ASSET MONITORING AND TRACKING WITH A DISTRIBUTED BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY (BTLE) SENSOR SYSTEM OF HETEROGENEOUS SENSORS OVER WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20160105762A1
• Filed: 11/15/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gurpreet Singh Bal, Ihab Abu-Hakima, Rajinder Singh
• Original Assignee: Gurpreet Singh Bal, Ihab Abu-Hakima, Rajinder Singh
• Inventors: Abu-Hakima, Ihab, Singh, Rajinder, Bal, Gurpreet Singh
• Granted Patent: US 9,712,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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

One or more Bluetooth assets having a Bluetooth radio are associated with a specific set of business rules by enterprise users. Scan event data is received from at least one of a plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, wirelessly distributed around a communication network. The scan event data results from a scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the at least one Bluetooth sensor. The scan event is analyzed against the business rules. Responsive to determining that at scan event meets at least one condition of at least one of the specific set of business rules, a notification can be sent. One specific implementation in a smart car seat safety system notifies a parent when a child is unintentionally left in a smart car seat.

Claims

1. A method, in a server, for tracking physical assets with wireless Bluetooth low energy (BILE) sensors distributed around a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a Bluetooth asset having a Bluetooth radio with a specific set of business rules;

receiving scan event data from at least one of a plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, the plurality of Bluetooth sensors being wirelessly connected to the communication network, the scan event data resulting from a scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the at least one Bluetooth sensor;

analyzing the scan event against the business rules;

determining that at scan event meets at least one condition of at least one of the specific set of business rules;

and responsive to the determination, sending a notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific set of business rules establishes a heartbeat relationship between the at least one Bluetooth sensor and the Bluetooth asset, wherein the heartbeat relationship requires that a scan event be sent at predetermined times confirming that the Bluetooth asset remains within range of the at least one Bluetooth sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one Bluetooth asset comprises a smart car seat with a pressure sensor that detects when a child is present in the car seat, and the specific set of business rules requires that the pressure detects that a child was removed from the car seat prior to the heartbeat relationship being broken.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one Bluetooth sensor, the Bluetooth device, and the business rules are commonly controlled by a single entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth device and the business rules are commonly controlled by a single entity, and the at least one Bluetooth sensor is controlled by a separate entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second scan event from a second one of the plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, the scan event data resulting from a second scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the second Bluetooth sensor, wherein the at least first Bluetooth sensor and the second Bluetooth sensor are controlled by separate entities.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second scan event from a second one of the plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, the scan event data resulting from a second scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the second Bluetooth sensor, wherein the first scan event and the second scan event occur at different locations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific set of business rules is set to find a lost item, and wherein the notification is sent to the Bluetooth sensor temporal to the scan event and identifies the Bluetooth asset along with a lost status.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a notification comprises at least one of:

sending an e-mail, sending an SMS message, spawning an alert on a display, and initiating a telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan events occur without pairing between the at least one Bluetooth sensor and the Bluetooth asset.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan event data further comprises at least one of:

a time/ date stamp and a location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific set of business rules describes a limited geographical area in which the Bluetooth asset is allowed.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code that, when executed by a process, performs a method for tracking physical assets with wireless Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) sensors distributed around a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a Bluetooth asset having a Bluetooth radio with a specific set of business rules;

receiving scan event data from at least one of a plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, the plurality of Bluetooth sensors being wirelessly connected to the communication network, the scan event data resulting from a scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the at least one Bluetooth sensor;

analyzing the scan event against the business rules;

determining that at scan event meets at least one condition of at least one of the specific set of business rules;

and responsive to the determination, sending a notification.

14. A server for tracking physical assets with wireless Bluetooth low energy (BILE) sensors distributed around a communication network, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, storing;

a first module to associate a Bluetooth asset having a Bluetooth radio with a specific set of business rules;

a second module to receive scan event data from at least one of a plurality of Bluetooth sensors having Bluetooth radios, the plurality of Bluetooth sensors being wirelessly connected to the communication network, the scan event data resulting from a scan event wherein the Bluetooth asset was within range of the at least one Bluetooth sensor;

a third module to analyze the scan event against the business rules;

a fourth module to determine that at scan event meets at least one condition of at least one of the specific set of business rules; and

a fifth module to, responsive to the determination, send a notification.