Indoor Navigation Using Sensor Data Traces Without Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional navigation applications are ineffective for indoor navigation due to their reliance on map information, which is often unavailable or difficult to obtain, and they struggle to provide accurate location services within buildings without GPS satellite assistance.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses time series data collected by environment sensors, such as accelerometers, barometers, and magnetometers, to create a navigation trace and generate instructions based on patterns of movement, allowing for indoor navigation without the need for pre-existing map information by identifying movement events and providing instructions based on sensor measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional navigation applications use GPS satellite signals for location services, then outdoor navigation accuracy is improved, but indoor navigation becomes ineffective due to signal attenuation and scattering by buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces map information as an intermediary between GPS signals and the navigation system. By overlaying the current location on a map, the system can provide continuous navigation guidance both outdoors (using GPS) and indoors (using map-based relative positioning), thus resolving the contradiction between GPS accuracy and indoor adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation application is designed to perform multiple functions: GPS-based satellite navigation for outdoor use and map-based relative positioning for indoor use. This multi-functionality allows the same application to serve both outdoor and indoor navigation needs, eliminating the limitation of GPS-only systems
2Measurement precision
If indoor navigation systems rely on accurate indoor localization with map information, then navigation precision is improved, but the system becomes useless in absence of map information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading or downloading map information before navigation is needed. This allows the map to be available for immediate use when entering indoor environments, ensuring both precision and functionality are maintained without requiring real-time map acquisition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses map information as a copied representation of the physical environment. By creating a digital map copy that can be stored and processed, the system achieves accurate indoor localization without needing the actual physical map present, thus maintaining functionality even when original map sources are unavailable
3Measurement precision
If navigation applications require preloaded or downloaded map information, then indoor navigation accuracy is improved, but system complexity and data requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The map information serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the foundation for accurate indoor localization, enables overlay display of current position, and supports navigation route planning. This multi-functionality justifies the complexity by delivering comprehensive navigation capabilities from a single data structure
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with implementations of the subject matter described herein, a new approach for creating a navigation trace is proposed. In these implementations, a reference signal is obtained, where the reference signal includes time series data collected by at least one environment sensor along a reference path from a start point to a destination. Then, a navigation trace is created for the reference path based on the obtained reference signal, where magnitudes at locations of the navigation trace reflect measurements collected by the at least one environment sensor at respective time points of the reference signal. In accordance with implementations of the subject matter described herein, a new approach for generating a navigation instruction from a navigation trace.