Proximal physical location tracking and management systems and methods

• US 10,237,691 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GreenAcre Group Limited (British United Provident Association Limited), Key Initiative Limited
• Original Assignee: Quintrax Limited
• Inventors: Cheung, Alan, Kefford, Mark Gregory, Anderssen, Jason Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming-Hall, Erica L
• Application Number:
  US15/673,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20190053003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 4554042
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring the physical proximity of beacon devices relative to a deployment of relay devices. Beacon device may broadcast a proximate data signal receivable relay devices within range. Upon receiving a proximate data signal from a beacon, a relay is configured to provide a corresponding notification to a monitoring server. During standard operation, a beacon device is configured to broadcast the proximate data signal at a first frequency. A beacon may include an emergency trigger, as well as possible optional emergency detection sensors. Upon detecting an emergency, a beacon device broadcasts a proximate data signal at a second frequency and/or modify the proximate data signal. The monitoring server monitors the frequency of transmission and/or content of the proximate data signals from the beacon devices and, upon detecting an emergency (or the absence of an expected proximate data signal from a beacon), may provide an emergency alert.

Claims

1. A proximal physical location tracking and management system comprising:

a monitoring server including a server central processing unit, a server network interface, and server memory;

a plurality of relay stations, each of said plurality of relay stations including a relay station central processing unit, a relay station network interface, a wireless proximate data signal receiver, and relay station memory and each of said plurality of relay stations being in data communication with said monitoring server; and

a plurality of beacons, including a first beacon, each of said plurality of beacons including an emergency sensor, a beacon central processing unit, a wireless proximate data signal transmitter, and beacon memory including instructions for causing said central processing unit to execute a beacon method, said beacon method including;

broadcasting a proximate data signal via said wireless proximate data signal transmitter at a first frequency of broadcasts and

upon detecting an emergency interrupt provided by said emergency sensor, broadcasting said proximate data signal via said wireless proximate data signal transmitter at a second frequency of broadcasts,

wherein said proximate data signal is a Bluetooth pairing request.

2. The proximal physical location tracking and management system of claim 1, wherein said second frequency of broadcasts is at least five times greater than said first frequency of broadcasts.

3. The proximate physical location tracking management system of claim 1, wherein no beacons of said plurality of beacons are paired with any relay station of said plurality of relay stations.

5. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 1, wherein said proximate data signal includes a data payload and said beacon method includes, upon detecting said emergency interrupt provided by said emergency sensor, changing the data payload of said proximate data signal from a standard value to an emergency value.

6. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 1, wherein said relay station memory includes instructions for causing said relay station central processing unit to execute a relay station method and said relay station method includes, upon receiving a proximate data signal broadcast from a first beacon of said plurality of beacons, providing a corresponding relay update message to said monitoring server.

7. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 6, wherein said server memory includes instructions for causing said server central processing unit to execute a server method, said server method including:

obtaining a plurality of relay update messages from a first relay station of said plurality of relay stations;

determining said first beacon of said plurality of beacons is broadcasting said proximate data signal at said second frequency of broadcasts; and

providing an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said first beacon.

8. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 7, wherein said server method includes identifying a location of said first beacon.

9. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of relay stations are physically deployed in a deployment area and said server memory includes instructions for causing said server central processing unit to execute a server method, said server method including:

obtaining a plurality of relay update messages from a first relay station of said plurality of relay stations;

determining a current location of said first beacon within said deployment area;

determining said first beacon is not permitted to be at said current location; and

providing an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said first beacon and identifying said current location.

10. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 6, wherein said server memory includes instructions for causing said server central processing unit to execute a server method, said server method including:

determining an expected relay update message associated with said first beacon has not been obtained; and

providing an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said first beacon.

11. The proximal physical location tracking management system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of beacons includes a power source, said proximate data signal includes a data payload, and said beacon method includes, upon detecting a power level of said power source has dropped below a threshold value, changing the data payload of said proximate data signal to from a standard value to a low-power indicator value.

4. A proximal physical location tracking and management system comprising:

a monitoring server including a server central processing unit, a server network interface, and server memory;

a plurality of relay stations, each of said plurality of relay stations including a relay station central processing unit, a relay station network interface, a wireless proximate data signal receiver, and relay station memory and each of said plurality of relay stations being in data communication with said monitoring server; and

a plurality of beacons, including a first beacon, each of said plurality of beacons including an emergency sensor, a beacon central processing unit, a wireless proximate data signal transmitter, and beacon memory including instructions for causing said central processing unit to execute a beacon method, said beacon method including;

broadcasting a proximate data signal via said wireless proximate data signal transmitter at a first frequency of broadcasts and

upon detecting an emergency interrupt provided by said emergency sensor, broadcasting said proximate data signal via said wireless proximate data signal transmitter at a second frequency of broadcasts,

wherein said plurality of beacons do not include a wireless proximate data signal receiver.

12. A proximal physical location tracking and management method comprising:

broadcasting, by a beacon, a series of proximate data signals at a first frequency of broadcasts;

upon detecting, by said beacon, an emergency interrupt provided by an emergency sensor, broadcasting, by said beacon, said series of proximate data signals at a second frequency of broadcasts;

upon receiving, by a relay station, a first proximate data signal of said series of proximate data signals;

providing, by said relay station, a relay update message corresponding to said first proximate data signal to a monitoring server;

obtaining, by said monitoring server, a plurality of relay update messages from said relay station;

determining, by said monitoring server, said beacon is broadcasting said proximate data signal at said second frequency of broadcasts; and

providing, by said monitoring server, an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said beacon and identifying a location of said beacon.

13. The proximal physical location tracking method of claim 12, wherein said second frequency of broadcasts is at least five times greater than said first frequency of broadcasts.

14. The proximal physical location tracking management method of claim 12, wherein said proximate data signal is a Bluetooth pairing request.

15. The proximate physical location tracking management method of claim 12, wherein said beacon is not paired with said relay station.

16. The proximal physical location tracking management method of claim 12, wherein said proximate data signal includes a data payload having a standard value and the method further comprises:

upon detecting, by said beacon, said emergency interrupt, changing the data payload of said proximate data signal to an emergency value; and

determining, by said monitoring server, said beacon is broadcasting said proximate data signal with said emergency value.

17. The proximal physical location tracking management method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining, by said monitoring server, a plurality of relay update messages from said relay station;

determining, by said monitoring server, a current location of said beacon within a deployment area;

determining, by said monitoring server, said beacon is not permitted to be at said current location; and

providing, by said monitoring server, an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said first beacon and identifying said current location.

18. The proximal physical location tracking management method of claim 12, the method comprising:

determining, by said monitoring server, an expected relay update message associated with said first beacon has not been obtained; and

providing an alert message, said alert message including a beacon identifier associated with said first beacon.

19. The proximal physical location tracking management method of claim 12, wherein said beacon includes a power source, said proximate data signal includes a data payload, and said method includes, upon detecting a power level of said power source has dropped below a threshold value, changing the data payload of said proximate data signal to from a standard value to a low-power indicator value.