Positioning Indices for Mobile Device Navigation Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face challenges in determining the most accurate and reliable positioning approach in various geographic areas due to differences in signal availability and quality, leading to sub-optimal position estimates.
Innovation Solution
A network apparatus crowdsources positioning quality information from probe devices to generate positioning indices for different geographic areas and approaches, allowing mobile devices to select the best approach based on these indices for improved accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a mobile device uses a single positioning approach, then the device complexity is reduced, but the positioning accuracy and reliability deteriorate in varying geographic areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects positioning approaches based on geographic area and real-time conditions rather than using a fixed single approach. The network apparatus provides positioning indices that indicate which positioning approaches are most effective in specific geographic areas, allowing mobile devices to adapt their positioning strategy dynamically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of positioning approach selection based on geographic location. By receiving positioning indices from the network apparatus that are specific to different geographic areas, the mobile device can adjust which positioning approach (e.g., GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular) to use based on the current location's characteristics.
2Reliability
If a mobile device tries multiple positioning approaches, then the positioning reliability improves, but the energy consumption and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network apparatus performs preliminary analysis and evaluation of positioning approaches in advance, generating positioning indices that indicate the effectiveness of different positioning methods in specific geographic areas. Mobile devices can then use these pre-computed indices to directly select the best positioning approach without needing to test multiple approaches, thereby saving energy and processing resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The network apparatus acts as an intermediary that centralizes the complex task of evaluating and comparing positioning approaches. Instead of each mobile device independently testing multiple positioning methods, the network apparatus performs this evaluation once and distributes the results (positioning indices) to multiple devices, reducing overall energy consumption and processing requirements.
3Loss of information
If positioning quality information is collected from multiple probe devices, then the data comprehensiveness improves, but the data processing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network apparatus merges positioning quality information from multiple probe devices into a unified dataset. By collecting and consolidating data from multiple sources, the system achieves comprehensive coverage of positioning effectiveness across different geographic areas while centralizing the processing complexity in the network apparatus rather than in individual mobile devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The network apparatus creates a simplified representation (positioning indices) that copies the essential information from comprehensive raw data collected from multiple probe devices. These indices capture the key findings about positioning effectiveness without requiring mobile devices to process the full volume of raw positioning quality information, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining data comprehensiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus obtains instances of positioning quality information comprising respective position estimates, respective positioning approach indicators, and respective characteristics of the respective position estimates. The apparatus partitions the instances of positioning quality information into a plurality of groups, where each group corresponds to a geographic area, and partitions the instances of each group into clusters corresponding to positioning approaches. For each respective cluster of each respective group, the apparatus determines a respective positioning index based at least in part on respective characteristics of the respective instances of positioning quality information assigned to the respective cluster. The apparatus provides at least one instance of positioning index information, such that performance of a positioning and/or navigation-related function for a mobile apparatus may be controlled at least in part by the instance of positioning index information.