Real-time proximity tracking using received signal strength indication

• US 10,111,035 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Isaac Davenport
• Original Assignee: Isaac Davenport
• Inventors: Davenport, Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U
• Application Number:
  US15/283,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-328, 370336-342, 370242-254, 455457-522
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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

Abstract

A method for proximity tracking includes broadcasting a first advertising packet from a first broadcasting transceiver, receiving the first advertising packet at a plurality of second transceivers and, for each of the plurality of second transceivers, recording a received signal strength indication value of the first advertising packet received. A subsequent advertising packet is formed to include the received signal strength indication value recorded by at least one of the plurality of second transceivers and broadcast from at least one of the plurality of second transceivers. A system is provided with performs actions of the method to track proximity in real time.

Claims

1. A method for state tracking, comprising:

broadcasting a first advertising packet from a first transceiver;

receiving, by a plurality of second transceivers without establishing a paired connection with the first transceiver, the first advertising packet;

by each of the plurality of second transceivers, recording a received signal strength indication value of the first advertising packet received;

forming a subsequent advertising packet comprising the received signal strength indication value recorded by at least one of the plurality of second transceivers;

broadcasting the subsequent advertising packet from the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers;

receiving, by the first transceiver, the subsequent advertising packet;

for the first transceiver, recording a received signal strength indication value of the subsequent advertising packet;

combining the received signal strength indication value recorded for the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers with the received signal strength indication value recorded for the first transceiver to form a first value reflecting a state between the transceivers;

broadcasting a second advertising packet from the first transceiver;

receiving, by the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers, the second advertising packet;

for the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers, recording a received signal strength indication value of the second advertising packet received;

combining received signal strength indication value of the second advertising packet received with the first value reflecting a state between the transceivers to form a second value reflecting a state between the transceivers;

comparing the first value to the second value; and

when the first value differs from the second value by a minimum amount, associating a state change between the transceivers.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

for each recorded received signal strength indication value, associating a relative state between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the relative state comprises a proximity between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the relative state comprises an affinity between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein associating a state change further comprises producing sound with an audio speaker associated with the second transceiver.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein broadcasting the first advertising packet from the first transceiver further comprises identifying the first transceiver within a custom data payload of the first advertising packet.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a change of orientation of one or more of the first transceiver or the plurality of second transceivers, recording changed received signal strength indication values for one or more of the first transceiver or the plurality of second transceivers.

8. A system for state tracking, comprising:

a first transceiver configured to broadcast a first advertising packet;

a plurality of second transceivers each configured to receive the first advertising packet and to broadcast subsequent advertising packets without establishing a paired connection between the first transceiver and any of the second transceivers;

a memory configured to record, for each of the plurality of second transceivers, a received signal strength indication value of the first advertising packet received; and

a plurality of processors configured to;

form the subsequent advertising packets so as to comprise the received signal strength indication value recorded by at least one of the plurality of second transceivers;

the first transceiver being further configured to receive the subsequent advertising packet and broadcast a second advertising packet;

the memory being further configured to record, for the first transceiver, a received signal strength indication value of the subsequent advertising packet; and

the processors being further configured to combine the received signal strength indication value recorded for the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers with the received signal strength indication value recorded for the first transceiver to form a first value reflecting a state between the transceivers;

the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers being further configured to receive the second advertising packet;

the memory being further configured to record, for the at least one of the plurality of second transceivers, a received signal strength indication value of the second advertising packet; and

at least one of the processors being further configured to;

combine the received signal strength indication value of the second advertising packet with the first value reflecting a state between the transceivers to form a second value reflecting a state between the transceivers,

compare the first value with the second value, and,

when the first value differs from the second value by a minimum amount, associate a state change between the transceivers.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the processors are further configured to, for each recorded received signal strength indication value, associate a relative state between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the state comprises a proximity between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the relative state comprises an affinity between the first transceiver and the second transceiver for which the received signal strength indication value was recorded.

12. The system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising an audio speaker associated with the plurality of transceivers and wherein at least one of the processors, in being configured to associate a state change, is further configured to produce sound with the audio speaker associated with the second transceiver.

13. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first advertising packet is configured to identify the first transceiver within a custom data payload of the first advertising packet.

14. The system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a directional antenna associated with one or more of the first transceiver and the plurality of second transceivers wherein the memory is configured to, in response to a change of orientation of one or more of the directional antennas, record changed received signal strength indication values for one or more of the first transceiver or the plurality of second transceivers.