Indoor Positioning Engine Using Beacon and Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large merchant premises, customers face difficulties in finding products or information due to the limitations of wireless handsets, and merchants lack effective means to provide location-specific and personalized advertising, loyalty program integration, and customer feedback mechanisms, while also needing to manage customer privacy.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines the indoor location of wireless devices using fixed beacons and sensors, allowing for targeted content delivery based on user attributes and geofencing, with a user interface for content administrators to manage content bubbles and user profiles, ensuring privacy and relevance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a merchant uses traditional advertising mechanisms (signs or LCD displays), then advertising can be provided at a specific location, but the advertising cannot distinguish among customers and cannot provide personalized information
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the wireless handset itself as the identification and advertising medium. The handset already contains sensors and processing capabilities that can be leveraged without requiring separate complex identification infrastructure. The merchant's existing customer data systems can be queried using handset identifiers, enabling personalized advertising while avoiding the need for additional complex tracking devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless handset serves multiple functions: it acts as both the customer's communication device and the identification medium for targeted advertising. The handset's existing sensors, display, and processing capabilities are utilized to provide location-based personalized information, eliminating the need for separate dedicated advertising identification systems.
2Ease of operation
If a merchant provides extensive information and services through the wireless handset, then customer service quality improves, but the customer may be overwhelmed by excessive information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively delivering relevant information to the customer based on their location and profile before the customer actively seeks it. Content is pre-filtered and prepared according to the customer's known preferences and the current situation, so when information is delivered, it is already organized and relevant, reducing the cognitive load on the customer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where customer responses, preferences, and interactions with the delivered content are continuously monitored and used to refine future information delivery. This feedback loop ensures that the quantity and type of information provided adapts to customer needs, preventing information overload by focusing only on what the customer finds valuable.
3Measurement precision
If the merchant provides location-specific content based on customer data, then advertising relevance improves, but customer privacy concerns may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by tailoring content and advertising to the specific local context of each customer based on their location and profile, rather than using blanket approaches. This localized personalization increases relevance while maintaining privacy by processing data locally and only sharing necessary information with the merchant, rather than creating comprehensive surveillance systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless handset acts as an intermediary between the customer and the merchant's data systems. The handset manages the customer's data locally and mediates communication with the merchant, allowing location-based personalization while giving the customer control over their own data and reducing direct merchant access to sensitive information.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the merchant implements a comprehensive system with beacons, sensors, and content delivery, then location-based service capability improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages the wireless handset's existing sensors and processing capabilities to perform location-based services. Rather than requiring a completely new infrastructure, the system uses what the customer already carries, reducing the complexity burden on the merchant while maintaining comprehensive location-based functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the merchant's existing content delivery infrastructure with the wireless handset's communication and processing capabilities. By combining these existing systems rather than creating separate dedicated location-based infrastructure, the overall system complexity is reduced while maintaining full functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and personalized content delivery to customers within merchant premises, improving customer experience by providing relevant information and advertising while respecting user privacy and preferences.
Implementation Method 1
The fixed beacon is located on the map. The beacon transmits a beacon identifier. A beacon signal strength is associated with each beacon.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining the location of a wireless device is described, the system includes a map, a fixed beacon, a fixed sensor and a server component. The server component receives a beacon identifier and a beacon signal strength from a wireless device. A sensor is located on the map. The fixed sensor receives the beacon identifier and the sensor captures a measured sensor beacon signal strength. The sensor is communicatively coupled to the server component. The server component receives the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength from the fixed sensor. The server component uses the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device and the sensor beacon signal strength and the beacon identifier received by the sensor to determine the location of the wireless device.