Mobile Device Indoor Location Scanning via Probe Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
In indoor environments, mobile communication devices face challenges in reliably estimating location due to attenuated or blocked satellite signals, leading to increased power consumption and latency when using comprehensive radio heat maps for navigation, especially in large areas with multiple floors.
Innovation Solution
A method where a mobile device obtains a rough location estimate, identifies nearby transmitters, and selectively initiates a passive scan only if the number of probe request responses is below a threshold, minimizing power consumption and latency by reducing the need for extensive passive scanning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If comprehensive radio heat maps are used for indoor navigation, then location estimation accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively initiating passive scans only when probe request responses fall below a threshold number, rather than continuously performing comprehensive radio heat map scans. This reduces power consumption while maintaining location estimation accuracy when conditions permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the scanning parameter from continuous comprehensive scanning to conditional partial scanning based on the number of responsive transmitters. This parameter change allows the device to adapt power consumption levels while maintaining sufficient location accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive radio heat maps are used for indoor navigation, then location estimation accuracy is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial scanning by performing passive scans only when necessary (when probe responses are insufficient), rather than continuously downloading and processing comprehensive radio heat maps. This reduces latency while maintaining location estimation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary active scanning with probe requests to assess the number of responsive transmitters before deciding whether to initiate passive scanning. This preliminary action allows the system to avoid unnecessary comprehensive scans, reducing latency.
3Reliability
If passive scanning is performed frequently to ensure accurate location determination, then measurement reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from probe request responses (number of responsive transmitters) to control whether passive scanning should be initiated. This feedback mechanism ensures measurement reliability is maintained when needed while avoiding unnecessary scans that would increase power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Passive scanning is performed partially and selectively based on the threshold condition, rather than continuously. This maintains measurement reliability when the number of responsive transmitters is insufficient while reducing power consumption when conditions are adequate.
Data Source
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AI summary
Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, to facilitate or support one or more operations or techniques for detecting location changes and monitoring assistance data via scanning for use in or with a mobile device. Briefly, in accordance with at least one implementation, a method may include obtaining, at a mobile device, a rough estimate of a location of the mobile device; identifying a plurality of transmitters within a signal acquisition range of the roughly estimated location; transmitting probe requests addressed to at least some of the transmitters; and selectively initiating a passive scan at a receiver of the mobile device if a number of responses to the probe requests received from the transmitters is less than a threshold number.