Multi-Level Indoor Navigation Ontology for High Assurance Location-Based Services

Indoor navigation will become an importantapplication on a smartphone for Location-Based Service (LBS). An indoor navigation system should work under normalcircumstances and during emergencies, such as fires, during abuilding power shut down, alarm, etc. The LBS should be able tohelp users find the best exit route to the outside of the buildingunder all circumstances and with high reliability. In thisresearch, we develop an indoor ontology model for indoornavigation. This ontology model defines the indoor environmentattributes such as location nodes, and connection points. Thelocation nodes with the location information allow navigation inthe indoor environment. Connection points are able to separatethe map zones and the building floors into a "Map sheet." Thisontology approach allows the LBS works in both normalcircumstances and emergencies. This model provides a reliableindoor navigation system for LBS.