Wi-Fi Router Elevation Mapping for Indoor Floor-Level Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emergency situations, mobile devices often lack accurate elevation or altitude information, leading to delayed responses due to the inability to determine the specific floor or location within multi-story and multi-tenant buildings, especially in areas with unreliable location determination techniques.
Innovation Solution
A user device equipped with an elevation application that detects nearby Wi-Fi routers, measures signal strengths, and requests elevation data from an elevation service using router location data and signal strength models to determine its own elevation accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional location determination techniques are used, then the device can obtain geographic location, but it cannot determine elevation or altitude accurately inside buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses Wi-Fi routers as intermediary objects to determine elevation. Instead of directly measuring elevation with GPS (which doesn't work indoors), the system measures signal strengths from multiple Wi-Fi routers at known elevations and uses these as intermediaries to calculate the device's elevation through triangulation and signal propagation modeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/GPS-based location determination system with an electromagnetic signal-based system. Instead of using satellite signals that don't penetrate buildings, the system uses Wi-Fi electromagnetic signals to determine both horizontal location and vertical elevation through signal strength measurements and propagation characteristics.
2Loss of information
If GPS is used for location determination, then geographic location can be obtained, but elevation information is unavailable in areas with unreliable satellite connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes Wi-Fi routers serve multiple functions: they provide internet connectivity and simultaneously act as elevation reference points for location determination. By measuring signal strengths from these ubiquitous routers, the system can determine both horizontal position and vertical elevation without requiring separate specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing Wi-Fi infrastructure that is already present in buildings to provide elevation information. Instead of requiring dedicated elevation-measuring devices, the patent enables the existing Wi-Fi router network to serve the additional function of elevation determination through their signal propagation characteristics.
3Loss of information
If street address alone is provided to carriers, then basic location information is available, but specific floor or building location cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds the vertical dimension to location determination. Instead of only providing horizontal street address information, the system incorporates elevation data that indicates which floor or level of a building the device is on, transforming 2D location data into 3D spatial information using signal strength measurements from multiple routers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise elevation determination for mobile devices, facilitating quicker emergency responses and data collection by providing accurate altitude information even in areas with unreliable location techniques.
Implementation Method 1
measure signal strengths between the user device and the one or more routers
Data Source
AI summary
Determining and using elevation of a user device can include generating router location data that comprises an identifier that identifies a router that is located at a geographic location and data that specifies an elevation at which the router is located at the geographic location and detecting an elevation data request. The elevation data request can identify the router and can be associated with a user device. The router location data can be queried to determine the elevation at which the router is located. Based on the elevation at which the router is located, elevation data can be generated. The elevation data can indicate the elevation at which the router is located and the elevation data can be sent to the user device.