Minimal Infrastructure Radio Frequency Home Localisation Systems

The ability to track the location of a subject in their home allows the provision of a number of location based services, such as remote activity monitoring, context sensitive prompts and detection of safety critical situations such as falls. Such pervasive monitoring functionality offers the potential for elders to live at home for longer periods of their lives with minimal human supervision. The focus of this thesis is on the investigation and development of a home roomlevel localisation technique which can be readily deployed in a realistic home environment with minimal hardware requirements. A conveniently deployed Bluetooth ® localisation platform is designed and experimentally validated throughout the thesis. The platform adopts the convenience of a mobile phone and the processing power of a remote location calculation computer. The use of Bluetooth ® also ensures the extensibility of the platform to other home health supervision scenarios such as wireless body sensor monitoring. Central contributions of this work include the comparison of probabilistic and nonprobabilistic classifiers for location prediction accuracy and the extension of probabilistic classifiers to a Hidden Markov Model Bayesian filtering framework. New location prediction performance metrics are developed and signicant performance improvements are demonstrated with the novel extension of Hidden Markov Models to higher-order Markov movement models. With the simple probabilistic classifiers, location is correctly predicted 80% of the time. This increases to 86% with the application of the Hidden Markov Models and 88% when high-order Hidden Markov Models are employed. Further novelty is exhibited in the derivation of a real-time Hidden Markov Model Viterbi decoding algorithm which presents all the advantages of the original algorithm, while producing location estimates in real-time. Significant contributions are also made to the field of human gait-recognition by applying Bayesian filtering to the task of motion detection from accelerometers which are already present in many mobile phones. Bayesian filtering is demonstrated to enable a 35% improvement in motion recognition rate and even enables a floor recognition rate of 68% using only accelerometers. The unique application of time-varying Hidden Markov Models demonstrates the effect of integrating these freely available motion predictions on long-term location predictions

CT-Mapper: Mapping Sparse Multimodal Cellular Trajectories using a Multilayer Transportation Network

Mobile phone data have recently become an attractive source of information about mobility behavior. Since cell phone data can be captured in a passive way for a large user population, they can be harnessed to collect well-sampled mobility information. In this paper, we propose CT-Mapper, an unsupervised algorithm that enables the mapping of mobile phone traces over a multimodal transport network. One of the main strengths of CT-Mapper is its capability to map noisy sparse cellular multimodal trajectories over a multilayer transportation network where the layers have different physical properties and not only to map trajectories associated with a single layer. Such a network is modeled by a large multilayer graph in which the nodes correspond to metro/train stations or road intersections and edges correspond to connections between them. The mapping problem is modeled by an unsupervised HMM where the observations correspond to sparse user mobile trajectories and the hidden states to the multilayer graph nodes. The HMM is unsupervised as the transition and emission probabilities are inferred using respectively the physical transportation properties and the information on the spatial coverage of antenna base stations. To evaluate CT-Mapper we collected cellular traces with their corresponding GPS trajectories for a group of volunteer users in Paris and vicinity (France). We show that CT-Mapper is able to accurately retrieve the real cell phone user paths despite the sparsity of the observed trace trajectories. Furthermore our transition probability model is up to 20% more accurate than other naive models.Comment: Under revision in Computer Communication Journa

Motion Compatibility for Indoor Localization

Indoor localization -- a device's ability to determine its location within an extended indoor environment -- is a fundamental enabling capability for mobile context-aware applications. Many proposed applications assume localization information from GPS, or from WiFi access points. However, GPS fails indoors and in urban canyons, and current WiFi-based methods require an expensive, and manually intensive, mapping, calibration, and configuration process performed by skilled technicians to bring the system online for end users. We describe a method that estimates indoor location with respect to a prior map consisting of a set of 2D floorplans linked through horizontal and vertical adjacencies. Our main contribution is the notion of "path compatibility," in which the sequential output of a classifier of inertial data producing low-level motion estimates (standing still, walking straight, going upstairs, turning left etc.) is examined for agreement with the prior map. Path compatibility is encoded in an HMM-based matching model, from which the method recovers the user s location trajectory from the low-level motion estimates. To recognize user motions, we present a motion labeling algorithm, extracting fine-grained user motions from sensor data of handheld mobile devices. We propose "feature templates," which allows the motion classifier to learn the optimal window size for a specific combination of a motion and a sensor feature function. We show that, using only proprioceptive data of the quality typically available on a modern smartphone, our motion labeling algorithm classifies user motions with 94.5% accuracy, and our trajectory matching algorithm can recover the user's location to within 5 meters on average after one minute of movements from an unknown starting location. Prior information, such as a known starting floor, further decreases the time required to obtain precise location estimate

Advanced Map Matching Technologies and Techniques for Pedestrian/Wheelchair Navigation

