On the New Architecture of Location-Based Services [pdf]

This article discusses an alternative programming model for services that use location information. The paper proposes a new architecture for such services, which does not require users to share information about their location with service providers (services). This architecture is based on the author's proposed network spatial proximity model, where geocomputation is replaced by direct proximity measurement. This approach explicitly assumes that most services, using location information, describe (provide) some local services. Accordingly, geo-coordinates are used only for calculating proximity when searching (selecting) offers. It opens up the possibility of replacing geo-coordinates with direct measurement of proximity. Within the network proximity model, geo-computation is replaced by direct proximity definitions. And it is proposed to form this measurement of proximity based on the physical availability of signals of wireless network nodes, thus building cyber-physical systems.

If the device is sending the 3 closest beacons up to a server, for ads nearby, then the server can know what region a device is, wherein those beacons are the three closest, and no others, and the beacon operators can increase beacon frequency as much as needed to increase granularity.

It's unclear the trust model that makes this more valuable than sending the lat/lng/accuracy from the GPS.

Interested to see whether load balancing would be introduced to this.