Network Device Geolocation Using Wired and Wireless Data Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in accurately determining the geolocation of network-connected devices, which is crucial for applications such as emergency calls, navigation, and compliance with FCC regulations, due to factors like multipath signals and interference from building materials.
Innovation Solution
A system that combines wireless and wired device location data from multiple sources, including geolocation satellites, wireless access points, cellular towers, and network devices, using techniques like trilateration, triangulation, and angle of arrival to refine geolocation estimates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple location data sources are combined to improve geolocation accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple location data sources including wireless device location data from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi access points, and cellular towers, as well as wired device location data from network devices like routers and switches. This merging of multiple data sources improves geolocation accuracy by providing redundant measurements and enabling cross-validation of location estimates through techniques like trilateration and triangulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computing system that acts as an intermediary to receive, process, and combine location data from multiple sources. This intermediary system performs the complex computations for calculating estimated geographical locations using techniques such as time difference of arrival (TDoA), angle of arrival (AoA), and signal strength-based positioning, thereby managing the complexity centrally rather than in each individual device.
2Measurement precision
If wireless and wired location data are integrated to enhance positioning accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location determination process into distinct modules: one handling wireless device location data from mobile devices with GPS receivers, another handling wired device location data from fixed network infrastructure, and a third performing the integration and calculation of estimated geographical locations. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in processing specific data types while the integration layer manages the complexity of combining them.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing system serves as an intermediary that receives pre-processed location data from multiple sources and performs the complex integration mathematics. It calculates estimated geographical locations by combining wireless positioning data (from satellites, Wi-Fi, cellular) with wired network device locations, using techniques like weighted averaging, geometric intersection, or statistical filtering to reconcile differences between measurement systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing geolocation determination and reporting for network-connected devices. In various examples, a computing system may receive wireless device location data sent from wireless transceivers over a wireless connection to a target device, and may receive wired device location data sent from network devices over a wired connection to a modem communicatively coupled to the target device. The computing system may query location databases for, or otherwise determine, first geographical location information for each wireless transceiver and/or for second geographical location information for each network device. The computing system may calculate an estimated geographical location for the target device based on a combination of: the wireless device location data and/or the first geographical location information; and the wired device location data and/or the second geographical location information. The computing system may perform a task using the estimated geographical location information of the target device.