Overview
CEN ISO/TR 19175:2025 - Geographic information - Gap analysis of geospatial standards for indoor-outdoor seamless navigation (ISO/TR 19175:2025) - provides a structured gap analysis and conceptual foundation for achieving indoor-outdoor seamless navigation. It specifies core concepts, outlines a conceptual architecture and use-cases, and identifies missing or weak areas in existing geospatial standards to improve interoperability between indoor and outdoor navigation systems. The report is aimed at designers, developers and providers of indoor or outdoor navigation services.
Key topics and requirements
- Concepts and terminology: Defines key terms such as indoor map, indoor positioning, indoor positioning reference, nomadic device, and various ITS station types to promote consistent vocabulary across implementations.
- Conceptual architecture: Describes high-level architecture patterns and components required to support seamless transitions between outdoor GNSS-based navigation and indoor positioning systems.
- Use-cases and scenarios: Presents representative scenarios for pedestrian, vehicle and mixed-mode navigation spanning outdoor spaces, transport hubs and complex indoor venues.
- Gap analysis of existing standards: Examines where current standards do not fully address indoor-outdoor integration - for example, in map specifications, positioning reference models, context information exchange and data integration guidance.
- Data and interoperability needs: Highlights requirements for an indoor-outdoor map, data models for indoor-outdoor positioning references, and guidance on integrating indoor and outdoor datasets to enable consistent routing and positioning.
- Recommendations for standardization: Identifies standardization items to progress interoperability across vendors and service providers.
Applications and users
Who will use ISO/TR 19175:2025:
- Navigation system designers and developers building mobile and nomadic-device navigation apps that must hand off between outdoor GNSS and indoor positioning infrastructure (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, etc.).
- ITS and transport integrators implementing consistent routing and traveler information across stations, hubs and facilities.
- Facility managers and mapping/data providers who produce indoor maps and positioning references for public venues, airports, malls, hospitals and transit hubs.
- Emergency services, smart city planners and location-based service providers needing reliable indoor-outdoor wayfinding and context-aware services.
Practical uses:
- Seamless wayfinding in multi-modal journeys (street → station → terminal → gate).
- Consistent POI discovery and routing across indoor/outdoor boundaries.
- Better exchange of indoor positioning references (AP locations, SSIDs, RSSI patterns) to support hybrid positioning solutions.
Related standards
Relevant references and technologies noted in the report:
- ISO 19164 (indoor information models)
- ISO 17438 (ITS and indoor positioning components)
- ISO 19101-1 (feature concepts)
- ISO 21217, GML, IFC, OGC specifications - for data formats and ITS-related interfaces
This Technical Report is a practical starting point for improving interoperability and guiding future standardization to deliver reliable indoor‑outdoor seamless navigation.