SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING ASSETS USING ASSOCIATED PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN THE FORM OF BEACONS

• US 20140191868A1
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Ortiz, Sofia Alexandra, Ortiz, Luis M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,068,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/224 Paging receivers with visible signalling details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

The last known location of a beacon associated with an asset can be determined based on the beacon'"'"'s last communication with a data network. A beacon can be set up to communicate its location to or through a server to a second client used for locating and tracking the beacon after the beacon obtains a wireless data network connection and registers its most recent location with the server. Beacon location can be based on data network router IP address or GPS information. Location can be stored in memory until a subsequent location and/or wireless connection is obtained. A beacon can also include short range wireless communications to facilitate short range radio frequency communications with a second client that are determined to be in close proximity to the beacon. Short-range communications can be facilitated utilizing Bluetooth communications.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network, comprising:

providing a beacon including location determination capabilities, wireless data network communications, and short range radio frequency communication capabilities, said beacon programmed to communicate its location through a server to a second client associated with an owner of the portable device using electronic messaging each time a portable device obtains a new wireless connection to a wireless data network and communicates with the portable device over short range rf communication when the beacon is within short range rf communication range to enable refined tracking.

2. The method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network in claim 1, wherein the beacon is set up to communicate its location based on at least one of wireless data network router IP address location or portable device GPS location after the portable device obtains a wireless connection to a data network.

3. The method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network in claim 1, wherein the beacon is set up to communicate its location based on at least one of wireless data network router IP address location or portable device GPS location after the portable device becomes powered on and finds and obtains a wireless connection to a data network.

4. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network in claim 1, further comprising setting up the beacon to communicate its location to the server after it becomes powered on by a motion sensor and obtains a wireless connection to a data network, wherein the beacon can be set up to communicate its location based on at least one of wireless data network router IP address location or portable device GPS location after the beacon obtains a wireless connection to data network.

5. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 1, wherein the beacon is set up to communicate its location to the server after the portable device obtains a wireless connection to data network and the location is stored until a subsequent location is registered in the server.

6. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 2, further comprising setting up the beacon to communicate its location to the server after it obtains a wireless connection to data network and the location is stored until a subsequent location is registered in the server.

7. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 1, further comprising setting up the beacon to receive a “

locate”

command from a remote server after the device obtains a wireless connection to a data network arid communicates its location to the server in response to the request.

8. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 1, further comprising setting up the beacon to receive a “

locate”

command from a remote server after the device obtains a wireless connection to a data network and communicates its location to the server in response to the request.

9. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 1, further comprising programming a server to receive location information from a beacon when the beacon obtains a new wireless connection with a data network and to send the location information to a second client registered with the server in association with the beacon via electronic messaging, wherein said new wireless connection from the beacon to the server is a last known location of the device.

14. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network in claim 9, further comprising programming the beacon to communicate its location to a server after it becomes powered on by a motion sensor and obtains a wireless connection to data network, wherein the beacon can be set up to communicate its location based on at least one of wireless data network router IP address location or portable device GPS location after the device obtains a wireless connection to data network.

10. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network, comprising:

programming a server to communicate with a beacon including network communications and a location module to obtain the last location of the beacon and communicate the location to a second client associated with a user tracking the beacon using electronic messaging, wherein the location is determined when the beacon is powered on and obtains a wireless connection to a wireless data network; and

storing the last known location of the beacon in the server until the beacon registers a subsequent location via connection to at least one of said wireless data network or a new wireless data network.

11. The method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 10, wherein the beacon also includes short-range radio frequency communication hardware and facilitates direct short-range communications with the second client should the second client come within radio frequency communication range of the beacon.

12. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 10, comprising programming the beacon to communicate its location to at least one of a server or through a server to an owner of the beacon using electronic messaging after the beacon obtains a wireless connection to a wireless data network.

13. A method for determining the location of a beacon associated with an asset based on last communication of the beacon with a data network of claim 12, comprising programming a beacon to communicate its location to at least one of a server or through a server to a remote client associated with an owner of the beacon using electronic messaging after the beacon obtains a wireless connection to a wireless data network.

15. A beacon operable within a system for determining its last known location based on its location and its last communication with a data network, comprising:

a microprocessor programmed to determining location and communicate wirelessly with a data network and via short-range radio frequency communication with other electronic devices;

a location module cooperating with the microprocessor to determine the location of the beacon when it is powered on;

a network communication module said server programmed to determine location of the beacon based on at least one of GPS and last communication between the beacon and a data network supporting wireless communication of the beacon; and

short-range radio frequency module supporting communications with portable devices determined to be within short-range communications range of the beacon;

wherein network communication module provides location information to at least one server and a portable device tracking location of the beacon over the data network, and short-range radio frequency communications enables the portable device to locate the beacon using refined location information provided directly from the beacon via the short-range radio frequency module.

16. The beacon operable within a system for determining its last known location based on its location and its last communication with a data network of claim 15, wherein the location module determine beacon location based on at least one of:

device GPS location, registered Wi-Fi hotspot location, registered router location, and connected hardware IP address information.

17. The beacon operable within a system for determining its last known location based on its location and its last communication with a data network of claim 15, further comprising a motion sensor, wherein said motion sensor causes the beacon to power on and resume operation if movement of the beacon is sensed.

18. The beacon operable within a system for determining its last known location based on its location and its last communication with a data network of claim 15, the short-range radio frequency module facilitates refined location tracking of the beacon by a portable device located near the beacon.