Security system tracking of remote items using reduced power

• US 10,163,319 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Warren, Jeremy B., Nye, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/785,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20180102037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 34053913, 340506, 340 31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• 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 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile tracking unit includes a controller having a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are executable by the processor to communicate with a control unit of an automation and security system, determine a position of the mobile tracking unit relative to a base station using a low power location module, and communicate the position of the mobile tracking unit to at least one of the base station and a control unit of the automation and security system. When the mobile tracking unit is outside a specified range from the mobile tracking unit, the controller continues tracking the position of the mobile tracking unit with the low power location module. When the mobile tracking unit is inside the specified range, the controller determines the position of the mobile tracking unit using a high power location module.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method associated with an automation and/or security system, comprising:

determining a base station position;

determining a mobile tracking unit position;

communicating at least one of a message to the mobile tracking unit associated with the base station position or a message to the base station associated with the mobile tracking unit position;

receiving a message from the mobile tracking unit associated with one of a low power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on a first distance between the mobile tracking unit position and the base station position being greater than a threshold, or a high power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on the distance being less than the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first distance between the base station position and the mobile tracking unit position is less than the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating at least one of the message to the mobile tracking unit associated with the base station position or the message to the base station associated with mobile tracking unit position comprises:

communicating, based at least in part on the determining whether the first distance is less than the threshold, an indication whether the first distance is less than the threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

issuing a command, based at least in part on the determining whether the first distance is less than the threshold, to the mobile tracking unit to use one of the low power location component if the first distance is greater than the threshold, or the high power location component if the first distance is less than the threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the mobile tracking unit position comprises determining the mobile tracking unit position at a first time;

and

wherein using one of the low power location component or the high power location component comprises using one of the lower power location component or the high power component to determine the mobile tracking unit position at a second time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with the low power location component comprises an indication of the mobile tracking unit position determined using the low power location component;

or

wherein the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with the high power location component comprises an indication of the mobile tracking unit position determined using the high power location component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication of the mobile tracking unit position is of the mobile tracking unit position at a first time;

and

wherein the mobile tracking unit position determined using one of the low power location component or the high power location component comprises the mobile tracking position determined using one of the low power location component or the high power location component at a second time, wherein the second time is after the first time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the base station position comprises determining the base station position at a first time;

and

wherein communicating to the mobile tracking unit the message associated with the base station position comprises communicating to the mobile tracking unit a first message associated with the base station position at the first time; and

further comprising communicating to the mobile tracking unit a second message associated with the base station position at a second time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the base station position at the first time is different from the base station position at the second time;

and

wherein the mobile tracking unit position at the first time is different from the mobile tracking unit position at the second time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the mobile tracking unit position comprises at least one of receiving from the mobile tracking unit an indication of the mobile tracking unit position, or receiving from the base station an indication of the mobile tracking unit position;

and

wherein determining the base station position comprises at least one of receiving from the base station an indication of the base station position, or receiving from mobile tracking unit an indication of the base station position.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with the low power location component of the mobile tracking unit comprises receiving a message from the mobile tracking unit associated with a cellular module configured to communicate over a cellular network;

and

wherein receiving the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with the high power location component of the mobile tracking unit comprises receiving a message from the mobile tracking unit associated with a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to obtain location information for the mobile tracking unit using a GPS network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating an active tracking event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating the active tracking event is based at least in part on receiving a user input from at least one of a control unit of the automation and/or security system, the mobile tracking unit, the base station, or a network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with the high power location component is further based at least in part on receiving the initiated active tracking event.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising prompting a user to take an action to end the active tracking event.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the message from the mobile tracking unit associated with one of the low power location component of the high power component comprises receiving information associated with the mobile tracking unit position at more frequent intervals based at least in part on at least one of the active tracking event or the first distance being greater than the threshold or the first distance being greater than another threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile tracking unit comprises a certain mobile tracking unit of a plurality of mobile tracking units;

and

wherein determining the mobile tracking unit position is based at least in part on a user selection of the certain mobile tracking unit out of the plurality of mobile tracking units.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging information associated with at least one of the base station position or the mobile tracking unit position.

19. A control unit of an automation and/or security system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

determine a base station position;

determine a mobile tracking unit position;

communicate at least one of a message to the mobile tracking unit associated with the base station position or a message to the base station associated with the mobile tracking unit position;

receive a message from the mobile tracking unit associated with one of a low power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on a first distance between the mobile tracking unit position and the base station position being greater than a threshold, or a high power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on the distance being less than the threshold.

20. A method for tracking, comprising:

determining a base station position;

determining a mobile tracking unit position;

communicating at least one of a message to the mobile tracking unit associated with the base station position or a message to the base station associated with the mobile tracking unit position;

receiving a message from the mobile tracking unit associated with one of a low power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on a first distance between the mobile tracking unit position and the base station position being greater than a threshold, or a high power location component of the mobile tracking unit based at least in part on the distance being less than the threshold.