Visible Network Search Queries for Low-Latency Location Results
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location estimation methods for mobile devices face challenges such as high latency, power consumption, and inefficiency when GPS signals are weak or unavailable, particularly indoors, and conventional query processes introduce additional latency and network overhead.
Innovation Solution
An integrated approach where network scan information is attached to a query sent to a web server that provides both location identification and search services, allowing the network to resolve the location and generate search results efficiently, reducing latency and power consumption by consolidating data transfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS coordinates are used to determine device location, then location accuracy is improved, but latency increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple location determination methods (GPS, cellular networks, WiFi access points) into a unified location determination system. The server integrates data from multiple sources including visible network data and cached location information to determine device location, avoiding reliance on a single method and reducing overall latency while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-loads and caches location information for wireless networks and access points before they are needed. When a device requests location services, the server can quickly retrieve pre-computed location data from caches, significantly reducing the time required to determine location compared to real-time GPS acquisition.
2Measurement precision
If GPS coordinates are used to determine device location, then location accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges GPS-based location determination with network-based location determination (using cellular towers and WiFi access points). By combining these methods, the system can achieve accurate location fixation using lower-power network scans instead of continuously activating the high-power GPS receiver, thereby reducing battery consumption while maintaining location accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs the computationally intensive location determination tasks using cached network data and visible network information from the device. This shifts the processing burden from the mobile device to the server, allowing the device to use minimal power for location requests while the server handles the complex calculations using its own resources.
3Use of energy by moving object
If network-based location determination is used, then power consumption is reduced, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes and caches location information for wireless networks and access points before they are needed. When location determination is required, the server retrieves pre-stored location data from caches and combines it with current visible network data from the device, significantly reducing processing time compared to real-time computation while maintaining low power consumption on the device.
4Measurement precision
If separate requests are sent for location determination and query results, then processing accuracy is improved, but network resource usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the location determination request and the query request into a single integrated request sent from the device to the server. The server processes both the location determination (using visible network data and cached information) and the query simultaneously, returning both results in one response. This consolidates network traffic and reduces overall network resource consumption while maintaining processing accuracy.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Aspects of the technology employ an integrated location identification and query processing technique (Fig. 1B). Network scan information (406) is attached to or otherwise combined with a query (408) at a client device and is sent to a web server or other entity for processing (410). When a query is initiated, the client device determines whether location services are enabled (402). If not, upon authorization they are enabled and visible network scan data is quickly obtained for transmission with the query (404). The server may include both a location identification service and a search service, and can split the received information accordingly among these elements (504) in an efficient manner that minimizes data transfers and latency (Fig. 1B). From the client device's perspective, only one query is transmitted. Relevant results based on the resolved location are received quickly by the client device. This reduces system latency and power consumption, and also minimizes network overhead by eliminating unnecessary packet transmissions.