Method and system for localizing tracking devices indoors and outdoors

• US 10,423,926 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2018
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Inventors: Nagpal, Paramvir Singh, Huberman, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Rushing, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US16/101,816
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method and a device for tracking an item using a tracking device associated with the item are described. The method, executed in a processor of the tracking device, comprises identifying a location state of the tracking device as one of an indoor location and an outdoor location relative to an indoor facility, based on at least one of satellite based data and connectivity to an access point in the indoor facility. Upon identifying the location state as the indoor location, a wireless transceiver and one or more sensor devices may be activated. The sensor devices may include at least one of a wireless signal strength sensor, a wireless signal connectivity sensor, an inertial sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a barometric sensor, and an ambient light sensor. Further, indoor localization data gathered by the sensor devices may be provided for localization.

Claims

1. A tracking device for localizing an item comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a set of instructions, the instructions executable in the processor to;

identify a location state of the tracking device as one of an indoor location and an outdoor location relative to an indoor facility, based on at least one of satellite based data and connectivity to an access point in the indoor facility;

upon identifying the location state as the indoor location, activate a an inertial sensor and at least one of a wireless transceiver and one or more sensor devices of the tracking device, the sensor devices including at least one of a wireless signal strength sensor, a wireless signal connectivity sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a barometric sensor, and an ambient light sensor;

periodically broadcast a short range wireless signal to one or more other tracking devices within a predetermined distance from the tracking device in the indoor facility to enable localization of the one or more other tracking devices;

receive short range wireless signals broadcasted by the one or more tracking devices; and

provide indoor localization data gathered by the one or more sensor devices to a nearest access point, the indoor localization data comprising at least one of signal data and sensor data, the signal data comprising data pertaining to the short range wireless signals received from the one or more other tracking devices, the data pertaining to the short range wireless signals being used for determining a position of the tracking device relative to the one or more other tracking devices and the sensor data comprising at least one of inertial data and ambient environment data, the indoor localization data being used for localization of the item in the indoor facility.

2. The tracking device of claim 1 further comprising instructions executable to, upon identifying the location state as the outdoor location, continue providing the satellite based data to a remote computing device for determining a position of the tracking device in the outdoor location.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers, the plurality of transceivers comprising a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based transceiver and a short range wireless transceiver.

4. The tracking device of claim 1 further comprising instructions executable to, provide historical data associated with the tracking device, the historical data being indicative of a motion history of the tracking device, and wherein localization is based on the historical data.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the localization of the tracking device is based on a position estimate of at least one other tracking device, from among the one or more other tracking device, in the indoor facility having a known location relative to the tracking device.

6. The tracking device of claim 1 further comprising instructions executable to initiate a low power mode, when a confidence factor associated with a location estimate of the tracking device is greater than a threshold, wherein in the low power mode sharing of the data to the access point for localization is suspended.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is embedded in the item.

8. A method for tracking an item having a tracking device comprising:

identifying a location state of the tracking device as one of an indoor location and an outdoor location relative to an indoor facility, based on at least one of satellite based data and connectivity to an access point in the indoor facility;

upon identifying the location state as the indoor location, activating an inertial sensor and at least one of a wireless transceiver and one or more sensor devices of the tracking device, the sensor devices including at least one of a wireless signal strength sensor, a wireless signal connectivity sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a barometric sensor, and an ambient light sensor;

periodically broadcasting a short range wireless signal to one or more other tracking devices within a predetermined distance from the tracking device in the indoor facility to enable localization of the one or more other tracking devices;

receiving short range wireless signals broadcasted by the one or more tracking devices; and

providing indoor localization data gathered by sensor devices to a nearest access point, the data comprising at least one of signal data and sensor data, the signal data comprising data pertaining to the short range wireless signals received from one or more other tracking devices, the data pertaining to the short range wireless signals being used for determining a position of the tracking device relative to the one or more other tracking devices and the sensor data comprising at least one of inertial data and ambient environment data, the indoor localization data being used for localization of the item in the indoor facility.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising upon identifying the location state as the outdoor location, continuing to provide the satellite based data to a remote computing device for determining a position of the tracking device in the outdoor location.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the tracking device comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers, the plurality of transceivers comprising a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based transceiver and a short range wireless transceiver.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing historical data associated with the tracking device, the historical data being indicative of a motion history of the tracking device, and wherein localization is based on the historical data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the localization of the tracking device is based on a position estimate of at least one other tracking device, from among the one or more other tracking devices, in the indoor facility having a known location relative to the tracking device.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising initiating a low power mode, when a confidence factor associated with a location estimate of the tracking device is greater than a threshold, wherein in the low power mode sharing of the data to the access point for localization is suspended.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the tracking device is embedded in the item.