Mobile Device Positioning Engine Using Weighted Anchor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional indoor positioning systems and real-time location services face accuracy issues due to inaccurate relative position information from anchor points, which affects the determination of a mobile device's position.
Innovation Solution
An improved processing concept that involves receiving relative position information from multiple anchor points, estimating an initial position, and applying weight factors to reduce the influence of inaccurate information, thereby refining the determined position of the mobile device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional positioning methods are used, then the system is simple, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates when anchor points provide inaccurate relative position information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces weight factors as new parameters that modify the positioning calculation. Instead of treating all anchor points equally, the system adjusts the influence of each anchor point's relative position information based on its accuracy, thereby improving overall positioning precision without fundamentally changing the mathematical model
Solution Approach 2:
The system evaluates the accuracy of relative position information from anchor points and uses this feedback to adjust weight factors. This feedback mechanism allows the positioning engine to adapt to varying data quality and minimize the impact of inaccurate measurements on the final position determination
2Reliability
If all anchor points are treated equally, then the calculation is simple, but the influence of inaccurate anchor point data cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different weights to different anchor points based on their individual data quality. Each anchor point's relative position information is evaluated locally for accuracy, and weight factors are assigned accordingly. This allows the system to maintain simplicity in the overall structure while introducing localized quality differentiation to improve reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the evaluation process into separate steps: receiving relative position information, evaluating accuracy for each anchor point, determining weight factors, and calculating the final position. This segmentation allows complex reliability assessment to be broken down into manageable operations
Data Source
AI summary
An example method of determining a position of a mobile device includes, for each of a plurality of anchor points, receiving respective relative position information between the respective anchor point and the mobile device such that the received relative position information for the plurality of anchor points forms a set of position information, each relative position information including at least one of: a direction between the respective anchor point and the mobile device, a distance between the respective anchor point and the mobile device, or a direction and a distance between the respective anchor point and the mobile device. The method includes determining an estimated position of the mobile device based on the set of position information; defining a set of loci, each locus of the set of loci being based on one or more of the relative position information from the set of position information; determining, for each locus of the set of loci, a distance value between the estimated position of the mobile device and the respective locus; determining, for each locus of the set of loci, a weight factor as a function of the determined distance values; and determining a refined position of the mobile device based on the set of position information and the determined weight factors. A positioning engine for determining a position of a mobile device is disclosed as well.