Indoor Positioning via Device Coordinate Alignment Without Anchors

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Solution Overview

Problem

The deployment of anchors for indoor positioning systems is labor-intensive and costly, requiring professional setup to ensure accuracy, which is difficult to achieve in residential settings, and is prone to errors due to manual orientation changes.

Innovation Solution

An indoor positioning method that establishes a first coordinate system based on the geometric structure of home appliances, using their antenna arrays as origins, and converts this to a geodetic coordinate system for accurate positioning without manual anchor setup, utilizing a conversion relationship to align and measure angles and distances automatically.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If professional persons are used to set up anchors, then positioning accuracy is improved, but labor costs and deployment complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoiddeployment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service deployment by allowing devices to automatically establish their own coordinate systems and perform mutual positioning measurements without professional installation personnel. Each device with an antenna array can independently determine positions of other devices through automated signal measurement and coordinate transformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having professional personnel manually configure anchor positions and orientations, the system inverts the approach by having devices automatically determine each other's positions through mutual measurement. The coordinate system origin and orientation are automatically established based on device geometry rather than manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of manufacture

If manual anchor setup is performed, then positioning system can be deployed, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to orientation changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment easeVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts to device orientations by automatically establishing coordinate systems based on the actual geometric structure and antenna array configuration of each device. The coordinate transformation process accounts for any orientation changes, allowing the system to maintain accuracy regardless of how devices are positioned or oriented during deployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter representation by using relative coordinate systems that are automatically transformed between devices. Instead of relying on fixed absolute coordinates that require precise manual setup, the system uses transformable coordinate parameters that adapt to each device's actual configuration and orientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If anchors are deployed in residential settings, then positioning coverage is improved, but deployment difficulty increases due to lack of professional personnel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning coverageVSAvoiddeployment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables ordinary residential devices to perform self-service deployment by automatically establishing coordinate systems and conducting positioning measurements without requiring professional installation personnel. Any device with an antenna array can participate in the positioning network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The coordinate system transformation acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges devices with different orientations and configurations. This mathematical intermediary allows devices to communicate their positions accurately regardless of their physical arrangement in the residential environment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4184191B1Indoor positioning method and device
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4184191B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2A
  • EP4184191B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~3A
  • EP4184191B1 patent drawingFigure 3B

AI summary

This application discloses an indoor positioning method and device. The method includes: receiving a first measurement parameter obtained by a first device by measuring a second device in a first coordinate system, where the first measurement parameter includes a first angle and a first distance, the first angle is an angle of the second device in the first coordinate system, and the first distance is a distance of the second device relative to an origin of coordinates of the first coordinate system; determining a first spatial position of the second device in the first coordinate system based on the first angle and the first distance; and determining a spatial position of the second device in a geodetic coordinate system based on the first spatial position and a conversion relationship between the first coordinate system and the geodetic coordinate system. According to this method, the first coordinate system of the first device is established, and the angle and the distance of the indoor second device are measured by using the first coordinate system, to further determine the spatial position of the second device in the geodetic coordinate system. Manual setup and deployment of an anchor are avoided, so that positioning is implemented, and human costs are saved.