Obfuscated Wireless Network Location Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
In obfuscated wireless networks, service providers cannot accurately determine the physical location of mobile devices, hindering their ability to offer location-based services despite having the necessary network information.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a processor and memory that stores network profile data for wireless access points, including identifiers, signal information, and physical locations, which allows for determining the location of mobile devices by processing requests from client applications using communication history and signal data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the wireless network obfuscates location information to protect privacy, then network privacy is improved, but the ability to provide location-based services deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments location information into two distinct forms: obfuscated identifiers (such as randomized MAC addresses or hashed location codes) for privacy protection, and actual physical location data stored securely in the network. Mobile devices carry only the obfuscated segments, while the network maintains the mapping to real locations, enabling services without exposing device location to external providers.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless network acts as an intermediary between mobile devices and location service providers. Instead of devices directly providing location data to external providers, the network receives service requests, retrieves location information from its secure database using obfuscated identifiers, and returns results to devices. This mediator role allows location-based services to function while maintaining the privacy barrier.
2Measurement precision
If the wireless network stores detailed network profile data for location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but data storage requirements and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing network profile data including access point identifiers, signal strength characteristics, and physical location information in a structured database during network deployment. This pre-processing allows the network to quickly match observed signal patterns against stored profiles without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby maintaining high location accuracy while reducing processing complexity during actual location determination.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for providing location information within a wireless network operable to obfuscate location information is described. The apparatus and method comprising a processor and memory coupled to the processor capable of storing data. The processor is configured to: store network profile data on a plurality of wireless network access points within the network. The network profile data including an identifier for the network access point, signal information, the physical location of the network access point, and the time. The processor is also configured to receive a request for location information from a client application executing on a mobile device, the request including information on the wireless network access points the mobile wireless device has been in communication with, information on the received signal and the time of the communication. The processor then determines the location of the mobile wireless device using the request data and the network profile data; and sends the location to the client application.