IoT Device Location via Emulated Access Point Signals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for determining the location of devices lacking conventional location technology, such as those in the Internet of Things (IoT), are costly, power-hungry, and require expensive radio access technology components like Wi-Fi or GPS, making them unsuitable for low-cost, lightweight IoT devices.
Innovation Solution
The use of emulated access point information, which is indistinguishable from real AP information, allows IoT devices to report their location without needing functional AP components, leveraging existing UE reporting technologies to determine their location through correlation with location-enabled receiving devices and databases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If IoT devices are equipped with functional AP components (Wi-Fi radio, GPS) for location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but device cost, power consumption, and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by creating emulated AP information that replicates the appearance and behavior of real AP signals without requiring actual AP hardware components. The IoT device generates synthetic AP information including SSIDs, BSSIDs, and signal strength values that mimic real Wi-Fi access points, allowing location determination systems to treat the emulation identically to real APs. This copying approach enables location tracking while eliminating the need for expensive, power-hungry functional AP radio components in the IoT device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach where a separate entity (such as a smartphone or location determination device) acts as a mediator between the IoT device and the location determination system. The intermediary device receives the emulated AP information from the IoT device, correlates it with its own location data, and determines the IoT device's location indirectly. This intermediary mechanism allows the IoT device itself to remain simple without functional AP components while still enabling accurate location tracking through the mediating device's reporting.
2Measurement precision
If IoT devices include Wi-Fi AP components for location reporting, then location tracking capability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by generating emulated AP information that simulates real Wi-Fi signals without activating actual Wi-Fi radio hardware. The emulation process creates synthetic signal data (SSIDs, BSSIDs, RSSI values) that consumes minimal power compared to maintaining functional AP radio components in standby or active states. This approach enables continuous location tracking capability while dramatically reducing power consumption, making it suitable for battery-powered IoT devices.
3Measurement precision
If functional AP components are integrated into IoT devices, then location determination accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by replacing expensive functional AP hardware components with software-based emulated AP information generation. Instead of integrating Wi-Fi radio transceivers, GPS receivers, or other costly location hardware into each IoT device, the solution uses software to generate synthetic AP signal data that can be processed by existing location determination infrastructure. This dramatically reduces per-device manufacturing costs while maintaining location determination accuracy through the emulation approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the principle of using cheap, disposable objects by replacing expensive, long-lived hardware components with inexpensive software-based emulated AP information. The emulated AP data can be generated, transmitted, and replaced without physical wear or degradation concerns. This approach allows for cost-effective deployment of location tracking in IoT devices where hardware components would be prohibitively expensive, enabling mass deployment of low-cost smart devices.
4Device complexity
If IoT devices use emulated AP information instead of functional AP components, then device cost and complexity are reduced, but location determination reliability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by implementing mechanisms where the emulated AP information is continuously correlated with location data from reporting devices, and the system can verify and validate the authenticity and consistency of the emulated signals. The location determination system can use feedback loops to cross-check multiple emulated AP reports, detect anomalies, and maintain reliability by comparing against known AP locations and signal characteristics. This feedback mechanism ensures that the simplified emulated approach maintains location determination reliability comparable to hardware-based systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Determining a location for a non-access point device based on non-access point device emulation of an access point (AP) device is disclosed. A non-AP device can pass itself off as an actual AP device to piggyback of location reporting by user equipment (UE). Where a UE observes an emulated AP, e.g., a non-AP device masquerading as an AP device, the observance of the emulated AP can be reported, along with UE location information captured at the time of the observance, to a network database. The UE location information can be used to determine a location of the emulated AP. The location of the emulated AP can be retrieved from the database in response to a query identifying the emulated AP. This can enable the non-AP device to query its own location as observed by the UE. This can enable other devices to receive the location of the non-AP device.