Tracking and location services are in high demand due to the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in everyday settings such as homes, cars, workplaces, public areas, and smart city infrastructure.
Accurately locating devices like medical wearables, industrial robots, smart meters and shipping containers, are essential in today's era of Internet of Things connectivity. Supply chain management, industrial operations, and the power grid are just a few IoT domains that can significantly benefit from end-to-end location services.
Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are the primary backbone of current location services, with support from other cellular technologies like Bluetooth, Cell-ID, Wi-Fi, and improved Cell-ID. People need a better solution that decreases the cost and complexity of hardware and software required for accurate positioning while limiting the quantity of data transmitted from the device to the cloud to relieve security issues.
There are situations where the conventional approaches to location-based services are quite limited. For instance, GNSS module is generally only usable in the open air, Wi-Fi is sometimes unstable or unavailable, and deploying cellular-based services like Cell-ID and improved Cell-ID can be difficult and expensive. In order to achieve precise placement, one or more of these approaches is necessary.
An LTE modem might be used for data transmission, a GPS sensor for outside positioning, and a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection for indoor placement in a typical wirelessly equipped Internet of Things (IoT) device.
It runs counter to the Internet of Things (IoT) goals to have simple designs, ultra-low power use, compact form factors, and meagre cost because of the proliferation of wireless devices and technologies and the need for dedicated hardware.
Relying solely on the cellular network with 4G LTE and 5G device-based positioning is a superior option because it eliminates the need for sophisticated hardware and software.
No internet connectivity, satellites, wireless networks, or Bluetooth are required for device-based positioning.
LTE/5G device-based positioning avoids the latency and security/privacy concerns associated with device-to-cloud connectivity because users determine the location. By lowering the quantity of data going into and out of the network.The device-based location takes advantage of already-existing LTE signals, eliminating the need for ancillary technologies like GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to improve battery life, system cost, device size, and power usage (see figure 1).
For instance, PHY Wireless has developed a device-based positioning technique called hellaPHY that uses the location-specific signals established in 3GPP Release 9. The positional reference signals (PRS) are a standardized system that aims to improve precision, range, and stability while decreasing interference. Typically, the signal strength of these terrestrial signals is 50 dB greater than that of satellite-based GPS signals.
For wireless carriers to make the most of their spectrum for data and other services, PRS signals can be broadcast periodically. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates using these signals for E911 services. Wideband use cases like E911 often employ a very low density of PRS signals. However, it is widely believed that even low-bandwidth IoT devices may provide adequate precision by increasing these signals' frequency.
To obtain near-GPS performance, the device-based positioning technique requires only a tiny fraction of the PRS signal bandwidth, around 0.625 percent. Device-based positioning is a service that is enabled and provided by network operators.
This service enables the network operators to increase the value of the location data they collect and further monetize their infrastructure investments. Instead of limiting PRS's use to emergency services like E911, service providers can use the numerous commercial opportunities that need low power consumption and precise location information.
When compared to device-based positioning, GNSS has the potential to provide more accurate results. However, due to the fact that accurate indoor coverage can only be achieved when combined with another location technique, this advantage is typically rendered moot.
Moreover, LTE-M technology's 50-meter accuracy is frequently sufficient for many use cases because only some scenarios need the highest location precision. Device-based positioning systems have been shown to attain location precision as accurately as one meter as the wireless industry moves to 5G and tiny cells increase, especially in private wireless deployments.
It is well knowledge that GNSS, Wi-Fi, and even Bluetooth beacons are necessary for precise locating. Small, battery-operated IoT devices struggle to keep up with the increased network complexity, system cost, and power consumption caused by combining various technologies.
One way to simplify the architecture and make device-based positioning possible in 5G networks is to employ only the signals already in use for network communications via LTE.
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