WLAN Access Point Location Assignment via Cellular Fallback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The availability of location information for wireless local area network (WLAN) access points is limited, especially indoors, which hampers the accuracy and reliability of WLAN-based positioning systems, as these systems often lack data for many WLAN access points, leading to gaps in positioning services and adverse user experiences, particularly for devices that cannot perform cellular or GNSS-based positioning.
Innovation Solution
A method that receives measurement results from WLAN access points and cellular networks to determine positions using cell-based positioning, storing location information in a memory for WLAN access points if no prior information is available, thereby extending the coverage of WLAN-based positioning by leveraging cellular network data for location determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If WLAN-based positioning systems rely solely on pre-collected location data from users, then the system complexity is reduced, but the availability of location information for WLAN access points becomes limited, especially indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that receives measurement results from both WLAN access points and cellular networks, processes this data, and stores location information in a database. This intermediary server handles the complexity of multi-network integration, allowing WLAN positioning systems to benefit from cellular data without increasing client device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning system is designed to accept and process measurement data from multiple sources (WLAN access points and cellular networks) through a unified server architecture. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to serve both WLAN-based and cellular-based positioning needs, increasing the availability of location information without requiring separate systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system collects and processes measurement data from multiple networks (WLAN and cellular), then the availability of positioning services increases, but the device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system architecture is segmented into distinct functional components: client devices that collect measurements, a server that receives and processes data from multiple networks, and a database that stores location information. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific tasks, reducing the complexity burden on individual devices while maintaining overall system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that consolidates measurement data from WLAN and cellular networks, performing the complex data processing and integration tasks centrally. This approach enables the system to support multiple positioning methods without requiring each client device to handle all processing complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If location information is stored for all WLAN access points using cellular positioning data, then the coverage of WLAN-based positioning is extended, but the risk of storing inaccurate location data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores location information for WLAN access points even when derived from cellular positioning, which may be less accurate than WLAN-based positioning. This partial action approach ensures broader coverage by accepting that some stored locations may have reduced precision, particularly for indoor access points where cellular data provides the only available positioning information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of location accuracy by accepting and storing position estimates with varying degrees of precision depending on the available measurement data. When cellular data is used to determine WLAN access point locations, the system stores this information with the understanding that its precision may be lower than GNSS-based positions, thereby extending coverage without requiring uniform high accuracy across all entries.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus receives a message including results of measurements on signals of a WLAN access point. The apparatus determines as a first condition whether the message comprises no indication of a position obtained in a non-cell based positioning and/or no information enabling a non-cell based positioning. The apparatus determines as a second condition whether the message comprises in addition results of measurements on signals of at least one cell of a cellular communications network. If the conditions are met, the apparatus determines a position based on the results of measurements on signals of the at least one cell of a cellular communications network and causes storage of location information that is based on the determined position in a memory for the WLAN access point,in case no location information has previously been stored in the memory for the WLAN access point.