Venue Determination Using Wireless Access Point Signal Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining a user device's location are often imprecise, requiring manual input or tedious processes, and fail to automatically provide venue-specific information or services to the device.
Innovation Solution
A system where user devices detect nearby wireless access points, parse their identifiers, and match them against venue names using heuristic comparisons to determine the most likely venue, with a server optionally assisting in the process to provide accurate venue information and services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual input methods are used to determine user location, then measurement precision can be improved, but ease of operation deteriorates and loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines user device location by detecting wireless access points and matching them against venue databases without requiring manual user input. The device autonomously performs location determination using its built-in wireless communication capabilities, eliminating the need for users to manually provide location information while maintaining accurate venue identification.
2Ease of operation
If automated location determination is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses wireless access point identifiers as intermediary elements to bridge the automatic detection process and accurate venue identification. By detecting access points and matching their identifiers against a database of venue information, the system achieves both automated operation and high precision venue determination without requiring direct manual input from the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical input methods with automated electronic detection and data matching processes. Instead of requiring users to physically input location information, the system electronically detects wireless signals, extracts access point identifiers, and automatically matches them against venue databases using computational algorithms, thereby achieving both automation and precision.
3Productivity
If existing location methods are used, then device complexity remains low, but productivity deteriorates due to manual processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a database of wireless access point identifiers associated with venues before actual location determination is needed. This pre-processing allows the system to quickly match detected access points against the pre-organized database during operation, enabling rapid automated venue identification without requiring complex real-time analysis, thus improving productivity while keeping device complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device acquires identifiers and signal strengths corresponding to detectable wireless devices. The user device associates one or more of the identifiers with one or more venues, assigning a confidence value to each association. A score value is also assigned to each association based on the signal strengths and the confidence values. One of the associations is selected based on the score values, and is designated as the most likely venue where the user device is located. Information may be accessed or requested, or one or more operations may be performed, in accordance with the most likely venue.