Merging Virtual and Physical Floor Maps for Indoor Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location tracking systems, such as those using GPS, become unreliable when users go indoors or under structures that block GPS signals, forcing reliance on traditional maps.
Innovation Solution
A system that merges virtual maps derived from sensor data from computing devices with physical maps, using a multi-stage alignment process to create a merged map that includes virtual pathways and items of interest, enhancing indoor location tracking accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS signals are used for location tracking, then outdoor location accuracy is improved, but indoor location tracking fails due to signal blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping system that translates sensor data into virtual map coordinates, serving as a mediator between physical movement and location representation. This intermediary layer allows location tracking to function indoors by converting accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer data into meaningful position information on a virtual map, bypassing the need for direct GPS signal access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical environment through a virtual map that mirrors the layout and features of the actual indoor space. This virtual map serves as a digital twin that can be traversed and navigated even when physical GPS signals are unavailable, allowing users to maintain location awareness through the copied representation rather than direct physical measurement.
2Loss of information
If traditional maps are used indoors, then location visualization is provided, but dynamic location tracking and navigation capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static traditional map into a dynamic virtual map that updates in real-time based on sensor data processing. The virtual map can dynamically adjust to user movement, provide real-time location updates, and adapt to changing environmental conditions, unlike fixed traditional maps. This dynamic nature enables both visualization and active navigation capabilities simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a unified system that combines the visualization function of traditional maps with the dynamic tracking capabilities of GPS, making the virtual map multi-functional. The same virtual map infrastructure supports both static visualization of the environment and dynamic real-time location tracking, eliminating the need to choose between these two functionalities.
3Reliability
If virtual maps are created from sensor data, then indoor location tracking is enabled, but alignment accuracy with physical environment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the virtual map is continuously compared against expected physical environment characteristics, and deviations are used to correct alignment errors. Sensor data is processed with reference to the virtual map, and discrepancies trigger adjustments to maintain accurate alignment, creating a closed-loop system that self-corrects drift and positioning errors over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calibration and alignment procedures during the initial setup phase, establishing accurate reference points and transformation parameters before actual tracking begins. This preliminary action pre-configures the virtual map to match the physical environment as closely as possible, reducing cumulative alignment errors during subsequent tracking operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques to merge a virtual map derived from sensors of computing devices moved about an interior of a structure with a corresponding physical map. An apparatus to merge maps includes a processor component; and a merged map generator for execution by the processor component to merge a virtual map and a physical map to generate a merged map, the virtual map comprising indications of virtual pathways through an interior of a structure based on sensors, and the physical map comprising indications of physical pathways of the interior. Other embodiments are described and claimed.