Building positioning systems for mobile services
According to Strategy Analytics , at the moment, mobile application users inside buildings generate up to 80% of mobile traffic. In the rooms, the usual GPS does not work. Against the background of great interest of users and companies to geolocation services, there is a rapid growth of startups trying to solve the problem of positioning inside buildings (Indoor Location).
Who needs it and which mobile applications will benefit from the emergence of a new technology?
Passengers will be able to determine their position inside an unfamiliar building, pave the route to the check-in counter or exit to the aircraft they need. The airport will be able to push-notify passengers of the beginning and end of check-in, the beginning of boarding. As a result, both the passenger wins - by promptly obtaining the required information - and the airport - by optimizing the flow of passengers inside the building.
Example implementation of the idea: GateGuru
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Imagine that the seller in a shopping center has the opportunity to detect the fact that a potential buyer is approaching using a mobile application installed by the user. Having received a unique client identifier, the marketing software based on its database will be able to determine the degree of customer loyalty, analyze the list of previous purchases and make the buyer a unique offer with a discount on specific groups of products using a push notification to the mobile application. The buyer receives a shopping center orientation system, unique personalized discounts. The seller receives a huge amount of information for marketing analysis, builds fundamentally new trigger marketing programs, increases loyalty to his brand, increases sales.
Examples of the implementation of the idea: Shopkick , Pointinside , Wizzy Shopper .
A number of such well-known projects as Foursquare , Gowalla , Facebook places currently use the Check-In principle, when a user manually specifies his place of stay. With the advent of widespread Indoor Location Services, there is no need to divert the user's attention to additional actions. Everything will happen automatically. Knowing the location of a friend inside a building will make it easier to find him.
Optical object recognition applications can increase performance by reducing the search area. In the near future, it will be possible to get information about where, when and how long you have been from the calendar of your mobile device.
I suggest you continue the list yourself.
There are a number of technological platforms and algorithms for tracking the position of objects in real time. Some of them are applicable to positioning systems inside buildings.
For developers of mobile applications there is a potential opportunity to use the first three technology platforms due to the fact that these technologies are supported by almost all modern mobile devices. Also known about attempts to use ultrasonic beacons.
Architecturally, all implementation options for the Indoor Location system can be divided into two large groups: those implemented on the provider side and those implemented on the client side.
In such projects as EKAHAU , Zebra , specialized controllers, a network of access points, server software for data analysis are used. Specialized client WiFi beacons are used, although it is possible to use conventional devices with WiFi support. All solutions of this class are aimed at the corporate segment, have a high cost, a long time of implementation and are not designed for integration with public mobile applications.
A mobile device (usually WiFi) is used as a signal receiver, which collects data about available access points (MAC, SSID, available connection types). Further, a statistical analysis of the incoming data is carried out, the extreme values are cut off and the most probable values of the measured parameters are calculated.
The simplest method for calculating client coordinates is the triangulation method for access points with known coordinates. The disadvantage of the method is the need to know the coordinates of the access points relative to which the counting is conducted. In the case of the use of the fingerprints principle, we can compare the resulting set of values with data sets tied to specific points in space, and calculate the probability of finding a client at different points in space.
Solutions of this class do not yet go beyond the concepts, diploma works of students of technological universities in the US and Europe ( link1 , link2 , link3 ), articles of employees of R & D departments of corporations ( Nokia , Microsoft ).
When we try to implement our own system of orientation inside buildings on popular mobile platforms, we will face a number of unpleasant surprises.
The API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is not available. It is technically possible to access devices using the Private API, but the application cannot be placed on the App Store. In fact, the platform does not allow you to develop your own Indoor Location services.
An API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is available. The developer has the opportunity to get a list of available Bluetooth devices, but the process of scanning available devices takes 12-13 seconds. There are no restrictions on the applicability of WiFi.
The API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is not available. The platform does not allow to develop your own Indoor Location services.
Currently, platform owners and service providers are doing their best to divide the emerging market of Indoor Location and keep newcomers out of the way. However, this does not make the task of positioning inside buildings (from a technical point of view) less interesting.
Who needs it and which mobile applications will benefit from the emergence of a new technology?