Due to the constantly increasing technical advantages of mobile devices (such as smartphones), pedestrian/wheelchair navigation recently has achieved a high level of interest as one of smartphones’ potential mobile applications. While vehicle navigation systems have already reached a certain level of maturity, pedestrian/wheelchair navigation services are still in their infancy. By comparing vehicle navigation systems, a set of map matching requirements and challenges unique in pedestrian/wheelchair navigation is identified. To provide navigation assistance to pedestrians and wheelchair users, there is a need for the design and development of new map matching techniques. The main goal of this research is to investigate and develop advanced map matching technologies and techniques particular for pedestrian/wheelchair navigation services. As the first step in map matching, an adaptive candidate segment selection algorithm is developed to efficiently find candidate segments. Furthermore, to narrow down the search for the correct segment, advanced mathematical models are applied. GPS-based chain-code map matching, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) map matching, and fuzzy-logic map matching algorithms are developed to estimate real-time location of users in pedestrian/wheelchair navigation systems/services. Nevertheless, GPS signal is not always available in areas with high-rise buildings and even when there is a signal, the accuracy may not be high enough for localization of pedestrians and wheelchair users on sidewalks. To overcome these shortcomings of GPS, multi-sensor integrated map matching algorithms are investigated and developed in this research. These algorithms include a movement pattern recognition algorithm, using accelerometer and compass data, and a vision-based positioning algorithm to fill in signal gaps in GPS positioning. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the developed algorithms using real field test data (GPS coordinates and other sensors data). The experimental results show that the developed algorithms and the integrated sensors, i.e., a monocular visual odometry, a GPS, an accelerometer, and a compass, can provide high-quality and uninterrupted localization services in pedestrian/wheelchair navigation systems/services. The map matching techniques developed in this work can be applied to various pedestrian/wheelchair navigation applications, such as tracking senior citizens and children, or tourist service systems, and can be further utilized in building walking robots and automatic wheelchair navigation systems

Inférence des déplacements humains sur un réseau de transport multimodal par l’analyse des meta-données d’un réseau mobile

Around half of the world population is living in cities where different transportation networks are cooperating together to provide some efficient transportation facilities for individuals. To improve the performance of the multimodal transportation network it is crucial to monitor and analyze the multimodal trajectories, however obtaining the multimodal mobility data is not a trivial task. GPS data with fine accuracy, is extremely expensive to collect; Additionally, GPS is not available in tunnels and underground. Recently, thanks to telecommunication advancement cellular dataset such as Call Data Records (CDRs), is a great resource of mobility data, nevertheless, this kind of dataset is noisy and sparse in time. Our objective in this thesis is to propose a solution to this challenging issue of inferring real trajectory and transportation layer from wholly cellular observation. To achieve these objectives, we use Cellular signalization data which is more frequent than CDRs and despite their spatial inaccuracy, they provide a fair source of multimodal trajectory data. We propose 'CT-Mapper’ to map cellular signalization data collected from smart phones over the multimodal transportation network. Our proposed algorithm uses Hidden Markov Model property and topological properties of different transportation layers to model an unsupervised mapping algorithm which maps sparse cellular trajectories on multilayer transportation network. Later on, we propose ‘LCT-Mapper’ an algorithm to infer the main mode of trajectories. The area of study in this research work is Paris and region (Ile-de-France); we have modeled and built the multimodal transportation network database. To evaluate our proposed algorithm, we use real trajectories data sets collected from a group of volunteers for a period of 1 month. The user's cellular signalization data was provided by a french operator to assess the performance of our proposed algorithms using GPS data as ground truth. An extensive set of evaluation has been performed to validate the proposed algorithms. To summarize, we have shown in this work that it is feasible to infer the multimodal trajectory of users in an unsupervised manner. Our achievement makes it possible to investigate the multimodal mobility behavior of people and explore and monitor the population flow over multilayer transportation networkDans cette thèse, nous avons étudier une méthode de classification et d'évaluation des modalités de transport utilisées par les porteurs de mobile durant leurs trajets quotidiens. Les informations de mobilité sont collectées par un opérateur au travers des logs du réseau téléphonique mobile qui fournissent des informations sur les stations de base qui ont été utilisées par un mobile durant son trajet. Les signaux (appels/SMS/3G/4G) émis par les téléphones sont une source d'information pertinente pour l'analyse de la mobilité humaine, mais au-delà de ça, ces données représentent surtout un moyen de caractériser les habitudes et les comportements humains. Bien que l'analyse des metadata permette d'acquérir des informations spatio-temporelles à une échelle sans précédent, ces données présentent aussi de nombreuses problématiques à traiter afin d'en extraire une information pertinente. Notre objectif dans cette thèse est de proposer une solution au problème de déduire la trajectoire réelle sur des réseaux de transport à partir d'observations de position obtenues grâce à l'analyse de la signalisation sur les réseaux cellulaires. Nous proposons « CT-Mapper" pour projecter les données de signalisation cellulaires recueillies auprès de smartphone sur le réseau de transport multimodal. Notre algorithme utilise un modèle de Markov caché et les propriétés topologiques des différentes couches de transport. Ensuite, nous proposons « LCT-Mapper » un algorithme qui permet de déduire le mode de transport utilisé. Pour évaluer nos algorithmes, nous avons reconstruit les réseaux de transport de Paris et de la région (Ile-de-France). Puis nous avons collecté un jeu de données de trajectoires réelles recueillies auprès d'un groupe de volontaires pendant une période de 1 mois. Les données de signalisation cellulaire de l'utilisateur ont été fournies par un opérateur français pour évaluer les performances de nos algorithmes à l'aide de données GPS. Pour conclure, nous avons montré dans ce travail qu'il est possible d'en déduire la trajectoire multimodale des utilisateurs d'une manière non supervisée. Notre réalisation permet d'étudier le comportement de mobilité multimodale de personnes et d'explorer et de contrôler le flux de la population sur le réseau de transport multicouch

