Hybrid tracking device

• US 9,442,178 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Eruchimovitch, Baruch, Bornstein, Gilad, Strauss, Nir
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/766,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/01 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for tracking various assets. The apparatus includes a hybrid tracking device (HTD) for tracking an associated asset. The HTD includes a personal area network (PAN) transceiver to couple the HTD to a gateway, proxy or slave HTDs. The HTD may include a sensor to generate sensor information. Alternatively, the sensor information is generated remotely. The sensor information includes a determined location and/or information characteristic of an HTD or its environment. Sensor information from one sensor is used to represent HTDs separated by the PAN. The HTD may also include a wide area network (WAN) transceiver to communicate with an asset tracking server.

Claims

1. A hybrid tracking device (HTD) associated with an asset to track, the HTD comprising:

a sensor configured to generate first sensor information related to a characteristic of the HTD, wherein the first sensor information comprises a location of the HTD, additional sensor information, or a combination thereof;

a personal area network transceiver coupled to a personal area network (PAN) and configured to receive a first presence report message from a second HTD;

a controller to configure the HTD to communicate over the PAN with the second HTD and to communicate over a wide area network (WAN) with an asset tracking server; and

a wide area network transceiver coupled to the WAN and configured to transmit the first sensor information over the WAN to the asset tracking server, the WAN transceiver further configured to transmit a reporting message based on a determination that a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the HTD and the second HTD negotiate via the PAN to determine which of the HTD and the second HTD operates as a gateway HTD based on power resources associated with the HTD and the second HTD, and wherein a determination of which of the HTD and the second HTD operates as the gateway HTD is based on power levels of the power resources associated with the HTD and the second HTD.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the HTD and the second HTD negotiate via the PAN to determine which of the HTD and the second HTD operates as a gateway HTD based on power resources associated with the HTD and the second HTD, and wherein a determination of which of the HTD and the second HTD operates as the gateway HTD is based on resource types of the power resources associated with the HTD and the second HTD.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an assisted global position satellite (A-GPS) sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a cell identifier (cell ID) recognition unit configured to execute identification functions and authentication functions.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a motion sensor configured to generate motion information, and wherein the additional sensor information comprises the motion information.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to generate temperature information, and wherein the additional sensor information comprises the temperature information.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a sound sensor, an air movement sensor, an air sampling sensor, an altimeter sensor, an accelerometer, an orientation sensor, a radiation sensor, or any combination thereof, configured to generate the additional sensor information.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the WAN transceiver comprises a cellular radio transceiver.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the PAN transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the PAN transceiver comprises a ZigBee transceiver.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the PAN transceiver comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the PAN transceiver is configured to communicate via the PAN, and wherein the WAN transceiver is configured to communicate via the WAN that is different than the PAN.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a first communication technology associated with the PAN is a low-power communication technology as compared to a second communication technology associated with the WAN, and wherein the PAN is associated with a first communication range that is shorter than a second communication range associated with the WAN.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the PAN transceiver is configured to receive second sensor information from the second HTD, and wherein the WAN transceiver is further configured to transmit the first sensor information but not the second sensor information over the WAN to the asset tracking server.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor information comprises a measurement of the characteristic of the HTD.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to select an operating mode from a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is associated with the HTD as a gateway, wherein the second mode is associated with the HTD as a slave, and wherein the HTD is configured to power down the sensor and the WAN transceiver when operating in the second mode.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor information is included in a sensor message transmitted by the WAN transceiver, and wherein the sensor message includes a registration message.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the second presence report message is not received from the second HTD within the threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

20. A hybrid tracking device (HTD) associated with an asset to track, the HTD comprising:

a wide area network transceiver configured to communicate with an asset tracking server via a wide area network (WAN) and further configured to initiate a time period countdown in response to receipt of a first presence report message and to selectively transmit a reporting message based on an expiration of the time period countdown;

a personal area network transceiver configured to communicate with a second HTD via a personal area network (PAN); and

a controller configured to select an operational mode from a gateway mode and a slave mode, wherein the HTD is configured to operate as a gateway device in the gateway mode and is configured to operate as a slave device in the slave mode.

21. A location-based services system, the system comprising:

a first hybrid tracking device (HTD) configured to operate in a master mode; and

a second HTD configured to operate in a slave mode, the first HTD associated with an asset to track, wherein the first HTD comprises;

a sensor configured to generate first information related to a characteristic of the first HTD, wherein the first information comprises a location of the first HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof;

a personal area network transceiver configured to receive second information related to a characteristic of the second HTD that includes a first presence report message via a personal area network (PAN);

a controller to configure the first HTD to communicate over the PAN with the second HTD and to communicate over a wide area network (WAN) with an asset tracking server; and

a WAN transceiver configured to send a sensor message to the asset tracking server via the WAN, the sensor message including the first information and a reporting message based on a determination that a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first HTD is configured to operate as a gateway HTD when the first HTD is coupled to an external power source.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first HTD is configured to operate as a gateway HTD when a first battery associated with the first HTD has a higher power level than a second battery associated with the second HTD.

