Hybrid Positioning with Smart Phones

Abstract

Ubiquitous positioning is intended for providing smooth and seamless positioning solution across indoor and outdoor environments, and it is usually achieved through a hybrid positioning scheme that integrates multiple positioning technologies. This chapter explores various aspects of hybrid positioning with smartphones. First, it presents a hybrid positioning solution based on hidden Markov models (HMM). The hybrid positioning solution utilizes multiple location sensors and signals of opportunity that are available in smartphones, and integrates multiple relative and absolute positioning technologies to achieve ubiquitous positioning. The hybrid positioning solution provides a significant improvement over individual positioning technologies in positioning availability, accuracy, and reliability. Then, this chapter generalizes the concept and the methodology of hybrid positioning. Different relative and absolute positioning technologies are comprehensively reviewed based on their respective operation principles. These positioning technologies have the potential to be integrated in a specific hybrid positioning scheme. This chapter is concluded with some considerations for designing a deliberate hybrid positioning solution followed by a short summary of the whole chapter.