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Indoor Positioning/Blue Dot Experience

  • Updated

Three components make up the indoor positioning mobile experience: Fingerprinting, Beacons or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled Access Points (APs), and Map/Data setup. Each component is tied to a different solution, with the three components together creating the mobile experience.

With optimum setup, accuracy of location can be achieved to within 3 and 5 metres. 

IndoorAtlas (Fingerprints)

The Blue Dot indoor positioning experience is created by the collection of WiFi, BLE beacons, and Geomagnetic data. These combine to form the positioning and tracking that provides a user-friendly experience.

IndoorAtlas is utilized to achieve indoor positioning. Contrary to common belief, the distortions caused by building materials such as steel and concrete can be used with the earth's magnetic field to better locate devices indoors.

The data from signals is processed and condensed into a magnetic signal map, which is automatically downloaded by IndoorAtlas' mobile SDK to the end user's device at runtime.

IndoorAtlas has the following tools for gathering, testing and reviewing fingerprints:

  • The Android App IndoorAtlas MapCreator for collecting data
  • A Positioining App on iOS devices and IndoorAtlas MapCreator for testing blue dot

Map configuration and fingerprint analytics

The login is client specific and accessed via indooratlas.com. Purple creates the login and will send the details during implementation.

From this URL, it's possible to: upload maps, set waypoints for fingerprinting, plan beacon placement, review analytics and troubleshoot session issues.

Training videos from IndoorAtlas are available, as is support documentation.

Estimote (Beacons)

Android and iOS use beacons for improved positioning accuracy. BLE functionality is required for iOS positioning as WiFi positioning is blocked by Apple.

Estimote is the beacon manufacturer most often used during Purple implementations. The iBeacon packet is configured on every beacon. Each beacon is associated with a point on the map.

The login is client specific and accessed via estimote.com. Purple creates the login and will send the details during implementation. The Estimote application on Android/iPhone can be used to set up beacons.

Each beacon is assigned a unique set of data:

  • UUID is created and unique to the facility being implemented.

  • Major identifies the floor.

  • Minor identifies the beacon on the floor and is a sequential number beginning with 1.

Purple Admin Tool (Maps/Data Setup and Beacon Monitoring)

The Admin Tool contains the maps and data that feed into Purple's RTLS solutions. The maps in the Admin Tool are end user facing.

Routing Paths, e.g. the walkable areas in the solutions, are outlined in the Admin Tool.

Estimote Beacon health reports (battery and last seen date) are displayed after beacons are set up in the Admin Tool.

Purple will create a login and send the details during implementation. 

Combining the components

The maps in IndoorAtlas are used for fingerprinting.

The maps in the Admin Tool are used to draw paths, add destinations, and are ultimately what end users see when using the product.

Maps are tied together between the IndoorAtlas app and the Admin tools with an IndoorAtlas floor location identifier. The location ID is tied via the Mapping/Floor List menu in the Admin Tool.

UUID on beacons are unique to a customer location. The same UUID created for a location is assigned to every beacon and captured in the fingerprint data.

The UUID is whitelisted by IndoorAtlas to allow only applicable beacon data to be captured.

The beacons are loaded into the Admin Tool to monitor battery life and last seen date.

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