Sensor-Based Device Location via Environmental Pattern Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless network technologies lack effective methods for precisely locating lost or stolen user devices within a wireless telecommunication network, as they often rely on general location services and do not provide real-time, dynamic, and customized information for finding the exact environment of the device.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a location server to collect and analyze sensor information such as RF signal strength, temperature, luminescence, and pressure readings from both the target device and a searcher device to provide detailed instructions on the device's location, using sensor patterns and search algorithms to guide the user to the device's precise location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If general location services are used to locate user devices, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the location precision is insufficient and cannot provide real-time dynamic information about the device environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor types (RF signal strength, temperature, luminescence, pressure) from both the target device and searcher device to create a comprehensive environmental profile. This merging of multiple sensing modalities enables precise location determination by matching environmental characteristics, resolving the contradiction between location precision and system complexity through integrated multi-sensor analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The location server acts as an intermediary that collects sensor data from multiple devices, processes the information through search algorithms, and provides guidance instructions to the user. This intermediary component manages the complexity of multi-sensor integration and algorithm execution, allowing the system to achieve high location precision without requiring complex processing at the user device level
2Loss of information
If multiple sensor types are collected and analyzed to determine device location, then the location information becomes more accurate and detailed, but the amount of data processing and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection by gathering sensor readings from multiple devices before location determination is needed. Searcher devices and target devices continuously collect environmental sensor data (RF signal strength, temperature, luminescence, pressure) in advance, creating a rich dataset that can be quickly processed when location information is required, thus reducing real-time processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The location server provides feedback guidance to the user based on sensor pattern matching results, indicating direction and proximity to the target device. This feedback mechanism allows iterative refinement of the search process, where each measurement cycle narrows down the location uncertainty, efficiently managing information processing through progressive convergence
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques described herein may be used to locate a user device within a wireless network. A first user device may send, to a location server, a request to locate a second user device. The location server may determine a general location of the second user device based on a wireless network service, a Global Positioning System (GPS) service, etc. The location server may collect sensor information (e.g., Radio Frequency (RF) signal strength, temperature, pressure, etc.) from the first user device and/or the second user device. The location server may analyze, compare, and otherwise process the sensor information to generate and send, to the first user device, instructions for locating the second user device.