Wi-Fi fills the gaps in the indoor positioning Market

Wi-Fi fills the gaps in the indoor positioning Market

The location of a person is an important information. Similar to every technology development in the past decade, the technology behind indoor location tracking has made great strides.

GPS was initially provided to users on independent navigation devices. It was later used on mobile phones to support precise positioning. Now it has become an important feature of many smart phones. A gps device uses a process called trilateration to determine the location, which uses precise time-sharing information transmitted by a group of satellites. Although this process is highly efficient, the nature of satellite systems limits its indoor positioning capabilities. However, we are used to knowing where we are, so determining a person's location inside the room also becomes a necessary feature-not a dispensable feature. Fortunately, the improvement in wireless technology fills this gap.

The particularity of Wi-Fi makes indoor location tracking possible

802.11 Wi-Fi networks are everywhere. With the increasing maturity of wireless technology in terms of network convenience and primary access network, more services will emerge every day. Therefore, Wi-Fi-Based Indoor positioning becomes increasingly important.

Wi-Fi positioning has several important differences with satellite navigation. First, GPS provides globally consistent latitude, longitude, and altitude information. However, no system supports indoor location tracking. Secondly, Wi-Fi positioning is relatively a network-side service, rather than a client function. Because the access terminal (AP) can be deployed anywhere, it is of little use in client triangle positioning. After all, there is no reference point for computing. However, the network can help locate the client. This will cause the client to "not know" where it is. Therefore, some additional steps are required to determine the client location.

In terms of operation, the Wi-Fi location tracking service is very simple. The client sends some detection data packets to observe which networks are available. Multiple APs may appear in the scope of the detection client. These APs determine the received signal strength indicators (bsns) of these detection clients ). Systems and applications attached to core Wi-Fi networks (such as AeroScout, Cisco's Mobility Services Engine, or Meru's E (z) RF Location Manager) collect and process this information, to determine the location of each client relative to the AP.

AP deployment and density are the key to achieving Wi-Fi Positioning

To make this system work, we must consider these features in the network design and implementation process. First, AP deployment and density are very important. Make sure that there are enough APS as multiple Detection Points. Ideally, they should not be deployed in a straight line, such as along the corridor. Second, the AP must be deployed along the floor structure, not only to precisely reflect some obvious obstacles (such as walls), but also to reflect those mechanical and other characteristics that may affect RF performance. These mappings are basic elements of the location service. They will serve as the location authority of network operators, just like the role of the latitude and longitude in global positioning.

Location services based on Wi-Fi networks have many advantages. For example, hospitals can use the Wi-Fi location service to perform a variety of tasks, including tracking expensive mobile devices and monitoring the temperature and humidity of sensitive drugs. In addition, some medical providers track the manpower and time they use to monitor medical care in different regions (for example, the time the nurse stays in the ward ). One company even uses location services to monitor people's hand washing.

Indoor road discovery also has some advantages and challenges

Indoor road discovery in large buildings not only facilitates visitors, but also can be used in many emergencies. At the airport, the number and movement of tracking equipment can measure the number of people in the region and their movement speed-Transport Security Supervision must use this information to monitor the routes and then increase manpower when needed. Museums and other buildings will also use these technologies to provide self-service tour guides.

Facility planners may use collected (anonymous) data to monitor changes in the number of people in different areas of a building or garden area and in different time periods of a day. At the same time, retailers are happy to know how many people stay in different areas of their buildings.

However, this level of data collection may cause some privacy issues, resulting in another type of enterprise-oriented location service-policy.

Directly operating a Wi-Fi network means collecting information about the client location, even if no additional location service is attached to the network. When they run the location service and collect the information, the carrier needs to establish a data storage and data usage policy. Based on their nature, the location service will track all Wi-Fi devices and devices (such as Bluetooth) that transmit data in the Wi-Fi band; it cannot separate people, for example, distinguish between employees and visitors. If the design does not belong to the tracked company or is irrelevant, what notification requirements do you need?

Location-Based Services provide network users and operators with rich features. Implementing these services by extending the location tracking of the Wi-Fi network is a natural improvement of this service maturity. Technical challenges can be easily overcome, but operators cannot make technology advances faster than building policies around data usage.