Partial Radio Maps for GNSS-Denied Offline Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing offline radio map solutions for mobile devices are excessively large, leading to excessive resource consumption due to unnecessary data inclusion for areas where GNSS signals are available, which increases bandwidth, energy, and storage usage.

Innovation Solution

Generate and provide partial radio maps only for GNSS-denied areas, where GNSS signals are unavailable, allowing mobile devices to store and use only the necessary data for offline positioning in these areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a standard arrangement downloads partial radio maps for a pre-defined radius around the device's current location, then the mobile device can perform offline positioning, but the data size of the partial radio map becomes relatively large, leading to excessive consumption of computational and other resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoffline positioning capabilityVSAvoiddata size of partial radio map

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the radio map data by creating separate data structures for GNSS-denied areas and non-GNSS-denied areas. The mobile device downloads only the segmented portion corresponding to GNSS-denied areas within the pre-defined radius, rather than downloading the entire partial radio map. This segmentation allows the device to maintain offline positioning capability for critical areas while significantly reducing the overall data size and resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by treating different geographic areas differently based on their GNSS availability characteristics. GNSS-denied areas receive full radio map data for offline positioning, while non-GNSS-denied areas either receive reduced data or no data at all. This localized differentiation ensures that resources are allocated efficiently - full offline capability where needed, minimal or no offline capability where GNSS is available.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If a partial radio map includes radio data for all areas within a pre-defined radius, then offline positioning can be performed anywhere in that area, but bandwidth, energy, and storage resources are excessively consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning coverage areaVSAvoidenergy consumption for downloading and storing radio map data

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the service area into GNSS-denied and non-GNSS-denied regions, downloading radio map data only for the former. This segmentation maintains positioning coverage adaptability for areas where it's most needed (indoor, urban canyon environments) while dramatically reducing energy consumption associated with data transmission, processing, and storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of downloading complete radio map data for the entire pre-defined radius (excessive action), the patent downloads only the partial portion corresponding to GNSS-denied areas (partial action). This partial downloading approach provides sufficient offline positioning capability for critical areas while avoiding the excessive energy consumption that would result from downloading and processing unnecessary data for areas where GNSS is available.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If offline radio maps are generated for all represented areas, then positioning can be performed anywhere in the initial radio map coverage, but the size of the offline radio map becomes excessively large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning availabilityVSAvoidsize of offline radio map

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the offline radio map into distinct components: one for GNSS-denied areas and another for non-GNSS-denied areas. The mobile device stores only the segmented portion for GNSS-denied areas, which significantly reduces the weight (size) of the offline radio map while maintaining positioning availability for the most critical scenarios where GNSS signals are unavailable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different data inclusion levels to different geographic regions. GNSS-denied areas receive complete radio map data for reliable offline positioning, while non-GNSS-denied areas receive minimal or no offline data since GNSS provides sufficient positioning capability. This localized differentiation reduces overall map size while preserving positioning availability where it matters most.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11592517B2Offline radio maps for GNSS-denied areas

Publication Date: 2023.02.28 HERE GLOBAL BV

AI summary

Disclosed is an approach to enable radio map download for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied areas. In particular, processor(s) (e.g., of positioning server(s)) could identify GNSS-denied area(s) in an initial radio map, the GNSS-denied area(s) being (i) one or more areas in which at least one GNSS signal is or was unavailable and (ii) a subset of a plurality of areas represented by the initial radio map. Subsequently, the processor(s) could generate a partial radio map representing radio data only for the GNSS-denied area(s) identified in the initial radio map, and could then transmit the partial radio map to a mobile device for storage at the mobile device. In this way, the mobile device could optimize resource usage and perform radio-based position estimations at least in the GNSS-denied area(s) that were identified.