Route-Based Coverage Maps for Lower-Power Mobile Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless mobile devices often consume significant battery power scanning for wireless network coverage, which can be time-consuming and inefficient, especially when coverage is unavailable.
Innovation Solution
Creating a route-based coverage map using crowdsourced information from wireless devices to predict wireless network coverage along a route, allowing devices to determine optimal communication schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile devices scan for wireless network coverage continuously, then coverage availability is detected, but battery power is consumed significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing wireless coverage information from multiple crowdsourcing devices along various routes before actual use. This pre-collected data is stored in a coverage map that predicts coverage availability at different locations, allowing devices to avoid continuous scanning and instead query the pre-prepared coverage information, thereby reducing real-time power consumption while maintaining reliable coverage detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing crowdsourcing devices to contribute their own wireless coverage observations to build the collective coverage map. Each device that scans for coverage is essentially serving the community by providing data that benefits other devices, reducing the overall scanning burden across the network while maintaining accurate coverage information
2Loss of information
If mobile devices perform wireless coverage scanning frequently, then up-to-date coverage information is obtained, but time is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary coverage data collection from multiple devices along various routes and stores this information in advance in a coverage map. When a device needs coverage information, it queries the pre-computed coverage map rather than performing new scans, obtaining up-to-date coverage information without consuming real-time scanning duration
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of each device performing its own scanning to obtain coverage information, the system creates a copy of the coverage data collected by crowdsourcing devices and stores it in a centralized coverage map. Other devices can then access these copied coverage information records, obtaining fresh coverage data without repeating the scanning process
3Reliability
If mobile devices remain connected to wireless networks continuously, then communication availability is maintained, but battery power is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of coverage conditions along the device's route using the coverage map. Based on this advance knowledge of where coverage is available, the device can intelligently decide when to connect and when to enter low-power state, maintaining communication availability in covered areas while conserving battery power in areas where coverage is unavailable or poor
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic power management by adjusting the device's connectivity state based on predicted coverage conditions along the route. The device transitions between active communication mode and low-power state according to the coverage map predictions, optimizing the balance between maintaining communication availability and conserving battery power throughout the journey
4Productivity
If mobile devices determine coverage availability before reconnecting, then network reconnection is optimized, but battery power is consumed for determination
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses copied coverage information from the coverage map, which was originally collected by crowdsourcing devices, to determine coverage availability. This allows the mobile device to obtain accurate coverage predictions without performing its own scanning operations, thereby improving reconnection efficiency while minimizing the additional battery power required for determination
Data Source
AI summary
A server may obtain wireless network coverage information from crowdsourcing devices, where the wireless network coverage information indicates characteristics of wireless network coverage at different locations along various routes of travel. The server may determine a wireless coverage map of an area based on the wireless network coverage information, where the wireless coverage map comprises, for locations along one or more routes of travel within the area, a respective wireless coverage indication indicative of a level of wireless coverage for wireless networks at the respective location. The server may send route-based coverage information to a mobile device for a particular route, where the route-based coverage information includes the respective wireless coverage indication, from the coverage map, for one or more locations along the particular route.