A Positioning Technology Switch Algorithm for Ubiquitous Pedestrian Navigation Systems

Abstract

Nowadays, with the development of ubiquitous and pervasive computing, pedestrian navigation systems are gaining significant momentum for location based services. To perform a seamless navigation service, a mobile unit MU is capable of capturing several positioning technologies, running simultaneously or independently according to user's needs. This paper proposes a dynamic selection algorithm to evaluate and determine the best positioning technology from available candidates, in the process of switching between technologies during an indoor outdoor pedestrian navigation procedure. This choice depends on many factors related to user preferences and service parameters such as power consumption, positioning accuracy and the number of visible GPS satellites. The proposed algorithm is based on a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process -- AHP as the most wellknown multiple criteria decision making -- MCDM approach that provides a description and a manipulation of several criteria information to infer the need for initializing the switch process. The introduced algorithm employs the AHP method to calculate criteria weight and define a selection function that ensures the determination of the convenient positioning technology.