Asset management using an asset tag device

• US 10,360,421 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2019
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PNC Bank National Association (The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enovate Medical, LLC (Enovate Medical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Farrell, Arlow
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tardif, David
• Application Number:
  US16/247,749
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: 235451
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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

Abstract

A method that includes scanning for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) broadcasts from beacon devices located at fixed locations, filtering the BLE broadcasts to generate a subset of the BLE broadcasts based on signal strength of the respective BLE broadcast or an identifier indicating an unapproved device transmitted the BLE broadcast, identifying within the subset of the BLE broadcasts a first BLE broadcast with a first data packet indicating that a first beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag manager, parsing the first data packet to locate a first beacon identifier associated with the first beacon device, creating a second data packet with the first beacon identifier and an asset tag identifier associated with the asset, and transmitting a first wireless broadcast including the second data packet, where the first wireless broadcast is received by a hub.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning, by an asset tag manager executing by a processing device of an asset tag during a scanning window, for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) broadcasts from beacon devices located at fixed locations, wherein;

a BLE broadcast comprises a beacon identifier in a data packet, and

the asset tag manager is associated with an asset;

filtering the BLE broadcasts, by the asset tag manager, to generate a subset of the BLE broadcasts, wherein the filtering is based on at least one of signal strength of the respective BLE broadcast or an identifier indicating an unapproved device having transmitted the BLE broadcast;

identifying, by the asset tag manager, within the subset of the BLE broadcasts, a first BLE broadcast with a first data packet in view of an indication that a first beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag manager, the first beacon device having transmitted the first BLE broadcast;

parsing, by the asset tag manager, the first data packet to locate a first beacon identifier associated with the first beacon device;

creating, by the asset tag manager, a second data packet with the first beacon identifier and an asset tag identifier associated with the asset; and

transmitting a wireless broadcast comprising the second data packet, the wireless broadcast to be received by a hub.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the asset tag manager, within the subset of the BLE broadcasts, a second BLE broadcast with a third data packet in view of the indication that a second beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag, the second beacon device having transmitted the second BLE broadcast;

parsing, by the asset tag manager, the third data packet to locate a second beacon identifier associated with a the second beacon device; and

creating, by the asset tag manager, the second data packet further comprising the second beacon identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the subset of the BLE broadcasts in memory, wherein the subset of the BLE broadcasts are limited to a fixed number of the BLE broadcasts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the BLE broadcasts are advertisement broadcasts from the beacon devices at different fixed locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the first data packet to locate the first beacon identifier is at least in part performed as part of the filtering the BLE broadcasts or is at least in part performed during the scanning.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the BLE broadcasts comprises:

comparing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast to an RSSI threshold; and

filtering the BLE broadcast, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast is below the RSSI threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein filtering the BLE broadcasts further comprises:

parsing the data packet associated with the BLE broadcast for the identifiers, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast is equal to or above the RSSI threshold; and

filtering the BLE broadcast, when one or more of the parsed identifiers indicates the BLE broadcast is from the unapproved device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that the first beacon device is within the specified distance from the asset tag is the signal strength of the first BLE broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises:

determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a BLE broadcast of the subset of the BLE broadcasts;

sorting the subset of the BLE broadcasts in view of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI); and

selecting the first BLE broadcast with a highest RSSI.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein in the wireless broadcast that comprises the second data packet is transmitted using a wireless communication protocol of a low energy wireless personal area network (PAN) standard.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset tag manager executes on the processing device within an asset tag device.

12. An asset tag device comprising:

an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless broadcasts;

a processing device operatively coupled to the antenna; and

a memory coupled to the processing device and storing instructions of an asset tag manager, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing device to;

scan, during a scanning window, for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) broadcasts from beacon devices located at fixed locations, wherein a BLE broadcast comprises a beacon identifier in a data packet, and wherein the asset tag manager is associated with an asset;

filter the BLE broadcasts to generate a subset of the BLE broadcasts, wherein the filtering is based on at least one of signal strength of the respective BLE broadcast or an identifier indicating an unapproved device having transmitted the BLE broadcast;

identify, within the subset of the BLE broadcasts, a first BLE broadcast with a first data packet in view of an indication that a first beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag manager, the first beacon device having transmitted the first BLE broadcast;

parse the first data packet to locate a first beacon identifier associated with a first beacon device;

create a second data packet with the first beacon identifier and an asset tag identifier associated with the asset; and

transmit a wireless broadcast comprising the second data packet, the wireless broadcast to be received by a hub.

13. The asset tag device of claim 12, the instructions further causing the processing device to:

identify, within the subset of the BLE broadcasts, a second BLE broadcast with a third data packet in view of the indication that a second beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag, the second beacon device having transmitted the second BLE broadcast;

parse the third data packet to locate a second beacon identifier associated with the second beacon device; and

create the second data packet further comprising the second beacon identifier.

14. The asset tag device of claim 12, wherein to filter the BLE broadcasts, the instructions further cause the processing device to:

compare a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast to an RSSI threshold;

filter the BLE broadcast, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast is below the RSSI threshold;

parse the data packet associated with the BLE broadcast for the identifiers, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the BLE broadcast is equal to or above the RSSI threshold; and

filter the BLE broadcast, when one or more of the parsed identifiers indicates the BLE broadcast is from the unapproved device.

