Remotely configurable location tracking tags

• US 10,078,950 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundaram, Sundaresan, Tandon, Varun, Chandra, Suman
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/218,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20180025607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 455434, 4554561, 4554563, 4554042, 4554041, 455 301
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Remotely configurable location tracking tags are provided. A tag broadcasts a tag identifier according to configuration data stored at a memory. The tag receives new configuration data and an associated tag identifier. When the associated tag identifier matches the tag identifier: the tag updates the configuration data stored at the memory with the new configuration data and changes the broadcast of the tag identifier in accordance with the new configuration data. When the associated tag identifier does not match the tag identifier: the tag modifies the broadcast of the tag identifier to include the new configuration data and the associated tag identifier, the broadcast continuing to occur according to the configuration data.

Claims

1. A tag comprising:

a processor;

memory storing;

a stored tag identifier;

configuration data; and

configuration identifiers of a plurality of configuration data updates received at the tag; and

a wireless communication interface configured to broadcast the stored tag identifier according to the configuration data, the processor configured to;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, a transmission including a new configuration data update and a targeted tag identifier associated with the new configuration data update, wherein the plurality of configuration data updates are received prior to the new configuration data update;

when the targeted tag identifier does not match the stored tag identifier, cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier in accordance with the configuration data;

when the targeted tag identifier matches the stored tag identifier, update the configuration data stored in the memory of the tag according to the new configuration data update, thereby causing the wireless communication interface to broadcast the stored tag identifier in accordance with the new configuration data update;

when the new configuration data update is identified by any of the configuration identifiers stored in the memory, not modify the broadcast of the stored tag identifier regardless of whether the targeted tag identifier matches or does not match the stored tag identifier.

2. The tag of claim 1, wherein updating the configuration data stored in the memory according to the new configuration data update comprises one or more of replacing the configuration data with the new configuration data update and modifying the configuration data to match the new configuration data update.

3. The tag of claim 1, wherein, when the targeted tag identifier does not match the stored tag identifier, the wireless communication interface is to broadcast the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier by one or more of broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier once, broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier a predetermined number of times, and broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier for a predetermined time period.

4. The tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to delete, from the memory, an oldest one of the configuration identifiers to maintain a predetermined number of the configuration identifiers in the memory.

5. The tag of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to broadcast the stored tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying one of (a) the new configuration data update when the targeted tag identifier matches the tag identifier, and (b) the configuration data when the targeted tag identifier does not match the tag identifier.

6. The tag of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to broadcast the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a mobile device.

7. The tag of claim 6, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a server configured to store the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier.

8. The tag of claim 1, wherein the tag is one or more of a location tracking tag, a BLE (Bluetooth™

low energy) tag, a Bluetooth™

Smart tag, and a iBeacon™

tag.

9. A method comprising:

at a tag comprising (a) a processor, (b) a memory storing a stored tag identifier, configuration data, and configuration identifiers of a plurality of configuration data updates received at the tag, and (c) a wireless communication interface configured to broadcast the stored tag identifier according to the configuration data, receiving, using the wireless communication interface, a transmission including a new configuration data update and a targeted tag identifier associated with the new configuration data update, wherein the plurality of configuration date updates are received prior to the new configuration data update;

when the targeted tag identifier does not match the stored tag identifier, causing, by the processor, the wireless communication interface to broadcast the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier in accordance with the configuration data;

when the targeted tag identifier matches the stored tag identifier, update the configuration data stored in the memory of the tag according to the new configuration data update, thereby causing the wireless communication interface to broadcast the stored tag identifier in accordance with the new configuration data update; and

when the new configuration data update is identified by any of the configuration identifiers stored in the memory, not modifying the broadcast of the stored tag identifier regardless of whether the targeted tag identifier matches or does not match the stored tag identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the updating of the configuration data with the new configuration data update comprises one or more of updating the configuration data with the new configuration data update and modifying the configuration data in accordance with the new configuration data update.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein causing the wireless communication interface to broadcast the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier comprises one or more of broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier once, broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier a predetermined number of times, and broadcasting the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier for a predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising deleting, from the memory, an oldest one of the configuration identifiers to maintain a predetermined number of the configuration identifiers in the memory.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising broadcasting the stored tag identifier and a configuration identifier identifying one of (a) the new configuration data update when the targeted tag identifier matches the stored tag identifier, and (b) the configuration data when the targeted tag identifier does not match the stored tag identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising broadcasting the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier to a server configured to store the stored tag identifier and the configuration identifier.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program causes a tag to:

broadcast a stored tag identifier stored in memory of the tag according to configuration data stored in the memory;

store configuration identifiers of a plurality of configuration data updates received at the tag;

in response to receiving, via a wireless communication interface of tag, a new configuration data update and a targeted tag identifier associated with the new configuration data update, determine whether the targeted tag identifier matches the stored tag identifier, wherein the plurality of configuration data updates are received prior to the new configuration update;

when the targeted tag identifier does not match the stored tag identifier, cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the new configuration data update and the targeted tag identifier in accordance with to the configuration data;

when the targeted tag identifier matches the stored tag identifier, update the configuration data stored in the memory of the tag according to the new configuration data update, thereby causing the wireless communication interface to broadcast the stored tag identifier in accordance with the new configuration data update; and

when the new configuration data update is identified by any of the configuration identifiers stored in the memory, not modify the broadcast of the stored tag identifier regardless of whether the targeted tag identifier matches or does not match the stored tag identifier.