What is Zone Detection?
What can zone detection be used for?
How is zone detection better than traditional geo-fencing?
How does Seeker Wireless’s technology differ from other location technologies like Network Cell-ID and A-GPS?
Isn’t Seeker Wireless just another UMA/WiFi play?
How does the Seeker Wireless solution differ from the “Femtocell” indoor base station approach?
How can Seeker Wireless ensure a user’s privacy is protected?
What is Zone Detection?
Zone detection is a similar concept to geo-fencing in that it involves the definition of a virtual boundary around an area and the identification of when someone moves into or out of that area.
Zone detection is an intelligent method that uses radio signals and complex mathematical algorithms to measure if a handset is inside or outside of a particular area.
What can zone detection be used for?
Zone detection can be used for a whole host of corporate and consumer applications. It is being used today for zone-based charging services such as HomeZone and OfficeZone.
Other applications in the corporate environment could include consultants automatically logging client hours upon entering and exiting the client facility, or providing employees with different mobile experiences based on location.
Zone detection is the ultimate solution for location-enhanced mobile advertising. Marketers can create MovieZones, ShoppingZones and other relevant marketing zones where end-users receive special notifications and offers when they are inside “the zone”.
Zone detection can even enhance social networking. Imagine going out with your friends and being notified of venues around you that are full of people you would be interested in. The possibilities are endless!
How is zone detection better than traditional geo-fencing?
Geo-fencing involves using highly accurate location estimates and then testing if the location is within a pre-defined polygonal zone. Geo-fencing does not work with non-GPS location methods because of the inherent noisiness of the signals in the mobile network.
For example, with geo-fencing, if you want to know if a user is in a particular area, you would need to use GPS to work out their latitude and longitude, plot the location on a map, and determine if that location corresponds to the area you are interested in. It requires an accurate location system, an accurate map, and outdoor location where GPS operates, and a complex set of calculations carried out on the mobile handset.
Zone detection on the other hand is simpler, more reliable and works anywhere. It is a more organic way of working out if a mobile handset is in a particular area. Instead of working with abstractions like polygons and latitude, zone detection involves the handset recognising the radio environment at a particular location and then working out if the measurements being made by the handset are consistent with being in the defined area.
How does Seeker Wireless’s technology differ from other location technologies like Network Cell-ID and A-GPS?
From an accuracy perspective Seeker Wireless’s technology fits between Network Cell-ID and A-GPS in that our technology is up to 50 times more accurate than Network Cell-ID solutions, and outperforms A-GPS solutions indoors, in city canyons and in certain weather conditions.
From a scalability perspective, Seeker Wireless’s solution is totally scalable because network traffic is minimised by elimination of handset polling used in Network Cell-ID and A-GPS.
From a cost perspective, there are no additional costs for extra chips in handsets (Seeker Wireless’s solution runs on the handset SIM card or in the handset memory), and there are no additional costs in network infrastructure add-ins or modifications, which are required for Network Cell-ID and E-OTD.
Seeker Wireless is also working on hybrid A-GPS solutions that have the benefit of Seeker Wireless’s high accuracy technology where GPS doesn't work or provides poor resolution.
Isn’t Seeker Wireless just another UMA/WiFi play?
NO! The solution is different compared to Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA - dual mode WiFi/GSM/3G type phones) in that the subscriber gets to KEEP their existing 2G or 3G handset, and does not need any additional equipment in their home or office such as an UMA base station.
SeekerZone™ also works in multiple locations without the need for ANY additional subscriber equipment.
How does the Seeker Wireless solution differ from the “Femtocell” indoor base station approach?
The Seeker Wireless solution is completely different in that the subscriber does not need additional subscriber equipment and boxes, and bandwidth and provisioning, etc. to launch HomeZone. Not only does the subscriber get to keep their existing 2G/3G handset, but the solution can offer multiple zones in home or office environments.
This means that end user does not need to set up any additional equipment in their home.
Seeker Wireless agrees that the Femto/Indoor base station is useful for extending UMTS coverage, but there are provisioning issues that need to be addressed when multiple indoor BTS units come online and need to be integrated into an existing UMTS network.
How can Seeker Wireless ensure a user’s privacy is protected?
Seeker Wireless is a strong supporter of existing location technology privacy codes (such as the LBS code developed by the 5 UK operators in 2004).
As such, our systems have been designed to be fully compliant with local privacy laws, and various safeguards are built into the system to not only protect the end-user, but give them total control over the delivery of location information.
Seeker Wireless solutions contain the ability for the user to disable the location function so that they cannot be located if they choose.