Signal Source Location Determination in Satellite-Denied Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Navigation systems, particularly those relying on satellite signals like GPS, fail to provide precise positioning in areas with limited satellite coverage, such as tunnels, due to signal occlusion, leading to inaccurate dead reckoning and increased errors over time.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically determines the locations of signal sources, like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi beacons, within areas with limited satellite coverage by analyzing signal strength data from moving receivers, using peak signal values, geometry, and round trip-time measurements to enable accurate geopositioning without relying on manual installation or centralized databases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual land surveying and precise measurements are used to determine signal source locations, then positioning accuracy is improved, but installation time and operational disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-positioning by automatically determining signal source locations using wireless signal strength measurements from mobile devices, eliminating the need for manual land surveying and precise measurements. The algorithm processes signal data collected during normal operation to compute locations autonomously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical surveying methods with automated wireless signal-based positioning. Instead of using physical measurement tools and human operators, the system uses signal strength data from Bluetooth or Wi-Fi beacons to automatically determine locations through computational algorithms
2Measurement precision
If manual location entry is performed for signal sources, then positioning accuracy is improved, but provisioning effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines signal source locations through self-positioning algorithms that process wireless signal strength data, eliminating the need for manual location entry. The computation is performed autonomously using measurements collected during system operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system collects signal strength measurements from mobile devices as they move through the area, and uses these preliminary data points to compute signal source locations before actual geopositioning operations begin. This preliminary positioning phase enables accurate positioning without subsequent manual intervention
3Adaptability or versatility
If dead reckoning is used for geopositioning in satellite-denied areas, then navigation capability is maintained, but accuracy deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces stationary wireless signal sources (beacons) as intermediary reference points in satellite-denied areas. These beacons provide stable, known-location signal sources that mobile devices can use for triangulation, replacing the accumulating dead reckoning method with a reference-based positioning approach
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses signal strength measurements from multiple beacons as feedback to continuously calculate and update the mobile device's position. This real-time feedback mechanism prevents error accumulation by constantly referencing known beacon locations rather than relying on integrated motion data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the time and effort required for provisioning signal sources, enhances positioning accuracy, and eliminates the need for manual location entry, allowing for reliable navigation in areas with poor satellite coverage.
Implementation Method 1
signal data collected by receivers moving through the area. The signal data can include indications of how the strength of signals from several signal sources changes over time
Implementation Method 2
The system uses round trip-time (RTT) measurements which the signal sources collect when exchanging management frames
Data Source
AI summary
To automatically determine geographic positions of signal sources in areas with limited satellite coverage, a system receives signal data collected by a receiver moving along a path through a geographic area with limited satellite coverage, the signal data being indicative of changes, over a period of time, in strength of respective signals detected by the moving receiver and emitted by multiple signal sources statically disposed along the path. The system determines a time it takes for a length of a vehicle to pass by the signal source at the determined speed. The system then calculates static positions of the signal sources using the signal data and the determined time, including associating the location of each signal source with a time when the signal source was directly over the roof of the vehicle in which the moving receiver is travelling.