Smartphone LiDAR Mapping for Precise Lost IoT Device Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IoT devices are difficult to locate when misplaced or lost, as conventional tracking apps provide only general locations and audible alerts fail when the device is not connected to a power source, leading to a sub-optimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
A smartphone with 3D visualization capabilities using LiDAR and Bluetooth proximity sensing to create a 3D map of the environment, augmenting it with IoT device location, and utilizing machine learning to recognize and notify the user of the device's precise location relative to objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional tracking apps are used to locate IoT devices, then general location information can be obtained, but the precision of location detection is insufficient and the device cannot be accurately located when concealed by objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D map-based location tracking to 3D spatial visualization using LiDAR technology. The system captures depth information and creates three-dimensional representations of the environment, allowing precise localization of IoT devices in three-dimensional space rather than merely on a flat map, thereby significantly improving location detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces LiDAR as an intermediary sensing mechanism between the user and the IoT device. The LiDAR sensor emits light pulses and measures their reflection to create precise spatial maps, serving as a mediator that enables accurate device localization even when conventional GPS or network-based tracking fails due to signal obstruction
2Reliability
If audible alerts are used to help locate misplaced IoT devices, then the device can be heard, but the alerts fail when the device is not connected to a power source
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the IoT device emit audible alerts (which requires power), the patent inverts the approach by using the smartphone's LiDAR sensor to actively scan and detect the device's location. The detection burden is shifted from the powered IoT device to the smartphone, allowing location of completely powerless devices through passive reflection-based sensing
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the smartphone's own LiDAR capabilities to locate the IoT device without requiring the device to provide active signals. The smartphone performs self-service detection by scanning the environment and identifying the device's position through spatial mapping, eliminating the need for the IoT device to consume energy for alerting
3Measurement precision
If 3D visualization with LiDAR is used to locate IoT devices, then precise location can be achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the smartphone's existing LiDAR sensor, which was originally designed for photography and general 3D scanning purposes, and repurposes it for IoT device location. This multi-functional use of the LiDAR system avoids adding dedicated specialized hardware, thereby improving precision without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into a unified 3D visualization interface: environmental mapping, device detection, and location display are merged into a single augmented reality view. This integration allows the system to achieve precise location tracking while presenting all information through one cohesive interface, reducing the perceived complexity for the user
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
Enhances the ability to accurately and visually locate misplaced IoT devices by providing a 3D map with precise positioning, overcoming the limitations of conventional tracking methods.
Implementation Method 1
A smartphone with 3D visualization capabilities using LiDAR
Implementation Method 2
capture a three-dimensional (3D) visualization of a physical environment
Implementation Method 3
Bluetooth proximity sensing to create a 3D map of the environment, augmenting it with IoT device location
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices for improving the ability to detect the location of a misplaced or lost Internet-of-Things (IoT) device. A 3D visualization of a physical environment including the misplaced IoT device and one or more physical objects is captured using a visualization sensor in a handheld mobile device. An estimation of the distance between the IoT device and at least the handheld mobile device or one or more physical objects is determined. Using the estimated distance between the IoT device and at least the handheld mobile device or one or more physical objects, the 3D visualization is augmented with location data. In doing so, the handheld mobile device is able to display a mapping of the environment including an indication of the location of the IoT device in the 3D visualization, allowing a user to find the misplaced or lost IoT device.