METHOD AND MOBILE TRANSCEIVER FOR ASSET TRACKING

• US 20170195958A1
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Korneluk, Jos Eduardo, Berriz, Sergio Javier
• Granted Patent: US 10,694,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and mobile transceiver for asset tracking is provided. In one aspect, a method of operating a mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver is provided. The method comprises: determining whether the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode; activating the wireless transceiver from a low power mode; searching, via the wireless transceiver, for wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver; when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode, selecting a most power efficient wireless service in accordance with a basic power profile of the available wireless services; when only one wireless service is available, selecting the available wireless service; and sending at least a portion of the data log to an asset tracking service using the selected wireless service.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver, the method comprising:

determining whether the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode;

activating the wireless transceiver from a low power mode;

searching, via the wireless transceiver, for wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver;

when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode, selecting a most power efficient wireless service in accordance with a basic power profile of the available wireless services;

when only one wireless service is available, selecting the available wireless service; and

sending at least a portion of the data log to an asset tracking service using the selected wireless service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic power profile for each wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver is stored in the memory, the basic power profile including a power efficiency indicator for each wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is not in the battery powered mode,

generating an extended power profile for each of the available wireless services, each extended power profile including a number of parameters including the power efficiency indicator, a signal strength indicator, power output, and radio frequency bands for the wireless service, and

selecting a wireless service based on the extended power profile of the available wireless services.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the parameters is assigned a priority and the wireless service is selected from the available wireless services in accordance with the priority assigned to each parameter in the extended power profile and a selection algorithm.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless service is selected from the available wireless services in accordance with a particular parameter in the extended power profile to select the available wireless service having an optimal value for the particular parameter in the extended power profile.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when no wireless service is available, performing data logging via the satellite receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing data logging comprises:

determining, via the satellite receiver, a location of the mobile transceiver; and

storing the location and a time associated with the location in the data log stored in the memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing data logging further comprises:

sensing, via one or more sensors, an environment of the mobile transceiver; and

storing sensor data obtained via the sensors and a time at which the sensor data was obtained in the data log stored in the memory.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a low power mode for the wireless transceiver and/or satellite receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver comprises 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE), 3G and 2G cellular data services.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile transceiver comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers comprises a cellular transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver, and the wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver comprises 4G LTE cellular data services, 3G cellular data services, 2G cellular data services, and WLAN data services.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceivers further comprise a Bluetooth transceiver, and the wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver further comprise Bluetooth data services.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the mobile transceiver is in the battery powered mode, determining the battery power mode type.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when an indicator of wireless transceiver malfunction is present, performing data logging via the satellite receiver.

15. A mobile transceiver, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a satellite receiver coupled to the processor; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor;

wherein the mobile transceiver is configured for;

determining whether the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode;

activating the wireless transceiver from a low power mode;

searching, via the wireless transceiver, for wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver;

when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode, selecting a most power efficient wireless service in accordance with a basic power profile of the available wireless services;

when only one wireless service is available, selecting the available wireless service; and

sending at least a portion of the data log to an asset tracking service using the selected wireless service.

16. The mobile transceiver of claim 15, wherein the basic power profile for each wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver is stored in the memory, the basic power profile including a power efficiency indicator for each wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver.

17. The mobile transceiver of claim 16, wherein the mobile transceiver is further configured for:

when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is not battery powered,

generating an extended power profile for each of the available wireless services, each extended power profile including at least the power efficiency indicator, a signal strength indicator, power output, and radio frequency bands for the wireless service, and

selecting a wireless service based on the extended power profile of the available wireless services.

18. The mobile transceiver of claim 15, wherein the mobile transceiver is further configured for:

when no wireless service is available, performing data logging via the satellite receiver.

19. The mobile transceiver of claim 15, wherein the mobile transceiver is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tracking device.

20. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver, cause the mobile transceiver to:

determine whether the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode;

activate the wireless transceiver from a low power mode;

search, via the wireless transceiver, for wireless services supported by the wireless transceiver;

when more than one wireless service is available and the mobile transceiver is in a battery powered mode, select a most power efficient wireless service in accordance with a basic power profile of the available wireless services;

when only one wireless service is available, select the available wireless service; and

send at least a portion of the data log to an asset tracking service using the selected wireless service.