WLAN AP Position Estimation Using Grid Radiowave Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in accurately estimating the position of access points (APs) in densely installed wireless LAN environments, which hinders the establishment of reliable radiowave environment maps for positioning services.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a weighted average of signal strengths to estimate AP positions by generating a filtering radiowave map, dividing it into grid cells, calculating representative coordinates and signal strengths, and applying weight values to determine the position of APs with a common MAC address.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If wireless LAN radiowave environment maps are collected in densely installed AP areas, then positioning data coverage is improved, but map establishment accuracy deteriorates due to signal interference and disorientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the radiowave environment map into multiple grid cells to segment the densely installed AP areas. This segmentation allows the system to process and analyze signal strength data in smaller, manageable units, reducing the interference and disorientation effects that occur when collecting data in densely installed AP areas. Each grid cell can be independently processed to estimate AP positions more accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing methods to different grid cells based on their local characteristics. By identifying grid cells with densely installed APs and applying specialized processing techniques to these specific areas, the system maintains high accuracy in map establishment while still achieving broad data coverage across the entire service area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If AP position estimation is performed using signal strength data, then positioning service availability is improved, but estimation accuracy deteriorates in densely installed environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service area into grid cells and processes signal strength data within each grid cell to estimate AP positions. This segmentation enables the system to handle densely installed AP environments by analyzing signal patterns locally within each grid cell, improving estimation accuracy while maintaining service availability across the entire area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces grid cells as intermediary structures between the signal strength data collection and AP position estimation processes. These grid cells serve as mediators that organize and process signal data, enabling accurate position estimation even in densely installed AP environments where direct signal analysis would be problematic.
3Ease of operation
If radiowave environment maps are collected without position information, then data collection ease is improved, but positioning reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of collected radiowave environment data by organizing it into grid cells and calculating representative signal strengths before position estimation. This preliminary action prepares the data in advance, enabling reliable positioning even when the original collected data does not contain position information, thus maintaining both ease of data collection and positioning reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure concerns a method and apparatus for estimating AP position using WLAN radiowave environment map. An embodiment includes filter for generating filtering radiowave map with data selected exclusively for having common MAC address from collected WLAN radiowave environment maps; grid-cell divisor for generating grid radiowave map with arbitrary grid cells from dividing the filtering radiowave map; representative-coordinate mapper for calculating centroid of each of grid cells constituting grid radiowave map and mapping each centroid as representative coordinate to each grid cell; representative-signal-strength mapper for calculating representative signal strengths based on data in grid cell and mapping each representative signal strength to grid cell; weight-value sorter for sorting out weight value corresponding to a range covering representative signal strength as received; and position estimator for estimating positional information of APs having common MAC address based on one or more of representative coordinate, representative signal strength, and weight value.