Low-Cost Location Anchors for Wi-Fi Positioning Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wi-Fi based wireless location systems for mobile devices, such as gas detectors, face accuracy issues due to the probability distribution of location error, requiring additional access points for improved accuracy, which is costly in terms of material and installation costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing low-cost location anchors that do not require backhaul communications equipment, allowing for increased deployment of anchors for improved accuracy without the need for Ethernet ports or radios, and enabling mobile devices to communicate directly with the location manager via access points or Wi-Fi Direct.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional access points are deployed to improve location accuracy, then location estimation accuracy is improved, but total installed cost increases due to material cost of additional APs and installation cost of backhaul communications wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the location system into two distinct functional components: access points that provide WLAN coverage and location anchors that provide location reference information. This segmentation allows the location function to be provided through a separate, lower-cost infrastructure element (anchors) rather than requiring additional full-featured access points, thereby improving location accuracy without proportionally increasing total installed cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the location reference function from the access point and places it in separate location anchors. These anchors contain only the essential location information (MAC address and physical location) without requiring full access point functionality including backhaul communications equipment. This extraction reduces the complexity and cost of each location reference element while maintaining the ability to provide accurate location estimates.
2Measurement precision
If additional access points are deployed to improve location accuracy, then location estimation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional backhaul communications equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the location reference function from the access point and places it in separate location anchors. These anchors contain only the essential location information (MAC address and physical location) without requiring full access point functionality including backhaul communications equipment. This extraction reduces the complexity and cost of each location reference element while maintaining the ability to provide accurate location estimates.
Solution Approach 2:
The location anchors are designed as simple, low-cost devices that do not require expensive backhaul communications equipment. They serve their purpose of providing location reference information and can be deployed in large numbers without significantly increasing system complexity or cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of wireless devices can obtain location related information from members of a plurality of location anchors located throughout a region being monitored. The devices can each send probes to the location anchors. The anchors which receive a probe can each respond with a signal carrying at least an anchor address. Each of the devices can process the respective received signal to establish a distance parameter, and, can forward the address and the distance parameter to a displaced location estimating engine.