Indiscernible topological variations in DAE networks

A problem of characterizing conditions under which a topological change in a network of differential–algebraic equations (DAEs) can go undetected is considered. It is shown that initial conditions for which topological changes are indiscernible belong to a generalized eigenspace shared by the nominal system and the system resulting from a topological change. A condition in terms of eigenvectors of the nominal system is derived to check for existence of possibly indiscernible topological changes. For homogeneous networks this condition simplifies to the existence of an eigenvector of the Laplacian of network having equal components. Lastly, a rank condition is derived which can be used to check if a topological change preserves regularity of the nominal network

Smart hierarchical WiFi localization system for indoors

Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado de la UAH en el año académico 2013-2014En los últimos años, el número de aplicaciones para smartphones y tablets ha crecido rápidamente. Muchas de estas aplicaciones hacen uso de las capacidades de localización de estos dispositivos. Para poder proporcionar su localización, es necesario identificar la posición del usuario de forma robusta y en tiempo real. Tradicionalmente, esta localización se ha realizado mediante el uso del GPS que proporciona posicionamiento preciso en exteriores. Desafortunadamente, su baja precisión en interiores imposibilita su uso. Para proporcionar localización en interiores se utilizan diferentes tecnologías. Entre ellas, la tecnología WiFi es una de las más usadas debido a sus importantes ventajas tales como la disponibilidad de puntos de acceso WiFi en la mayoría de edificios y que medir la señal WiFi no tiene coste, incluso en redes privadas. Desafortunadamente, también tiene algunas desventajas, ya que en interiores la señal es altamente dependiente de la estructura del edificio por lo que aparecen otros efectos no deseados, como el efecto multicamino o las variaciones de pequeña escala. Además, las redes WiFi están instaladas para maximizar la conectividad sin tener en cuenta su posible uso para localización, por lo que los entornos suelen estar altamente poblados de puntos de acceso, aumentando las interferencias co-canal, que causan variaciones en el nivel de señal recibido. El objetivo de esta tesis es la localización de dispositivos móviles en interiores utilizando como única información el nivel de señal recibido de los puntos de acceso existentes en el entorno. La meta final es desarrollar un sistema de localización WiFi para dispositivos móviles, que pueda ser utilizado en cualquier entorno y por cualquier dispositivo, en tiempo real. Para alcanzar este objetivo, se propone un sistema de localización jerárquico basado en clasificadores borrosos que realizará la localización en entornos descritos topológicamente. Este sistema proporcionará una localización robusta en diferentes escenarios, prestando especial atención a los entornos grandes. Para ello, el sistema diseñado crea una partición jerárquica del entorno usando K-Means. Después, el sistema de localización se entrena utilizando diferentes algoritmos de clasificación supervisada para localizar las nuevas medidas WiFi. Finalmente, se ha diseñado un sistema probabilístico para seguir la posición del dispositivo en movimiento utilizando un filtro Bayesiano. Este sistema se ha probado en un entorno real, con varias plantas, obteniendo un error medio total por debajo de los 3 metros

Evaluating indoor positioning systems in a shopping mall : the lessons learned from the IPIN 2018 competition

The Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN) conference holds an annual competition in which indoor localization systems from different research groups worldwide are evaluated empirically. The objective of this competition is to establish a systematic evaluation methodology with rigorous metrics both for real-time (on-site) and post-processing (off-site) situations, in a realistic environment unfamiliar to the prototype developers. For the IPIN 2018 conference, this competition was held on September 22nd, 2018, in Atlantis, a large shopping mall in Nantes (France). Four competition tracks (two on-site and two off-site) were designed. They consisted of several 1 km routes traversing several floors of the mall. Along these paths, 180 points were topographically surveyed with a 10 cm accuracy, to serve as ground truth landmarks, combining theodolite measurements, differential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and 3D scanner systems. 34 teams effectively competed. The accuracy score corresponds to the third quartile (75th percentile) of an error metric that combines the horizontal positioning error and the floor detection. The best results for the on-site tracks showed an accuracy score of 11.70 m (Track 1) and 5.50 m (Track 2), while the best results for the off-site tracks showed an accuracy score of 0.90 m (Track 3) and 1.30 m (Track 4). These results showed that it is possible to obtain high accuracy indoor positioning solutions in large, realistic environments using wearable light-weight sensors without deploying any beacon. This paper describes the organization work of the tracks, analyzes the methodology used to quantify the results, reviews the lessons learned from the competition and discusses its future