WiFi Access Point Self-Identification for Location Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Determining in real-time when a specific customer enters a location, such as a retail store, to provide personalized information and promotions, is challenging due to the resource-intensive nature of GPS self-location and establishing data sessions between mobile devices and WiFi access points.
Innovation Solution
A method where a user equipment (UE) self-identifies to a WiFi access point without establishing a data session, transmitting its identity, which is then used by a server to look up the UE's communication address and trigger the execution of a web or mobile application via a cellular wireless network, enabling personalized information and promotions to be sent to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS self-location is used to determine customer location in real-time, then location accuracy is improved, but energy consumption and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces WiFi access points as intermediary objects that perform location determination remotely. Instead of the mobile device using GPS to determine its own location (consuming device battery), the WiFi APs detect the device's presence and determine location based on which APs detect the device. This transfers the computational and energy burden from the mobile device to the network infrastructure, resolving the contradiction between location accuracy and energy consumption.
2Loss of information
If a data session is established between UE and WiFi AP for location detection, then location information can be obtained, but resource consumption and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential location-detection function from the complex data session establishment process. Instead of requiring full data session setup (which involves authentication, IP assignment, and complex protocol exchanges), the system only extracts the minimal necessary function: the WiFi AP detecting the UE's presence and transmitting a simple identifier. This simplified approach obtains location information without the overhead of complete data session establishment.
3Productivity
If continuous location monitoring is implemented, then real-time personalized information delivery is improved, but energy consumption and network resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic location monitoring rather than continuous monitoring. The mobile device periodically scans for WiFi networks and transmits its identifier to detected APs at intervals, rather than continuously maintaining an active connection or performing constant GPS updates. This periodic approach enables real-time personalized information delivery when the device enters or leaves coverage areas, while significantly reducing energy consumption and network resource usage compared to continuous monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining location of a wireless communication service subscriber based on a user equipment (UE) self-identifying to a WiFi access point (AP) without establishing a data session between the UE and the WiFi AP. The method comprises receiving an identity of a UE by a WiFi AP, transmitting a first message comprising the identity of the UE and an identity of a store where the WiFi AP is located by the WiFi AP to a server. The method further comprises looking up by the server a communication address of the UE and a link to a web application associated with the store, building a second message comprising to link to the web application by the server, and transmitting the second message by the server to the UE via a cellular wireless communication link, whereby the UE is enabled to execute the web application.