Mobile Device Location Determination Using Overlapping Accuracy Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional location-based services face challenges in accurately determining the location of mobile devices due to variations in accuracy and overlap of location samples from different resources, leading to unreliable positioning results.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that select two or more valid location samples based on accuracy indicators and geographic conditions, expanding regions when necessary to ensure overlap, and eliminating samples without overlap, to determine the mobile device's location with or without uncertainty.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple location samples are collected from different resources, then the coverage and potential accuracy improve, but the reliability deteriorates due to variations in accuracy and lack of overlap between samples
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting multiple location samples from different resources (GPS, cellular towers, Wi-Fi access points) before final location determination. This advance collection ensures that sufficient data is available to handle accuracy variations and overlap issues when determining the final location, thus improving reliability while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by evaluating different accuracy indicators associated with each location sample and selectively using samples based on these indicators. By adjusting which samples are used based on their accuracy parameters and overlap conditions, the system resolves the contradiction between improving precision through multiple samples and maintaining reliability despite accuracy variations
2Productivity
If location samples with non-overlapping regions are used, then more samples can be utilized, but the accuracy deteriorates due to inability to determine valid location
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by expanding the region associated with location samples based on accuracy indicators. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adaptively determine which samples to use - expanding regions when accuracy permits and samples overlap, thereby maintaining both high sample utilization and accurate location determination
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the region parameters of location samples based on accuracy indicators. By adjusting region boundaries dynamically according to sample accuracy, the system can utilize more samples (improving productivity) while ensuring that only samples with sufficient overlap and acceptable accuracy contribute to the final location determination (maintaining precision)
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device may be operable to receive three or more location samples for the mobile device from each of three or more resources. Two or more valid location samples may be selected based on an accuracy indicator associated with each of the received location samples. A location of the mobile device may be determined utilizing the selected two or more valid location samples. A region around each of the received location samples may be determined based on the accuracy indicator and a condition of a geographic environment that is associated with each of the received location samples. Two or more valid location samples among the received location samples may be selected in instances when at least a portion of the region of each of the selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of the regions of each of other selected valid location samples.