Location system for bluetooth enabled devices

• US 20060199534A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Sherry
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• 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 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for tracking and locating Bluetooth enabled devices is described. A network of Bluetooth sniffers can be used to rapidly locate lost devices and their owners. Wearable child devices maintain low power contact with parent devices until such time as a signal limit is reached, at which point the parent devices alarm. An optional network of fixed sniffing devices can be used to coordinate a search for lost child devices once an alert is issued to the system.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a Bluetooth device comprising:

a. attaching a parent device to a kid device,

b. entering a power saving mode while receiving the signal of the parent device above a specified threshold,

c. entering a search mode when the signal of the parent device falls below a specified threshold, and

d. returning to a power saving mode when said parent device signal is reacquired.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises attaching a kid device to a parent device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises issuing an alarm when said received signal falls below a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises entering a search mode when the signal of the kid device is lost.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises returning to a power saving mode when said received signal is reacquired.

6. A method of tracking a Bluetooth device within a network of Bluetooth devices comprising:

a. providing a network of connected Bluetooth sniffing devices,

b. commanding the sniffing devices to search for a unique hardware identifier associated with a Bluetooth enabled device,

c. reporting the unique hardware identifier and the hardware identifier of the sniffing device to a central computer when the sniffing device acquires the sniffing signal of said Bluetooth enabled device with said unique hardware identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising activating an alarm at the connected sniffing device that has acquired said Bluetooth enabled device.

8. A system for tracking Bluetooth enabled devices, wherein the system comprises:

a. a plurality of sniffing devices;

b. one or more Bluetooth enabled, wearable devices, each such device having a unique identifier, and

c. a central monitoring system, connecting the plurality of sniffing devices in a network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sniffing devices include an alarm.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said network is a wireless network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said sniffing devices are Bluetooth enabled devices.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said wearable devices are normally dormant in the presence of an associated parent device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said wearable devices enter an alarm state when said wearable devices detect that the RSSI of an attached device has exceeded a threshold.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sniffing devices conduct inquiry scans to locate lost devices.

15. An integrated circuit, said integrated circuit including an application layer that performs the method comprising:

a. attaching to a parent device;

b. entering a power saving state;

c. measuring the RSSI of the signal from said parent device while remaining in said power saving state;

d. issuing an alarm when said RSSI falls below a threshold.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, further comprising a signal line activated by a cradle for controlling said application layer when said integrated circuit is resting in said cradle.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15, said integrated circuit further being connected to a Bluetooth radio.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 15, said application layer returning to a power saving mode when the measured RSSI exceeds a threshold.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 15, said application layer entering a Bluetooth inquiry mode state when said measured RSSI falls below a threshold.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 15, said integrated circuit having a unique hardware ID.