TRACKING DEVICE AND POWER MODULE

• US 20170373526A1
• Filed: 12/24/2015
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Passive Eye Limited
• Original Assignee: Passive Eye Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Jingjing, Rush, Brian Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 10,367,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A tracking device (100) comprises a power module (102) and a tracking operations module (104). The power module (102) includes two electrical power storage cells in the form of a super-capacitor (110) and a rechargeable battery (112); an energy harvester (106) for generating electrical power to charge the electrical power storage cells (110, 112) and a power management controller (108) arranged to control charging of the first (110) and second (112) power storage cells. The tracking operations module (104) includes a GPS module (122, 124) for receiving data about a location of the tracking device (100); a GSM module (126, 128) for transmitting the data about the location of the tracking device (100); a motion sensor (136); and processing means (118) arranged to: detect movement of the device (100) based on an output of the motion sensor (136); and manage receipt and transmission of the data about the location of the tracking device (100).

Claims

1. A power module for a mobile device, the power module comprising:

first and second electrical power storage cells of different types;

an energy harvester for generating electrical power to charge the electrical power storage cells;

a switch for routing the generated electrical power to one of the first and second electrical power storage cells; and

processing means arranged to monitor the electrical power stored in one or both of the electrical power storage cells and control the switch.

2. A tracking device comprising:

a power management module as defined in claim 1;

means for receiving data about a location of the tracking device;

means for storing the data about the location of the tracking device;

means for wirelessly transmitting the data about the location of the tracking device; and

a motion sensor;

wherein the processing means are further arranged to manage receipt and transmission of the data about the location of the tracking device.

3. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrical power storage cell is a super-capacitor.

4. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrical power storage cell is a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium polymer battery.

5. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the first electrical power storage cell is to be charged the processing means is arranged to initially charge the first electrical power storage cell and subsequently to charge the second electrical power storage cell.

6. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means are arranged to monitor the electrical power stored both of the electrical power storage cells and when both the first and second electrical power storage cells are to be charged the processing means is arranged to initially charge the first electrical power storage cell and subsequently to charge the second electrical power storage cell.

7. A power module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processing means is arranged to control the switch:

to charge the first electrical power storage cell until the power stored in the first electrical power storage cell exceeds a first threshold;

to then charge the second electrical power storage cell; and

when the power stored in the first electrical power storage cell falls below a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold, to then recharge the first electrical power storage cell.

8. A power module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and second threshold power levels are determined by monitoring a voltage of the first electrical power storage cell and are first and second threshold voltages respectively.

9. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy harvester is such that the tracking device does not need to receive electrical charge from an external electrical power supply.

10. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy harvester is one or more of a photovoltaic cell, a kinetic energy harvester, a thermo-energy harvester and an ambient radio frequency harvester.

11. A power module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the kinetic energy harvester comprises at least one of a piezoelectric sensor and an electromagnetic sensor.

12. A tracking device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for receiving data about a location of the tracking device is a GPS module.

13. A tracking device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for transmitting data about the location of the tracking device is a radio frequency transceiver such as a GSM, UMTS, LTE or ISM band transceiver.

14. A power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means is a single or a plurality of microprocessors.

15. A method of charging a power module as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

charging the first electrical power storage cell until the power stored in the first electrical power storage cell exceeds a first threshold;

then charging the second electrical power storage cell; and

when the power stored in the first electrical power storage cell falls below a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold, then recharging the first electrical power storage cell.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first and second threshold power levels are determined by monitoring a voltage of the first electrical power storage cell and are first and second threshold voltages respectively.

17. A method of tracking an object, comprising:

(a) attaching to the object a tracking device as claimed in claim 2;

(b) generating electrical power in the energy harvester;

(c) charging the first electrical power storage cell;

(d) when the charge in one or both of the first and second electrical power storage cells provides a voltage equal to or greater than a third threshold voltage, receiving data about a location of the tracking device;

(e) storing the data about the location of the tracking device;

(f) when the charge in one or both of the first and second electrical power storage cells provides a voltage equal to or greater than a fourth threshold voltage, transmitting the data about the location of the tracking device.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

charging the second electrical power storage cell when the stored electrical power in the first electrical power storage cell reaches a threshold power, and

automatically switching back from the second electrical power storage cell to charge first electrical power storage cell the when stored electrical power in the first electrical power storage cell reaches a lower threshold level of power.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

repeating steps (d) to (f) after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the data about the location of the tracking device was last transmitted or after a manual interrupt, such as activation of an alarm or panic button.

21. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

(g) detecting movement of the tracking device;

(h) repeating steps (d) and (e);

(i) comparing the last two locations of the tracking device to determine if the tracking device has changed location;

(j) if the change in location exceeds a predetermined amount, repeating step (f); and

(k) if the change in location is less than a predetermined amount, repeating steps (g) to (j) after a predetermined period of time.

20. (canceled)