Smart Device Radar System for Indoor Location Tagging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart devices struggle to efficiently recognize different indoor locations due to limitations in spatial resolution, power consumption, and susceptibility to interference from other devices and environmental noise.
Innovation Solution
A smart-device-based radar system capable of performing location tagging, utilizing a radar system with sufficient spatial resolution to recognize different external environments, and operating at low power levels to conserve energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radar system with high spatial resolution is used to recognize different indoor locations, then location recognition accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radar system operates in periodic measurement cycles rather than continuously, performing location measurements at intervals sufficient to detect changes in location while allowing the system to enter low-power states between measurements. This periodic operation maintains location recognition capability while significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts radar measurement parameters such as sampling rate, signal processing complexity, and transmission power based on detected motion patterns and location stability. When the device is stationary and location is stable, parameters are reduced to minimize power consumption while maintaining sufficient measurement precision for the current context.
2Reliability
If radar system operates continuously to maintain spatial awareness, then location recognition reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses motion sensors and other available device resources to detect when location changes are likely to occur, then activates the radar system only during these transition periods. This self-triggered operation maintains reliability by ensuring radar measurement is performed when location changes occur, while avoiding continuous operation and reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary measurements using lower-power sensors (such as accelerometers or magnetometers) to detect potential location changes before activating the full radar system. This preliminary detection layer prepares the system to activate radar only when necessary, maintaining reliability through multi-stage detection while minimizing power consumption by avoiding unnecessary full-radar activation.
3Measurement precision
If radar system uses multiple receive channels to improve spatial resolution, then location tagging accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radar system processes data from multiple receive channels through segmentation, dividing the complex multi-channel data into separate spatial components that can be independently analyzed and combined. This segmentation approach maintains the location tagging accuracy benefits of multiple channels while simplifying the processing architecture and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple receive channels are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide both high-resolution spatial information for location tagging and redundant measurement paths for improved reliability. This multi-functionality ensures that the added hardware complexity is justified by multiple benefits including both accuracy improvement and enhanced system robustness.
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
Enables the smart device to achieve spatial awareness, automatically activate user-programmed applications or settings associated with different locations, and provide a location-specific shortcut, improving user experience and reducing the need to navigate cumbersome interfaces.
Implementation Method 1
transmitting a first radar transmit signal at a first location... receiving a first radar receive signal using multiple receive channels of the radar system. The first radar receive signal comprises a version of the radar transmit signal that is reflected by one or more objects proximate to the first location
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and apparatuses are described that implement a smart-device-based radar system capable of performing location tagging. The radar system has sufficient spatial resolution to recognize different external environments associated with different locations (e.g., recognize different rooms or different locations within a same room). Using the radar system, the smart device can achieve spatial awareness and automatically activate user-programmed applications or settings associated with the different locations. In this way, the radar system enables the smart device to provide a location-specific shortcut for various applications or settings. With the location-specific shortcut, the smart device can improve the user's experience and reduce the need to repeatedly navigate cumbersome interfaces.