15. The asset tag device of claim 12, wherein to identify, the instructions further cause the processing device to:

determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a BLE broadcast of the subset of the BLE broadcasts;

sort the subset of the BLE broadcasts in view of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI); and

select the first BLE broadcast with a highest RSSI.

16. A method comprising:

scanning, by an asset tag manager executing by a processing device of an asset tag during a scanning window, for first wireless broadcasts from beacon devices located at fixed locations, wherein;

a first wireless broadcast comprises a beacon identifier in a data packet,

the first wireless broadcast does not comprise Zigbee, Wi-Fi, radio-frequency identification (RFID), infrared, sonar, or ultrasound, and

the asset tag manager is associated with an asset;

filtering the first wireless broadcasts, by the asset tag manager, to generate a subset of the first wireless broadcasts, wherein the filtering is based on at least one of signal strength of the respective first wireless broadcast or an identifier indicating an unapproved device having transmitted the first wireless broadcast;

identifying, by the asset tag manager, within the subset of the first wireless broadcasts, a second wireless broadcast with a first data packet in view of an indication that a first beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag manager, the first beacon device having transmitted the second wireless broadcast;

parsing, by the asset tag manager, the first data packet to locate a first beacon identifier associated with the first beacon device;

creating, by the asset tag manager, a second data packet with the first beacon identifier and an asset tag identifier associated with the asset; and

transmitting a third wireless broadcast comprising the second data packet, the third wireless broadcast to be received by a hub.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying, by the asset tag manager, within the subset of the first wireless broadcasts, a fourth wireless broadcast with a third data packet in view of the indication that a second beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag, the second beacon device having transmitted the fourth wireless broadcast;

parsing, by the asset tag manager, the third data packet to locate a second beacon identifier associated with a the second beacon device; and

creating, by the asset tag manager, the second data packet further comprising the second beacon identifier.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the subset of the first wireless broadcasts in memory, wherein the subset of the first wireless broadcasts are limited to a fixed number of the first wireless broadcasts.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first wireless broadcasts are advertisement broadcasts from the beacon devices at different fixed locations.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein parsing the first data packet to locate the first beacon identifier is at least in part performed as part of the filtering the first wireless broadcasts or is at least in part performed during the scanning.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein filtering the first wireless broadcasts comprises:

comparing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast to an RSSI threshold; and

filtering the first wireless broadcast, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast is below the RSSI threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein filtering the first wireless broadcasts further comprises:

parsing the data packet associated with the first wireless broadcast for the identifiers, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast is equal to or above the RSSI threshold; and

filtering the first wireless broadcast, when one or more of the parsed identifiers indicates the first wireless broadcast is from the unapproved device.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the indication that the first beacon device is within the specified distance from the asset tag is the signal strength of the second wireless broadcast.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifying further comprises:

determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a first wireless broadcast of the subset of the first wireless broadcasts;

sorting the subset of the first wireless broadcasts in view of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI); and

selecting the second wireless broadcast with a highest RSSI.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein in the third wireless broadcast is transmitted using a wireless communication protocol of a low energy wireless personal area network (PAN) standard.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the asset tag manager executes on the processing device within an asset tag device.

27. An asset tag device comprising:

an antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless broadcasts;

a processing device operatively coupled to the antenna; and

a memory, coupled to the processing device and storing instructions of an asset tag manager, that the instructions, when executed, cause the processing device to;

scan, during a scanning window, for first wireless broadcasts from beacon devices located at fixed locations, wherein a first wireless broadcast comprises a beacon identifier in a data packet, wherein the first wireless broadcast does not comprise Zigbee, Wi-Fi, radio-frequency identification (RFID), infrared, sonar, or ultrasound, and wherein the asset tag manager is associated with an asset;

filter the first wireless broadcasts to generate a subset of the first wireless broadcasts, wherein the filtering is based on at least one of signal strength of the respective first wireless broadcast or an identifier indicating an unapproved device having transmitted the first wireless broadcast;

identify, within the subset of the first wireless broadcasts, a second wireless broadcast with a first data packet in view of an indication that a first beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag manager, the first beacon device having transmitted the second wireless broadcast;

parse the first data packet to locate a first beacon identifier associated with a first beacon device;

create a second data packet with the first beacon identifier and an asset tag identifier associated with the asset; and

transmit a third wireless broadcast comprising the second data packet, the third wireless broadcast to be received by a hub.

28. The asset tag device of claim 27, the instructions further causing the processing device to:

identify, within the subset of the first wireless broadcasts, a fourth wireless broadcast with a third data packet in view of the indication that a second beacon device is within a specified distance from the asset tag, the second beacon device having transmitted the fourth wireless broadcast;

parse the third data packet to locate a second beacon identifier associated with the second beacon device; and

create the second data packet further comprising the second beacon identifier.

29. The asset tag device of claim 27, wherein to filter the first wireless broadcasts, the instructions further cause the processing device to:

compare a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast to an RSSI threshold;

filter the first wireless broadcast, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast is below the RSSI threshold;

parse the data packet associated with the first wireless broadcast for the identifiers, when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the first wireless broadcast is equal to or above the RSSI threshold; and

filter the first wireless broadcast, when one or more of the parsed identifiers indicates the first wireless broadcast is from the unapproved device.

30. The asset tag device of claim 27, wherein to identify, the instructions further cause the processing device to:

determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a first wireless broadcast of the subset of the first wireless broadcasts;

sort the subset of the first wireless broadcasts in view of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI); and

select the second wireless broadcast with a highest RSSI.