24. A location-based services system, the system comprising:

an asset tracking server coupled to a wide area network (WAN); and

a plurality of hybrid tracking devices (HTDs) each associated with a corresponding asset to track, wherein a first HTD of the plurality of HTDs comprises;

a WAN transceiver configured to communicate with the asset tracking server via the WAN and further configured to initiate a time period countdown in response to receipt of a first presence report message and to selectively transmit a reporting message based on an expiration of the time period countdown;

a personal area network transceiver configured to communicate with a second HTD of the plurality of HTDs via a personal area network (PAN); and

a controller configured to select an operational mode from a gateway mode and a slave mode, wherein the first HTD is configured to operate as a gateway device in the gateway mode and is configured to operate as a slave device in the slave mode.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a sensor configured to generate first information related to a characteristic of the first HTD, wherein the first information comprises a location of the first HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof, and wherein the sensor comprises a global position satellite (GPS) receiver, an assisted global position satellite (A-GPS) sensor, or an air movement sensor.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the WAN transceiver is further configured to determine that a second presence report is not received within the time period countdown and to transmit the reporting message after expiration of the time period countdown based on the determination that the second presence report is not received.

27. A proxy in a location-based services system, the proxy comprising:

a personal area network transceiver coupled to a personal area network (PAN) and configured to receive, over the PAN, a first presence report message from a first hybrid tracking device (HTD) of a plurality of HTDs;

a controller to configure the proxy to communicate over the PAN with the first HTD and to communicate over a wide area network (WAN) with an asset tracking server; and

a wide area network (WAN) transceiver configured to transmit a reporting message over the WAN to the asset tracking server in response to a determination that a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

28. The proxy of claim 27, wherein the proxy is associated with a structure in which slave HTDs and associated assets are located, and wherein the proxy does not track an asset.

29. A location-based services system, the system comprising:

an asset tracking server coupled to a wide area network (WAN);

a plurality of hybrid tracking devices (HTDs) each associated with a corresponding asset to track; and

a proxy comprising;

a sensor configured to generate first information related to a characteristic of the proxy, wherein the first information comprises a location of the proxy, additional information, or a combination thereof;

a personal area network transceiver coupled to a personal area network (PAN) and configured to receive second information related to a characteristic of a first HTD of the plurality of HTDs, the second information including a first presence report message, wherein each HTD of the plurality of HTDs is configured to communicate with the asset tracking server via the proxy;

a controller to configure the proxy to communicate over the PAN with the first HTD and to communicate over a wide area network (WAN) with the asset tracking server; and

a WAN transceiver configured to transmit a first message to the asset tracking server over the WAN, the first message including a reporting message based on a determination that a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the sensor comprises a global position satellite (GPS) receiver, an assisted global position satellite (A-GPS) sensor, or a combination thereof.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the sensor comprises an altimeter sensor.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the second presence information includes second sensor information.

33. A method of tracking a hybrid tracking device (HTD) associated with an asset, the method comprising:

operating the HTD in a first mode associated with a gateway HTD, wherein operating in the first mode comprises;

configuring the HTD to communicate via a personal area network (PAN) with a second HTD and to communicate via a wide area network (WAN) with an asset tracking server;

generating, from a sensor, first information related to a characteristic of the HTD, wherein the first information comprises a location of the HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof;

receiving second information related to a characteristic of the second HTD via the PAN;

sending a message based on the first information and the second information from a wide area network (WAN) transceiver via the WAN to the asset tracking server;

initiating a time period countdown in response to receipt of a first presence report message; and

selectively transmitting a reporting message from a proxy to the asset tracking server based on an expiration of the time period countdown;

configuring the HTD to transition from the first mode to operate in a second mode associated with a slave, wherein configuring the HTD to operate in the second mode comprises

powering down the WAN transceiver and the sensor; and

communicating from the HTD when configured to operate in the second mode via the personal area network (PAN) with one of the gateway HTD or a proxy.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising communicating from the HTD when configured to operate in the second mode with the asset tracking server via the proxy when the PAN is provided by the proxy.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first information comprises a location of the HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof, and wherein the additional information further comprises motion information, information from an orientation sensor, or a combination thereof.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the first information comprises a location of the HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof, and wherein the additional information further comprises temperature information.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the WAN transceiver comprises a cellular radio network transceiver, and wherein the PAN comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBEE network, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) network.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the time period countdown corresponds to a threshold time period for receiving a second presence report message.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising transmitting an identification message to the second HTD for forwarding to the asset tracking server when the HTD is configured to operate in the second mode.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising receiving an identification of the second HTD when the HTD is configured to operate in the first mode.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the message is associated with one of the HTD or the second HTD.

42. A method of tracking a hybrid tracking device (HTD) associated with an asset, the method comprising:

configuring a proxy to communicate over a personal area network (PAN) with the HTD and to communicate over a wide area network (WAN) with an asset tracking server;

receiving, at the proxy, first information related to a characteristic of the HTD via the PAN, the first information including a first presence report message;

generating, at a sensor of the proxy, second information related to a characteristic of the proxy, wherein the second information comprises a location of the proxy, additional information, or a combination thereof; and

sending a reporting message from the proxy to the asset tracking server based on a determination that a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the proxy operates as a gateway HTD.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

receiving third information from a second HTD at the proxy via the PAN, the third information related to a characteristic of the second HTD, the third information generated by a second sensor of the second HTD; and

sending a sensor message via the WAN to the asset tracking server, the second message including the third information.

45. A hybrid tracking device (HTD) associated with an asset to track, the HTD comprising:

a sensor configured to generate information related to a characteristic of the HTD, wherein the information comprises a location of the HTD, additional information, or a combination thereof;

a personal area network (PAN) transceiver configured to receive a first presence report message from a second HTD; and

a wide area network (WAN) transceiver configured to transmit a message to an asset tracking server, wherein the message is based on the first presence report message and includes the sensor information, and wherein the WAN transceiver is further configured to transmit a reporting message to the asset tracking server when a second presence report message is not received within a threshold time period after receipt of the first presence report message.