WLAN Location Services via Segmented Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless networks lack the ability to provide high-accuracy location information to wireless clients, with existing systems only offering coarse-grained location proxies and limited support for multiple location service types, failing to meet the increasing demand for precise location services in business-critical WLAN environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that provide high-accuracy location services in wireless networks by categorizing location services into classes such as on-demand and update services, allowing clients to request and subscribe to location information with various triggers and options, including time intervals, movement, and containment, using a location server and infrastructure nodes to advertise and manage location services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If coarse-grained location proxies (MAC address, BSSID) are provided to wireless clients, then the system can provide basic location information with simple infrastructure, but the location accuracy is insufficient for business-critical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments location services into multiple classes (on-demand location services, update location services with various triggers) and implements a hierarchical infrastructure with access points, controllers, and location servers. This segmentation allows the system to provide high-accuracy location information through specialized location servers while maintaining compatibility with existing wireless infrastructure through the controller layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces controllers as intermediary devices between access points and location servers. The controllers aggregate location requests from multiple access points and communicate with location servers, reducing the complexity burden on individual access points while enabling high-accuracy location services through the coordinated network infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the IEEE 802.11k standard mechanism is used to request client location, then the system can provide location information in LCI format, but it does not support multiple location service types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal location service framework that supports multiple location service types (on-demand, update with time interval triggers, movement triggers, containment triggers) through a unified architecture. The location server can handle different service classes and trigger types, providing versatile location services while managing complexity centrally rather than at each access point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic trigger mechanisms for location services, including time interval triggers, movement triggers, and containment triggers. These dynamic elements allow the system to adapt location service behavior based on changing conditions, enabling versatile service types while the centralized location server manages the complexity of coordinating these dynamic triggers across the network.
3Reliability
If high-accuracy location services are implemented with multiple service types and triggers, then the system meets business-critical requirements, but the network infrastructure and service management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location service functionality across multiple network components: access points for signal collection, controllers for request aggregation and coordination, and location servers for centralized service management and calculation. This segmentation distributes complexity across the infrastructure while maintaining high reliability through specialized functions at each layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses controllers as intermediaries that simplify the network infrastructure by aggregating location requests from multiple access points and coordinating with location servers. This intermediary layer reduces the management complexity at individual access points while enabling reliable multi-type location services through coordinated network-wide operation.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
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AI summary
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to providing location services in a wireless network. According to one implementation of the present invention, the wireless network infrastructure provides high-accuracy location information via location services to wireless clients. In one emobidment, during an advertisement phase, a location server provides a list of available location services to wireless clients via a central controller. In another embodiment, during a presentation phase, a driver of the wireless client presents the available location services to one or more applications of the wireless client. In another embodiment, during a request phase, the driver transmits a location service request to the central controller, which passes the location service request to the location server.