Pseudo Wi-Fi Asset Tracking Using Passive AP Observations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional asset tracking systems require substantial investment in dedicated hardware and software, are difficult to deploy across multiple sites, and are cost-prohibitive due to the need for direct reading or self-location reporting capabilities, making them impractical for widespread deployments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using pseudo Wi-Fi access points that are passively tracked by Wi-Fi enabled devices, leveraging existing infrastructure to report unique identifying information and location data without requiring network connectivity or user awareness, enabling open-network asset tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive asset tracking is implemented using Wi-Fi observations, then asset tracking capability is improved, but false detections from pseudo access points increase measurement precision degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a server as an intermediary that receives observations from multiple access points and performs centralized analysis. The server distinguishes between genuine access points and pseudo access points by analyzing observation patterns across multiple APs, thereby resolving the measurement precision degradation caused by pseudo access points while maintaining asset tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server continuously receives observations from access points and adjusts its classification of assets based on accumulated data. When pseudo access points are detected, the system learns from these observations and improves its ability to distinguish genuine from fake signals over time, enhancing both reliability and measurement precision
2Reliability
If active tracking devices are deployed on assets, then tracking reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables assets to be tracked passively without requiring active tracking devices on the assets themselves. The existing Wi-Fi infrastructure serves itself by observing pseudo access points emitted by assets, eliminating the need for additional tracking hardware on each asset while maintaining tracking reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes existing Wi-Fi access points serve multiple functions: their original networking function plus an additional asset tracking function. By enabling access points to detect and report pseudo access points, the infrastructure becomes multi-functional, improving tracking reliability without adding dedicated tracking devices
3Ease of operation
If existing Wi-Fi infrastructure is used for passive tracking, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to pseudo access points
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that processes observations from the existing Wi-Fi infrastructure and filters out false detections. This allows the system to maintain ease of operation by using existing infrastructure while improving measurement precision through centralized analysis that distinguishes genuine access points from pseudo access points
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of passive asset tracking using observations of one or more pseudo Wi-Fi access points includes associating unique identifying information of a pseudo Wi-Fi access point with a moveable asset in an asset tracking database, receiving observation data from a Wi-Fi AP Database including the unique identifying information of the pseudo Wi-Fi access point and location information of the pseudo Wi-Fi access point, determining a location of the moveable asset based, at least in part, on the observation data of the pseudo Wi-Fi access point, and storing the location of the moveable asset in the asset tracking database. There is no communication between the asset tracking database and one or more wireless devices that report an encounter with the pseudo Wi-Fi access point to the Wi-Fi AP Database.