An overview of positioning by diffusion

Positioning by Diffusion is a method by which mobile and static devices can calculate their positions, by means of exchanging information over short range wireless links. It is intended for deployment within shopping malls, corporate buildings, theme parks, etc. The implementation is in software, and does not impose extra hardware requirements on mobile or static devices. Another objective is to minimize the system administration and deployment costs, by minimizing the required number of devices which have their position programmed into them - devices we define as Access Points - for the system to operate. The positioning system works instead by a seamless inter-working of the algorithm across Access Points, static devices which learn their position rather than having it pre-programmed, and mobile devices. Positioning by Diffusion is being adopted by the Bluetooth Local Positioning Working Group as its positioning algorithm.