Applications for airports and transport hubs
Passengers will be able to determine their position inside an unfamiliar building, pave the route to the check-in counter or exit to the aircraft they need. The airport will be able to push-notify passengers of the beginning and end of check-in, the beginning of boarding. As a result, both the passenger wins - by promptly obtaining the required information - and the airport - by optimizing the flow of passengers inside the building.
Example implementation of the idea: GateGuru
')
Shopping Center Applications
Imagine that the seller in a shopping center has the opportunity to detect the fact that a potential buyer is approaching using a mobile application installed by the user. Having received a unique client identifier, the marketing software based on its database will be able to determine the degree of customer loyalty, analyze the list of previous purchases and make the buyer a unique offer with a discount on specific groups of products using a push notification to the mobile application. The buyer receives a shopping center orientation system, unique personalized discounts. The seller receives a huge amount of information for marketing analysis, builds fundamentally new trigger marketing programs, increases loyalty to his brand, increases sales.
Examples of the implementation of the idea: Shopkick , Pointinside , Wizzy Shopper .
Check-in applications
A number of such well-known projects as Foursquare , Gowalla , Facebook places currently use the Check-In principle, when a user manually specifies his place of stay. With the advent of widespread Indoor Location Services, there is no need to divert the user's attention to additional actions. Everything will happen automatically. Knowing the location of a friend inside a building will make it easier to find him.
Other applications
Optical object recognition applications can increase performance by reducing the search area. In the near future, it will be possible to get information about where, when and how long you have been from the calendar of your mobile device.
I suggest you continue the list yourself.
Technical implementation
There are a number of technological platforms and algorithms for tracking the position of objects in real time. Some of them are applicable to positioning systems inside buildings.
- WiFi location
- Bluetooth location
- GSM location
- Ultrasonic identification and location
- RFID identification and location
- Optical location
For developers of mobile applications there is a potential opportunity to use the first three technology platforms due to the fact that these technologies are supported by almost all modern mobile devices. Also known about attempts to use ultrasonic beacons.
Architecturally, all implementation options for the Indoor Location system can be divided into two large groups: those implemented on the provider side and those implemented on the client side.
Implemented on the provider side
In such projects as EKAHAU , Zebra , specialized controllers, a network of access points, server software for data analysis are used. Specialized client WiFi beacons are used, although it is possible to use conventional devices with WiFi support. All solutions of this class are aimed at the corporate segment, have a high cost, a long time of implementation and are not designed for integration with public mobile applications.
Implemented on the client side
A mobile device (usually WiFi) is used as a signal receiver, which collects data about available access points (MAC, SSID, available connection types). Further, a statistical analysis of the incoming data is carried out, the extreme values are cut off and the most probable values of the measured parameters are calculated.
The simplest method for calculating client coordinates is the triangulation method for access points with known coordinates. The disadvantage of the method is the need to know the coordinates of the access points relative to which the counting is conducted. In the case of the use of the fingerprints principle, we can compare the resulting set of values with data sets tied to specific points in space, and calculate the probability of finding a client at different points in space.
Solutions of this class do not yet go beyond the concepts, diploma works of students of technological universities in the US and Europe ( link1 , link2 , link3 ), articles of employees of R & D departments of corporations ( Nokia , Microsoft ).
When we try to implement our own system of orientation inside buildings on popular mobile platforms, we will face a number of unpleasant surprises.
On iPhone (iOS)
The API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is not available. It is technically possible to access devices using the Private API, but the application cannot be placed on the App Store. In fact, the platform does not allow you to develop your own Indoor Location services.
Android
An API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is available. The developer has the opportunity to get a list of available Bluetooth devices, but the process of scanning available devices takes 12-13 seconds. There are no restrictions on the applicability of WiFi.
Windows Phone 7
The API for working with WiFi and Bluetooth devices is not available. The platform does not allow to develop your own Indoor Location services.
Results
Currently, platform owners and service providers are doing their best to divide the emerging market of Indoor Location and keep newcomers out of the way. However, this does not make the task of positioning inside buildings (from a technical point of view) less interesting.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/126410/
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