Location-based tracking

• US 8,742,908 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Boudy, Cedric
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/539,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.11, 340/426.13, 340/426.36, 340/426.19, 340/425.5, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/686.6, 340/988, 340/5.92, 340/5.74, 340/10.1, 340/539.14, 340/568.1, 340/539.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

Object tracking is facilitated. In accordance with one or more embodiments, an object tracking apparatus (200) includes a proximate-range circuit (212), a positioning circuit (214) and a communications circuit (216). The proximate-range circuit wirelessly verifies the identity and presence of at least one proximate-range communications device (220), and the positioning circuit determines positioning information of the object tracking apparatus. The communications circuit receives outputs from the proximate-range circuit and positioning circuit respectively regarding the verification and positioning information, and wirelessly communicates data to a remote communications station based upon the received outputs (140).

Claims

1. An object tracking apparatus comprising:

a proximate-range circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one proximate-range communications device;

wherein at start-up of the object tracking apparatus, the proximate-range communications device is present and the proximate-range circuit enters a wait mode;

wherein in the proximate-range circuit remains in the wait mode if the proximate-range communications device is re-verified as present;

wherein in the proximate-range circuit enters a tracking mode if the proximate-range communications device is not present;

wherein in the proximate-range circuit provides an output indicative of an identification and the present or not present presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device;

a position-assessment circuit configured and arranged to assess current position information of the object tracking apparatus using received wireless communications, and to provide an output indicative of the position information;

a communications circuit coupled to receive the outputs from the proximate-range circuit and the position-assessment circuit, and configured to wirelessly communicate data including the position information via a distal-range communications station based upon the received outputs; and

wherein in the communications circuit repeatedly transmits the current position to the distal-range communications station when the proximate-range circuit is in the tracking mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate data via the distal-range communications station according to at least one of

communicating data based upon the received outputs by communicating positioning information corresponding to the output from the position-assessment circuit, in response to the output from the proximate-range circuit being indicative of a failure to verify at least one of the presence and identification of the at least one proximate-range communications device,

wirelessly communicating data indicating theft of an object connected to the object tracking apparatus, based upon the output of the proximate-range circuit indicating a lack of presence of a proximate-range communications device also connected to the object, and

wirelessly communicating data indicating removal of an object connected to the object tracking apparatus from a predefined area, based upon the output of the proximate-range circuit indicating the lack of presence of one of the at least one proximate-range communications devices that is located in the predefined area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximate-range circuit is configured to provide an output indicative of both the presence and identification of the at least one proximate-range communications device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximate-range circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one proximate-range communications device to verify the identification and presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device on a repeated cycle and to provide an output indicating that the at least one proximate-range communications device is no longer proximally located in response to failing to detect the presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device at one of the repeated cycles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the object tracking apparatus includes a memory circuit configured to store data corresponding to a device identification of one of the at least one proximate-range communications devices, and

the communications circuit is configured to wirelessly communicate the stored data to a user via the remote communications station for the device identification.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object tracking apparatus is configured to generate and communicate an output to disable a vehicle to which the object tracking apparatus is connected, in response to at least one of

the output of the proximate-range circuit indicating that the at least one proximate-range communications device is no longer within communications range in response to failing to detect the presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device,

the output of the position-assessment circuit indicating a change in position of the vehicle, and

the communications circuit failing to register with a network via the distal-range communications station.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object tracking apparatus is configured to respond to a user input by authenticating the user input and, in response thereto, deactivating at least one of the respective generation of the outputs and the wireless communication of data to the distal-range communications station.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the proximate-range circuit is configured to provide an output indicative of the presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device by providing an output indicative of the removal of the object tracking apparatus from a predefined area, based upon the output of the proximate-range circuit indicating the lack of presence of one of the at least one proximate-range communications devices that is located in the predefined area, and

the positioning circuit is configured to initiate a tracking mode and determine the positioning information of the object tracking apparatus in response to the output of the proximate-range circuit indicating that the object tracking apparatus has left the predefined area.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning circuit includes at least one of

the communications circuit, wherein the communications circuit is configured to detect a position of the object-tracking apparatus based upon signals received via the distal-range communications station over a common wireless link via which communications are effected, and

a global positioning circuit configured to receive signals from global positioning satellites and to detect a position based upon the received global positioning signals.

10. A system for tracking an object, the system comprising:

a proximate-range communications tag configured to respond to proximate-range wireless communications by wirelessly communicating identification information; and

an object-tracking device configured and arranged to

enter a wait mode at start-up when the proximate-range communications tag is present;

remain in the wait mode if the proximate-range communications tag is re-verified as present;

enter a tracking mode if the proximate-range communications tag is not present;

determine a current geographical position of the object-tracking device using received wireless communications, and

wirelessly communicate data indicative of the determined geographical position via a distal-range communications station, based on the verification of an identity and the present or not present presence of the tag; and

repeatedly transmitting the current geographical position to the distal-range communications station while in the tracking mode.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the object tracking device is configured to respond to failing to verify the identity and the presence of the tag by wirelessly communicating data indicative of the determined geographical position and failed tag verification.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein

the object tracking device is connected to a vehicle,

the tag is connected to a portion of the vehicle that is remote from the object tracking device, and

the object tracking device is configured to wirelessly communicate data indicative of the determined geographical position via the distal-range communications station by communicating an alert indicative of the object tracking device being removed from the vehicle in response to the object tracking device failing to verify the presence and identification of the tag.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein

the object tracking device is connected to a vehicle,

the tag is connected to an external structure at a predefined location in which the vehicle can be located, and

the object tracking device is configured to wirelessly communicate data indicative of the determined geographical position via the distal-range communications station by communicating data indicating that the vehicle is in the predefined location in response to verifying the presence and identity of the tag, and by communicating data indicating that the vehicle is not in the predefined location in response to failing to verify the presence and the identity of the tag.

14. The system of claim 10,

wherein the object tracking device is connected to a vehicle,

wherein the tag is a local tag connected to a portion of the vehicle that is remote from the object tracking device,

further including a remote RFID tag connected to an external structure at a predefined location in which the vehicle can be located, and

wherein the object tracking device is configured to wirelessly communicate data indicative of the determined geographical position via the distal-range communications station by

communicating an alert indicative of the object tracking device being removed from the vehicle in response to the object tracking device failing to verify the presence and the identity of the local tag, and

communicating data indicating that the vehicle is in the predefined location in response to verifying the presence and the identify of the remote RFID tag, and by communicating data indicating that the vehicle is not in the predefined location in response to failing to verify the presence and the identity of the remote RFID tag.

15. A method for tracking an object, the method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with at least one proximate-range communications device;

entering a wait mode at start-up when the proximate-range communications device is present;

remaining in the wait mode if the proximate-range communications device is re-verified as present;

entering a tracking mode if the proximate-range communications device is not present;

providing an output indicative of the present or not present presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device;

determining current geographical positioning information using received wireless communications, and providing an output indicative of the determined positioning information;

wirelessly communicating data including the determined positioning information via a distal-range communications station, based upon the provided outputs; and

repeatedly transmitting the current positioning information to the distal-range communications station while in the tracking mode.