Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a partnership with Semtech, HERE, MaxMind, among others to offer low-power geolocation track-and-trace capabilities in the AWS IoT Core.
AWS IoT Core Device Location will track IoT devices. It can use traditional high-power global navigation satellite system (GNSS) hardware, including GPS, for tracking hardware down, and also lower-power alternatives to help boost battery life.
The following steps show how AWS IoT Core Device Location works.
- Collect measurement dataThe raw measurement data related to your device location is first collected from the device. The measurement data is specified as a JSON payload.
- Process measurement dataThe measurement data is processed, and AWS IoT Core Device Location chooses the measurement data to be used, which can be Wi-Fi, cellular, GNSS scan, or IP address information.
- Choose solverThe third-party solver is chosen based on the measurement data. For example, if the measurement data contains Wi-Fi and IP address information, it chooses the Wi-Fi solver and the IP reverse lookup solver.
- Obtain resolved locationAn API request is sent to the solver providers requesting to resolve the location. AWS IoT Core Device Location then gets the estimated geolocation information from the solvers.
- Choose resolved locationThe resolved location information and its accuracy is compared, and AWS IoT Core Device Location chooses the geolocation results with the highest accuracy.
- Output location informationThe geolocation information is sent to you as a GeoJSON payload. The payload contains the WGS84 geo coordinates, the accuracy information, confidence levels, and the timestamp at which the resolved location was obtained.