Wi-Fi Survey Mapping with Concurrent Scan and Path Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Wi-Fi performance surveys in environments, such as buildings, are costly, complex, and often lack accurate location-specific data, leading to incomplete or redundant coverage and inaccurate heat maps.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with an image sensor and interface circuit generates a 2D or 3D map of the environment, performs a wireless scan concurrently with motion, and interpolates wireless performance data to create a 2D plane heat map, using IEEE 802.11-compatible communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If specialized hardware and manual survey methods are used, then measurement precision may be improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual copies of specialized survey equipment functionality implemented through software on standard electronic devices. The system creates a virtual surveyor that can perform Wi-Fi measurements using ordinary smartphones or tablets, eliminating the need for expensive specialized hardware while maintaining measurement capabilities through software-based wireless scanning and data collection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical surveying processes with automated computational methods. Instead of manually moving specialized equipment and recording measurements, the system uses automated path determination algorithms, concurrent wireless scanning, and computer vision-based location tracking to perform the survey function, substituting mechanical/manual operations with software-based automation
2Measurement precision
If manual measurement acquisition is used, then location-specific data can be obtained, but productivity and survey speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous concurrent operations where wireless scanning, path determination, and location tracking occur simultaneously during the survey process. The electronic device performs wireless scans concurrently with motion along the determined path, and the system continuously updates the wireless-performance map as new data is collected, eliminating the sequential delays inherent in manual measurement methods
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically determines the device's path and location without manual intervention. The electronic device autonomously tracks its position using computer vision and sensor data, automatically correlates wireless measurements with physical locations, and generates the wireless-performance map without requiring manual data entry or floor plan annotation, thereby maintaining location-specific accuracy while dramatically improving productivity
3Manufacturing precision
If floor plans are manually created and annotated, then accurate physical mapping can be achieved, but loss of time and productivity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual floor plan creation and annotation with automated computer vision and sensor-based mapping. The system uses the electronic device's camera, accelerometer, and other sensors to capture images and motion data, then automatically generates an accurate 2D or 3D map of the physical environment through image processing and spatial reconstruction algorithms, eliminating the time-consuming manual drafting process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the floor plan creation process with the Wi-Fi survey process into a single integrated operation. The system simultaneously captures physical layout information through computer vision and collects Wi-Fi performance data along the same path, automatically correlating both datasets to produce a unified wireless-performance map that overlays signal quality on the generated physical map, eliminating the need for separate manual annotation steps
4Reliability
If specialized survey tools are used, then measurement capability is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the electronic device itself a universal survey tool that performs multiple functions: wireless scanning, path determination, location tracking, image capture, and map generation. The system uses the device's existing camera, accelerometer, wireless interface, and processor to accomplish all survey functions, eliminating the need for specialized single-purpose survey equipment and reducing both cost and complexity while maintaining measurement reliability
Data Source
AI summary
During operation, an electronic device may generate, using an image sensor, a 2D or a 3D map of a physical layout of an environment. Then, based at least in part on the 2D or 3D map of the physical layout of the environment, the electronic device may determine a path of the electronic device in the environment. Moreover, the electronic device may perform a wireless scan, where the wireless scan is performed concurrently with motion of the electronic device along the path. Next, based at least in part on the wireless scan, the electronic device may generate a wireless-performance map of wireless performance along the path. Furthermore, based at least in part on the 2D or 3D map of the physical layout of the environment, the electronic device may interpolate the wireless-performance map to determine the wireless performance in a 2D plane in the environment.