Mobile Device Breadcrumb Pathway Records for Service Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of mobile devices often face challenges in identifying locations with available communication services, such as cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, especially in areas with sparse coverage, which can be critical for accessing essential services like text messaging, voice calling, or streaming media, and may pose safety risks if connectivity is not readily available.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device generates 'breadcrumbs' or pathway records that include location data, communication service types, and signal parameters, allowing users to map available services and estimate relocation distances and times to access desired communication services, while also conserving battery life and storage by adjusting data collection frequencies based on device capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the mobile device continuously collects and stores breadcrumb data including location, communication service availability, and signal parameters, then the user can identify locations with desired communication services, but the device battery life and storage capacity are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs data collection at adjusted frequencies based on available battery life and storage capacity. When battery life or storage is sufficient, the device collects and stores breadcrumb data more frequently. When resources are low, the device reduces collection frequency or skips non-essential collections, performing only partial data gathering actions to conserve energy while still maintaining useful service availability information.
2Measurement precision
If the mobile device collects detailed breadcrumb data including signal parameters and communication service types at high frequency, then the accuracy of service availability mapping is improved, but the device storage capacity is consumed faster
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts the quantity and detail of breadcrumb data collected based on available storage capacity. When storage is abundant, the device collects comprehensive data including all signal parameters and service types. When storage is limited, the device collects only essential location and service availability information, omitting detailed signal parameters, thus maintaining acceptable mapping accuracy while conserving storage resources.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the mobile device adjusts data collection frequency based on battery life and storage capacity, then device resource usage is optimized, but the time to accumulate sufficient breadcrumb data for accurate service mapping is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts data collection frequency based on real-time monitoring of battery life and storage capacity. When resources are abundant, the device increases collection frequency to rapidly accumulate breadcrumb data, reducing the time needed for accurate service mapping. When resources are constrained, the device reduces frequency to optimize resource efficiency. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to balance resource efficiency with data accumulation speed based on current device state.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for enabling a mobile device to generate pathway records, and to use the generated records to identify a location at which a desired type of communication service is available for the mobile device. The generated pathway records include (a) timing data indicative of a data collection time, (b) location data indicative of a collection location of the mobile device at the collection time, and (c) data indicative of available communication services for the mobile device at the collection location. Via a user interface, the mobile device presents a map including indications of (a) a current location of the mobile device, (b) a trail representing a time-ordered sequence of the pathway records, and (c) the available communication services associated with respective ones of the pathway records generated by the mobile device.