Asset tracking system with adjusted ping rate and ping period

• US 9,355,381 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roambee Corporation
• Original Assignee: Senaya Inc
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Mrinmoy, Dubash, Jamshed, Nakra, Jahangir, Lee, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Harry
• Application Number:
  US13/796,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 342/451, 342/458
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Asset tracking system that utilizes a time-based ping in which the ping rate and the ping period are based on a predetermined event. Over the period of use of the system and device, the ping rate and ping period are adjusted based on the expected occurrence of an event. The system has lower operational cost, particularly battery maintenance cost, than conventional active ping systems that have a set ping rate or a random ping rate.

Claims

1. An RF tracking system comprising:

a tracking device comprising a battery, a GPS positioning element, a two-way communication module, and memory;

a route exception database comprising a plurality of exception event locations; and

a receiver device;

the tracking device configured to send data regarding the location of the tracking device to the receiver device, and the receiver device configured to receive the data from the tracking device;

wherein the tracking device is configured to modify a ping rate and a ping period at which the data is sent by the tracking device based on a distance between the location of the tracking device and an exception event location from the database.

2. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the communication module is a ZigBee, communication module.

3. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the communication module is a CDMA and/or GSM communication module.

4. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the route exception database is stored in the tracking device memory.

5. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the tracking device further comprises a data receiver component.

6. The tracking system of claim 5 wherein the data receiver component is an infrared data link.

7. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the tracking device is further configured to send acknowledgement to the receiver device that the tracking device is available.

8. The tracking system of claim 1 wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.

9. A method of tracking an asset with a tracking device operably attached thereto, the tracking device having a positioning unit and a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising:

setting an initial ping rate of the tracking device;

determining a location of the tracking device via the positioning unit;

checking a route exception database for an exception event within a predetermined distance of the location via the CPU;

increasing the initial ping rate via the CPU to a new ping rate if the exception event is within the predetermined distance of the location; and

transmitting a plurality of pings from the tracking device at the new ping rate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the initial ping rate is increased by a multiple of at least 1.2 to obtain the new ping rate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the initial ping rate is increased by a multiple of at least 1.5 to obtain the new ping rate.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

setting an initial ping period;

decreasing the initial ping period to a new ping period if the exception event is within the predetermined distance of the location; and

transmitting a plurality of pings for the new ping period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the initial ping period is decreased by a multiple of at least 1.2 to obtain the new ping rate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the initial ping rate is increased by a multiple and the initial ping period is decreased by the same multiple to obtain the new ping rate.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the exception event is identified by time.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the exception event is identified by location.

17. A method of tracking an asset with a tracking device operably attached thereto, the tracking device having a positioning unit and a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising:

determining a location of the tracking device via the positioning unit;

checking a route exception database via the CPU for an exception event within a predetermined time of the location;

increasing a ping rate of the tracking device via the CPU to a new ping rate if the exception event is within the predetermined time of the location; and

transmitting a plurality of pings from the tracking device at the new ping rate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the exception event is identified by time.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the exception event is identified by location.