SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING ASSET AND CROWD TRACKING IN AN IOT SYSTEM

• US 20170171204A1
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Forood, Houman, Zakaria, Omar, Lee, Justin, Gallardo, Gilbert, Britt, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 system and method are described for performing asset and user tracking. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) device or hub (“IoT device/hub”) comprising authorized user detection logic to detect a security IoT device of a user in wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub, the IoT device/hub to be affixed or integrated within a data processing asset; location detection logic to determine a current location of the IoT device/hub based on signals received from one or more wireless devices within its wireless range; wherein the authorized user detection logic is to arm the location detection logic upon detecting that the security IoT device has moved out of wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub; and wherein the location detection logic is to generate an alert and/or notification after being armed by the authorized user detection logic upon detecting that the IoT device/hub has moved outside of a designated protected location, the alert and/or notification being transmitted from the IoT device/hub to an IoT service.

Claims

1. A system for protecting a data processing asset comprising:

an Internet of Things (IoT) device or hub (“

IoT device/hub”

) comprising authorized user detection logic to detect a security IoT device of a user in wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub;

connection detection logic of the IoT hub/device to detect a local connection of a data processing asset;

wherein the authorized user detection logic is to arm the connection detection module upon detecting that the security IoT device has moved out of wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub; and

wherein the connection detection logic is to generate an alert and/or notification after being armed by the authorized user detection logic upon detecting no local connection of the data processing asset, the alert and/or notification being transmitted from the IoT device/hub to an IoT service.

2. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a piezo device integrated on the IoT device/hub to generate an audible alarm responsive to the alert and/or notification generated by the connection detection logic.

3. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a data processing dock into which the IoT device/hub is integrated; and

a wired interface to provide the local connection between the data processing asset and the IoT device/hub.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein the wired interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

5. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a client device of a user registered on the IoT service to receive the alert and/or notification generated by the connection detection logic, the alert and/or notification to be transmitted from the IoT service to the client device over the Internet.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the security IoT device is integrated within a security badge, a security bracelet, and/or a security neckless.

7. The system as in claim 3 wherein the data processing asset comprises a notebook or desktop computer.

8. A system for protecting a data processing asset comprising:

an Internet of Things (IoT) device or hub (“

IoT device/hub”

) comprising authorized user detection logic to detect a security IoT device of a user in wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub, the IoT device/hub to be affixed or integrated within a data processing asset;

location detection logic to determine a current location of the IoT device/hub based on signals received from one or more wireless devices within its wireless range;

wherein the authorized user detection logic is to arm the location detection logic upon detecting that the security IoT device has moved out of wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub; and

wherein the location detection logic is to generate an alert and/or notification after being armed by the authorized user detection logic upon detecting that the IoT device/hub has moved outside of a designated protected location, the alert and/or notification being transmitted from the IoT device/hub to an IoT service.

9. The system as in claim 8 further comprising:

a piezo device integrated on the IoT device/hub to generate an audible alarm responsive to the alert and/or notification generated by the connection detection logic.

10. The system as in claim 8 wherein the one or more wireless devices comprises one or more IoT hubs positioned at different locations.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein the location detection logic is to determine the current location based on a set of IoT hubs from which it can see wireless signals.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein the location detection logic is to determine the current location based on signal strength values of the wireless signals from the IoT hubs.

13. The system as in claim 12 further comprising:

a client device of a user registered on the IoT service to receive the alert and/or notification generated by the connection detection logic, the alert and/or notification to be transmitted from the IoT service to the client device over the Internet.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the security IoT device is integrated within a security badge, a security bracelet, and/or a security neckless.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein the data processing asset comprises a notebook or desktop computer.

16. A system for tracking users comprising:

a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) hubs distributed throughout a facility;

a plurality of wearable IoT security devices, each of the wearable IoT security devices assigned to a different user;

an IoT service to store an association between each of the IoT security devices and each respective user;

each of the wearable IoT devices comprising location detection logic to determine its current location within the facility based on signals measured from each of the IoT hubs, each of the IoT devices configured to report back its current location to the IoT service via one of the IoT hubs;

notification logic to generate an alert or notification if;

(1) particular users are in particular areas, (2) particular users are not in particular areas, (3) particular users are in particular areas together, (4) particular users are in particular areas at certain designated times, and (5) a wearable security IoT device has been detached from a user.

17. The system as in claim 16 further comprising:

a piezo device integrated on a wearable IoT device to generate an audible alarm responsive to the alert and/or notification generated by the notification logic.

18. The system as in claim 16 wherein the location detection logic is to determine the current location based on a set of IoT hubs from which it can see wireless signals.

19. The system as in claim 16 wherein the location detection logic is to determine the current location based on signal strength values of the wireless signals from the IoT hubs.

20. The system as in claim 16 further comprising:

a client device of a user registered on the IoT service to receive the alert and/or notification generated by the notification logic, the alert and/or notification to be transmitted from the IoT service to the client device over the Internet.

21. The system as in claim 20 wherein the wearable IoT devices comprise security badges, security bracelets, and/or a security necklesses.