Free webinar by IDTechEx: Mobile Phone Indoor Positioning Systems

What is IPS?

IPS primarily concerns location-based services on mobile phones indoors, where satellite systems do not work. Little of this is available as yet but it is one of the "next big things" for mobile phones because we spend 85% of our time indoors. Indeed, we need more sophisticated services indoors compared with those available on phones outdoors using satellites. For example, we need 3D navigation in store to the skirt we wish to buy. We need real time information on exits on nearby floors if the building is on fire. Indeed, we more often need sensing not just the location of ourselves and other things and tracking and line of travel may be needed to greater accuracy than we encounter outside. IPS and Real Time Locating systems (RTLS) are converging to achieve this with Apple, Samsung, Google, Nokia, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and IBM clashing for the hundreds of millions of dollars of business that is emerging. The first $0.5 billion order has recently been landed for RTLS but not involving mobile phones. In particular, IPS will create hundreds of billions of dollars in position-related services indoors.

What the webinar will cover:

• An explanation of IPS and RTLS.
• Potential applications.
• Why IPS development mainly focuses on short range communications notably WiFi, Bluetooth and inertial navigation rather than more accurate forms of RTLS.
• Challenges with this approach.
• Sensor fusion for 3D and advanced sensing in IPS (copying nature where linking many primitive sensors creates sophisticated functions).
• The potential in making and operating mobile phones that offer the most compelling new functionality, IPS being a major enabler.
• Why IPS forecasting is troublesome.
• Forecasts for RTLS.

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