Indoor Navigation Path Determination Using Relative Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional indoor navigation systems require significant effort and resources to produce detailed mapping information, which is often static and not dynamic enough to account for changing indoor features, making them time-intensive and expensive to maintain, thus limiting their adoption in various settings.
Innovation Solution
An information handling system that uses wireless access point device/user device relative positioning information to determine and store user paths within an indoor space, allowing for the generation of navigation paths without pre-provisioned mapping data, and dynamically updates the indoor space map as user paths are collected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional mapping information is used for indoor navigation, then navigation accuracy is improved, but system complexity and maintenance cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to automatically contribute to mapping information collection through their own device movements. User devices naturally provide positioning data and navigation information without requiring dedicated mapping collection systems, making the mapping process self-service and eliminating the need for manual surveying and system maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously collects feedback from user devices about their locations and movements, using this information to automatically update and refine the indoor mapping data. This feedback mechanism allows the mapping information to be dynamically updated based on actual user navigation behavior, improving accuracy without manual intervention.
2Measurement precision
If detailed mapping information is collected manually, then navigation path accuracy is improved, but time required for setup and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting mapping information in advance through user device movements before specific navigation requests are made. This preliminary data collection eliminates the need for manual surveying and setup time, as the mapping information is already available from prior user activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously collects and updates mapping information through ongoing user device movements and positioning data, rather than requiring periodic manual updates. This continuous action ensures the mapping data is always current and accurate, eliminating setup and maintenance time without sacrificing precision.
3Device complexity
If static mapping information is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to changing indoor spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static mapping information to dynamic, continuously updating maps that adapt to changing indoor spaces. The mapping data is automatically updated based on real-time user positioning and movement information, allowing the system to adapt to relocated furniture, structural changes, and other modifications without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service mechanisms where user devices automatically provide the data needed to update mapping information. This eliminates the need for manual surveying and system reconfiguration when indoor spaces change, maintaining simplicity while achieving dynamic adaptability through automated user-driven updates.
Data Source
AI summary
A navigation path determination system includes wireless access point devices positioned around an indoor space. While located at different indoor space locations around the indoor space, user devices transmit wireless communications with the wireless access point devices, identify wireless access point device/user device relative positioning information in respective wireless communications with each of the wireless access point devices, and transmit the relative positioning information to a navigation system. The navigation system uses the relative positioning information to determine a respective user path through the indoor space by each user device, and stores the respective user paths in a navigation path database for later use in determining a navigation path through the indoor space. The relative positioning information for each indoor space location may be unique combination of sets of wireless access point device identifiers and time-of-flight information for wireless communication transmitted by corresponding wireless access point devices.