Abstract
An indoor logical network qualitatively represents abstract relationships between indoor spaces, and it can be used for path computation. In this paper, we concentrate on the logical network that does not have notions for metrics. Instead, it relies on the semantics and properties of indoor spaces. A navigation path can be computed by deriving parameters from these semantics and minimizing them in routing algorithms. Although previous studies have adopted semantic approaches to build logical networks, routing methods are seldom elaborated. The main issue with such networks is to derive criteria for path computation using the semantics of spaces. Here, we present a routing mechanism that is based on a dedicated space classification and a set of routing criteria. The space classification reflects characteristics of spaces that are important for navigation, such as horizontal and vertical directions, doors and windows, etc. Six routing criteria are introduced, and they involve: (1) the spaces with the preferred semantics; and/or (2) their centrality in the logical network. Each criterion is encoded as the weights to the nodes or edges of the logical network by considering the semantics of spaces. Logical paths are derived by a traditional shortest-path algorithm that minimizes these weights. Depending on the building’s interior configuration, one criterion may result in several logical paths. Therefore, we introduce a priority ordering of criteria to support path selection and decrease the possible number of logical paths. We provide a proof-of-concept implementation for several buildings to demonstrate the usability of such a routing. The main benefit of this routing method is that it does not need geometric information to compute a path. The logical network can be created using verbal descriptions only, and this routing method can be applied to indoor spaces derived from any building subdivision.
Highlights
Indoor routing is about finding a path in an indoor navigation model
We present an innovative approach for routing on the logical network, i.e., to compute logical paths for users based only on space semantics
The paths are computed on a logical network created from the connectivity between semantically defined spaces
Summary
Indoor routing is about finding a path in an indoor navigation model (e.g., a navigation network). Networks are an abstraction of indoor spaces: nodes are the abstraction of spaces and edges represent relationships between the spaces. While the nodes of logical networks largely depend on the semantics of indoor spaces, the edges represent neighboring relations, such as connectivity, adjacency, containment, etc. Researchers have proposed methods to create indoor hierarchical models that integrate logical and geometric networks. They do not completely explain the whole routing process on these hierarchical models (e.g., how a user obtains specific routes on the logical levels). The routing weights of logical network are commonly denoted by the depth of a node. Lee et al [25] discussed topological analysis and path-finding between two rooms, but the study did not report edge weights and the applied optimal criteria
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