Position Validation via Hypothesis Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite positioning systems face challenges in efficiently determining the position of a receiver due to the need for complex hardware and computational processing, which can be slow and energy-intensive, and often require strong signals from multiple satellites, limiting their effectiveness in resource-constrained environments and raising privacy concerns.

Innovation Solution

A method that formulates the positioning problem as 'am I at position A or position B?' rather than 'where am I?', allowing for the selection of the most likely candidate position based on hypothesis validation, reducing computational effort and power consumption, and enabling position determination with limited signal quality or availability, while protecting privacy by not revealing exact coordinates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional satellite positioning methods are used to determine precise position, then position accuracy is improved, but computational complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning problem is segmented into multiple discrete hypotheses (candidate positions) rather than solving for a continuous position. The receiver evaluates each hypothesis independently by checking signal consistency with pre-stored reference data for that location, avoiding the computationally intensive iterative calculations of conventional trilateration methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Reference signal data for multiple candidate positions is pre-calculated and stored in the receiver's memory before the positioning operation. This preliminary preparation allows the receiver to quickly validate hypotheses by comparing received signals against stored references, eliminating the need for complex real-time position calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If conventional satellite positioning methods are used to determine precise position, then position accuracy is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If conventional satellite positioning methods are used, then precise position is determined, but privacy information is revealed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidprivacy information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for positioning validation (signal characteristics at candidate positions) while leaving out detailed precise position data. The system determines which candidate position is most likely correct without calculating or revealing the exact continuous coordinates, thus protecting privacy while maintaining positioning functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of revealing the true precise position, the system uses copies of reference signal data for candidate positions to validate hypotheses. The output is a selection among predefined location labels rather than exact coordinates, providing positioning information without exposing sensitive location data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Measurement precision

If signal strength from multiple satellites is required for positioning, then position accuracy is improved, but reliability in weak signal environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidpositioning reliability in weak signal environments

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts to weak signal conditions by evaluating multiple candidate hypotheses with varying signal strength requirements. Rather than requiring a fixed minimum number of satellites for positioning, the hypothesis validation approach can work with fewer satellites by comparing the received signal pattern against stored reference patterns for each candidate position, making the system more resilient in weak signal environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2574952B1Position Validation

Publication Date: 2016.05.11 U-BLOX

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AI summary

A method of determining an indication of the position of an electronic device. The method comprises: obtaining (100) information relating to a radio signal received by the device, the radio signal comprising transmissions from one or more satellites of a satellite-positioning system, from which information an inference can be made about the true position of the device at the time the signal was received; obtaining (110) a plurality of hypotheses about the true position of the device; evaluating (120, 130, 140) the plurality of hypotheses, comprising assessing a degree of consistency between the information relating to the radio signal and the hypotheses; based on the outcome of the evaluations, selecting (150) one or more of the hypotheses; and outputting (160) an indication of the selected one or more hypotheses.