Wireless Device Location Tracking via Movement History Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for locating wireless devices, such as remote controllers, are ineffective when the devices are powered off or hidden in difficult-to-reach locations, as they rely on wireless communication and audible/vibrational cues that are not functional in these scenarios.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus that collects movement history data of wireless devices and outputs likely locations based on this data, even when the device is powered off, using a processor to rank and display potential locations for easy retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless communication and audible/vibrational cues are used to locate devices, then the device can be found when powered on and visible, but the method becomes ineffective when the device is powered off or hidden
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing movement history data of wireless devices while they are powered on and accessible. This historical data is saved in advance so that when the device becomes unlocatable (powered off or hidden), the system can still provide useful location information based on the pre-collected movement patterns and last known positions.
2Ease of operation
If sound, vibration and light are used to signal device location, then the device can be easily found when visible and accessible, but the method fails when the device is under bedclothes or hidden in gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic apparatus acts as an intermediary between the user and the hidden wireless device. Instead of directly signaling the hidden device (which would require sound, vibration, or light from the device itself), the system uses its own display and communication capabilities to present location information about the hidden device, mediating the location-finding process without requiring the hidden device to actively signal.
3Measurement precision
If real-time location tracking is implemented, then the current position can be accurately determined, but the system cannot provide location information when the device is powered off or communication is disabled
Solution Approach 1:
The system collects and stores movement history data in advance while the device is operational. This preliminary data collection ensures that when the device becomes unresponsive, the system still has historical location information to provide, maintaining reliability even though real-time tracking is no longer possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the user about the device's location based on the last known position and movement history. This feedback mechanism maintains the user's ability to locate the device even when real-time communication is impossible, by using the most recent available information about where the device was last seen and its typical movement patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an electronic apparatus, which helps to easily find a location of a wireless device (remote controller). The electronic apparatus includes: a signal input/output configured to communicate with a wireless device; an output; and a processor configured to: collect a movement history of the wireless device within a communication area through the signal input/output, and output information about a location, in which the wireless device is expected to be present within the communication area based on the movement history of the wireless device, to the output as an event for finding the wireless device occurs.