Triangulate example for iBeacons

Question

I am looking into the possibility to use multiple iBeacons to do a \'rough\' indoor position location. The application is a kind of \'museum\' setting, and it would be easie

Answer 1

I found Vishnu Prahbu's solution very useful. I ported it to c#, if anybody need it.

public static PointF GetLocationWithCenterOfGravity(PointF a, PointF b, PointF c, float dA, float dB, float dC)
    {
        //http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20332856/triangulate-example-for-ibeacons
        var METERS_IN_COORDINATE_UNITS_RATIO = 1.0f;

        //http://stackoverflow.com/a/524770/663941
        //Find Center of Gravity
        var cogX = (a.X + b.X + c.X) / 3;
        var cogY = (a.Y + b.Y + c.Y) / 3;
        var cog = new PointF(cogX,cogY);

        //Nearest Beacon
        PointF nearestBeacon;
        float shortestDistanceInMeters;
        if (dA < dB && dA < dC)
        {
            nearestBeacon = a;
            shortestDistanceInMeters = dA;
        }
        else if (dB < dC)
        {
            nearestBeacon = b;
            shortestDistanceInMeters = dB;
        }
        else
        {
            nearestBeacon = c;
            shortestDistanceInMeters = dC;
        }

        //http://www.mathplanet.com/education/algebra-2/conic-sections/distance-between-two-points-and-the-midpoint
        //Distance between nearest beacon and COG
        var distanceToCog =  (float)(Math.Sqrt(Math.Pow(cog.X - nearestBeacon.X, 2)
                + Math.Pow(cog.Y - nearestBeacon.Y, 2)));

        //Convert shortest distance in meters into coordinates units.
        var shortestDistanceInCoordinationUnits = shortestDistanceInMeters * METERS_IN_COORDINATE_UNITS_RATIO;

        //http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/46527/coordinates-of-point-on-a-line-defined-by-two-other-points-with-a-known-distance?rq=1
        //On the line between Nearest Beacon and COG find shortestDistance point apart from Nearest Beacon
        var t = shortestDistanceInCoordinationUnits / distanceToCog;
        var pointsDiff = new PointF(cog.X - nearestBeacon.X, cog.Y - nearestBeacon.Y);
        var tTimesDiff = new PointF(pointsDiff.X * t, pointsDiff.Y * t);

        //Add t times diff with nearestBeacon to find coordinates at a distance from nearest beacon in line to COG.
        var userLocation = new PointF(nearestBeacon.X + tTimesDiff.X, nearestBeacon.Y + tTimesDiff.Y);

        return userLocation;
    }