Location Reference Device for Power-Efficient Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
User devices consume significant power when determining their geographic location using high-powered radios like GPS, cellular, and Wi-Fi, which can be minimized without compromising location determination accuracy.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where user devices communicate with a location reference device (LRD) using low-powered radios to determine their location, allowing the high-powered radios to be powered down or idle, with the LRD storing or determining its own location to provide location information to the user device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If user devices use high-powered radios (GPS, cellular, Wi-Fi) to determine geographic location, then location determination accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location reference device (LRD) as an intermediary between the user device and the location determination system. The LRD receives location information from high-powered radios and transmits it to user devices via low-powered radios. This mediator allows user devices to obtain accurate location data without directly using high-powered radios, thus resolving the contradiction between location accuracy and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The LRD creates a copy of location information obtained from high-powered radios and transmits this copied data to user devices. Instead of each user device directly querying high-powered radio systems, they receive replicated location data from the LRD via low-power communication, maintaining accuracy while reducing energy consumption.
2Loss of information
If user devices continuously determine location using high-powered radios, then location information availability is improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The LRD acts as a continuous location information source that maintains availability without requiring user devices to continuously activate high-powered radios. The LRD periodically updates location data and makes it available to user devices through low-power communication channels, ensuring information availability while preserving battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic location updates where the LRD refreshes location information at intervals and transmits it to user devices. This periodic action ensures location information remains current and available without requiring continuous high-powered radio operation, thus extending battery life while maintaining information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device may detect, using a first radio associated with the user device, a presence of a location reference device; and determine a location associated with the user device. When determining the location associated with the user device, the user device is to receive location information from the location reference device, via the first, and refrain, based on detecting the presence of the location reference device, from determining the location using a second radio associated with the user device while the user device is within a communication range of the location reference device.