Weighted AP RSSI Summation for Multi-Floor Wireless Location
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-floor deployments or large areas, determining the location of client wireless devices is challenging due to processing delays and incorrect results caused by unique structural features, such as atriums, using received access point (AP) signal strength metrics.
Innovation Solution
A wireless device locating apparatus and method that selectively weights and sums Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values from multiple APs to identify the correct floor, with options to sort and adjust RSSI values based on predetermined weights and thresholds to suppress outlier influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard AP signal strength metrics are used for location determination, then the system can operate with existing infrastructure, but processing delays and incorrect results occur in buildings with unique structures like atriums
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different weighting factors to different APs based on their specific characteristics and environmental conditions. Each AP is assigned a weight that reflects its reliability and suitability for location determination in the specific building environment, allowing the system to handle unique structural features like atriums effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the standard RSSI measurement by introducing weighted signal strength calculations. Instead of using raw signal strength values directly, the system transforms these parameters into weighted values that account for building-specific characteristics, thereby improving location accuracy without requiring complete system redesign.
2Reliability
If multiple APs are used to improve location accuracy, then location determination becomes more reliable, but processing time increases due to multiple measurements and calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculations by pre-calculating and storing weighting factors for different APs based on building characteristics. This preliminary action allows the system to quickly determine location accuracy during actual operation without performing complex calculations in real-time, thus reducing processing delays while maintaining high reliability.
3Quantity of substance
If signal strength metrics are collected from all APs, then more data is available for location determination, but incorrect results occur due to outlier APs in unique structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent evaluates the quality of individual AP measurements and assigns different weights accordingly. In buildings with unique structures like atriums, APs that provide accurate location information receive higher weights, while outlier APs that cause incorrect results are assigned lower weights or excluded, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite having data from multiple APs.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus configured to acquire received signal strength intensities (RSSIs) for a wireless device from a plurality of access points (APs) located on a plurality logical floors. The apparatus is configured to determine which logical floor the wireless device is on by analyzing the RSSIs. The RSSIs for each floor are adjusted with an adjustment value and are selectively weighted with at least two different weight values, and the adjusted and weighted RSSIs for each floor are each summed. The floor with highest sum of adjusted or weighted RSSIs is determined to be the floor the wireless device is on.