This technology was presented at the Fujitsu Forum 2012 held in Japan.Thanks to this technology, developers can focus on creating high-level services, allowing users to benefit from location-based services in a variety of scenarios. For example, it can be used in a medical facility where a nurse enters a room and the patient's information appears on their device, increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the care provided. Or, for example, in a mobile environment, it provides the user with all the business applications when they are in the office, deletes the data when they are in transit, and reveals the information again when the user is at the client's location.
The rapid growth of mobile broadband, smartphones, and tablets is creating an environment where services, both applications and information, must be accessible through these devices. However, as the number of these devices increases, the need for location tracking becomes more critical, especially for those that require knowing the user's location and related services. Furthermore, businesses traditionally demand complex services that require knowing the location or changes in location of users minute by minute, in order to provide them with the data necessary to perform their tasks based on their current location.
The limitation was indoors, as there was no technology that could be used effectively both indoors and outdoors. To address this, Fujitsu laboratories have developed a service location-based platform that detects smart devices, determines user locations, and provides pre-registered services or data based on those locations, regardless of whether they are indoors or outdoors.
Technological Challenges:
The development of integrated indoor systems that connect mobile smart devices to the cloud via wireless networks must consider that users can change location by the minute, and therefore, so can the services they require. Furthermore, GPS signals often do not penetrate the interiors of buildings, making the technology insufficiently accurate to provide reliable service. To overcome these challenges, Fujitsu has created a platform that offers unified services by detecting a smart device and then, based on the user's location, providing the services pre-registered for that device.
Technology Features:
It is cloud-based and offers device recognition for sending information and services. To achieve this, the Japanese multinational has developed a suite of functions that collects data from mobile device sensors in the cloud, selects the appropriate services, and automatically distributes it for capture. This is important for developers, as they don't need to worry about the device type or communication layers when building an integrated system that reaches these devices. Furthermore, the technology doesn't limit the amount of information sent to the sensors, although it only sends the data that is needed. It's also important to note that data can be temporarily cached during network outages and resent when service is restored.
Ultimately, this enables reliable indoor positioning through methods such as IMES (Indoor Messaging System), which extends GPS and Wi-Fi signals indoors and utilizes wireless LAN access points and integrated sensor technologies like accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compasses. Thanks to this, the company can offer a high-level service, regardless of the specific positioning technology used.
