Wireless Positioning via Base Station Signal Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for positioning terminal devices, such as smartphones, face challenges in accuracy indoors and outdoors due to satellite obstructions and require hardware or applications for precise location measurement, raising concerns about privacy and user agreement for location tracking.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows a terminal device to request positioning without installing hardware or applications by using a wireless communication system where the device sends identification information to a control server, which specifies the base station and instructs it to perform positioning, obtaining the device's location and transmitting it back, ensuring user agreement through service requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GNSS is used for positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but it cannot be used indoors or in areas with satellite obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the positioning function into two parts: the terminal device sends identification information without performing positioning itself, and the base station performs the actual positioning calculation using received signal strength. This allows the terminal to work in any environment while the base station handles the complex positioning computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary that receives identification information from the terminal device and performs positioning based on signal strength measurements. This intermediary approach enables positioning functionality without requiring complex hardware in the terminal device, improving environmental adaptability while maintaining accuracy.
2Area of stationary object
If access points are installed at 100m intervals for positioning, then coverage area is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates to only 100m resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical approach of densely installing physical positioning infrastructure with a signal-strength-based measurement system. The base station uses received signal strength indication (RSSI) to calculate position, eliminating the need for frequent physical installation while achieving fine positioning accuracy through wireless signal characteristics.
3Measurement precision
If positioning hardware and applications are installed on terminal devices, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and user burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is extracted from the terminal device and relocated to the base station. The terminal device only needs to send its identification information, while the base station performs the positioning calculation using signal strength measurements. This extraction eliminates the need for complex positioning hardware and software in the terminal device.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station provides positioning services to terminal devices without requiring the terminal devices to have positioning capabilities. The base station uses its own signal strength measurements to calculate terminal positions, making the terminal devices self-sufficient in terms of positioning functionality while reducing their complexity.
4Productivity
If positioning applications are pre-installed on terminal devices, then positioning availability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to installation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The base station serves multiple functions: it provides both communication services and positioning services to terminal devices. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate positioning applications on terminal devices, as the base station inherently provides positioning capabilities to all connected devices through its signal strength measurements.
5Measurement precision
If terminal devices perform positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but privacy concerns increase due to location tracking
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the terminal device actively determining its own position (which implies intentional location tracking), the base station determines the terminal device's position based on signal strength measurements. This inversion of the positioning subject reduces privacy concerns because the terminal device is not actively seeking or transmitting location information, but rather having its position passively determined by the network infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless terminal station device, a plurality of wireless base station devices, and a positioning request device are included, the wireless terminal station device makes a positioning request including identification information of its own device to the positioning request device via the wireless base station device to which the wireless terminal station device belongs among the plurality of wireless base station devices, the positioning request device receives the positioning request from the wireless terminal station device, specifies the wireless base station device to which the wireless terminal station device belongs on the basis of the identification information of the wireless terminal station device, transmits a positioning instruction and the identification information of the wireless terminal station device to the specified wireless base station device, and receives a result of positioning of the wireless terminal station device from the wireless base station device, and the wireless base station device performs positioning of the wireless terminal station device corresponding to the received identification information and transmits the result of the positioning to the positioning request device. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain agreement of an owner and perform positioning of a terminal device without installing hardware or an application for measuring a geographical position in the terminal device.