planned without considering access restrictions, then route calculation is faster, but the reliability of navigation deteriorates by directing users to inaccessible areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis to determine feasible and infeasible regions before route calculation. By pre-processing the environment data and identifying accessible areas in advance, the system ensures navigation reliability without significantly impacting route calculation speed, as the feasibility determination is done once rather than for each route query
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (feasibility determination module) that sits between the map data and route calculation. This intermediary processes map information and measurement data to create a feasibility mask, which then guides route calculation. This approach maintains reliability by ensuring routes only pass through feasible regions while keeping the overall system efficient through modular processing
3Reliability
If map information is updated frequently to improve accuracy, then positioning reliability improves, but the loss of time and resources for data updates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses measurement information from multiple mobile devices to continuously refine and update the understanding of feasible and infeasible regions. Rather than relying on external map updates, the system self-updates by learning from actual device positions and measurements, improving positioning reliability without requiring frequent manual map data updates
Solution Approach 2:
The system updates only the portions of map information that are relevant to current navigation needs and are supported by available measurement data. Rather than completely refreshing all map data, the system performs partial updates based on actual device locations and observed environments, reducing the time and resources required while maintaining positioning reliability in relevant areas
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses in a mobile device to allow the mobile device to obtain map information associated with at least a portion of an indoor environment comprising a plurality of regions. The mobile device may also obtain additional measurement information associated with at least the portion of the indoor environment, wherein the additional measurement information is based, at least in part, on previously obtained estimated position measurement information associated with a plurality of mobile devices within the indoor environment. The mobile device may determine whether access to at least one of the plurality of regions is either feasible or infeasible to a user associated with the mobile device. The determination may be based, at least in part, on the map information and the additional measurement information.