Methods and apparatus to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking

• US 9,584,965 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Good, Brandon Stephen, Theurer, Charles Burton, Liu, Shaopeng, Wallace, Robert Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/808,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking. An example method includes receiving messages collected by a badge in an environment, the messages including signal strength and a timestamp. The example method also includes assigning a location in the environment to the badge based on a first subset of the messages. The example method also includes identifying an asset in a second subset of the messages. The example method also includes updating a current location associated with the asset based on a relative proximity of the asset to the badge, wherein the current location corresponds to a first time and the updated location corresponds to a second time, and wherein a change in location between the current location and the updated location indicates movement of the asset in the environment.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking in an environment, the method comprising:

receiving messages collected by a badge in the environment, the messages including signal strength and a timestamp;

assigning a location in the environment to the badge based on a first subset of the messages;

identifying an asset in a second subset of the messages; and

updating a current location associated with the asset based on a relative proximity of the asset to the badge, wherein the current location corresponds to a first time and the updated location corresponds to a second time, and wherein a change in location between the current location and the updated location indicates movement of the asset in the environment.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein assigning the location in the environment to the badge further includes:

identifying a proximate beacon tag relative to the badge based on the signal strength; and

assigning a fixed-location associated with the proximate beacon tag to the badge.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further including logging a badge-location mapping based on the location assigned to the badge.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first subset of the messages correspond to a timestamp interval.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first subset of the messages is associated with fixed-location assets during a timestamp interval.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the first subset of the messages includes fixed-location asset identifying information.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second subset of the messages is associated with mobile-location assets.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein updating the current location associated with the asset further includes:

classifying an asset location relative to the badge based on the signal strength; and

when the asset location is classified as immediate relative to the badge, associating the location assigned to the badge to the asset.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further including incrementing a confidence score associated with the asset location.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, further including:

determining the asset location is classified as near relative to the badge; and

in response to the determining, comparing the current location associated with the asset to the location of the badge.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, further including incrementing a confidence score associated with the asset location when the current location associated with the asset matches the location of the badge.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, further including decrementing a confidence score associated with the asset location when the current location associated with the asset is different than the location of the badge.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further including:

comparing the decremented confidence score to a confidence threshold;

based on an output of the comparison, updating the current location of the asset to the location assigned to the badge; and

resetting the confidence score associated with the asset location.

14. A method as defined in claim 8, further including classifying the asset location relative to the badge based on a channel number.

15. An apparatus to facilitate proximity detection and location tracking in an environment, the apparatus comprising:

a message receiver to receive messages collected by a badge in the environment, the received messages to include signal strength and a timestamp;

a badge location engine to assign a location in the environment to the badge based on a first subset of the messages that correspond to a timestamp interval; and

an asset location engine to;

identify an asset in a second subset of the messages that correspond to mobile-location assets; and

update a current location associated with the asset based on a relative proximity of the asset to the badge, the current location to correspond to a first time and the updated location to correspond to a second time, and a change in location between the current location and the updated location is to indicate movement of the asset in the environment.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the badge location engine is to:

identify a proximate beacon tag relative to the badge based on the signal strength; and

assign a fixed-location associated with the proximate beacon tag to the badge.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the asset location engine is to update the current location associated with the asset by:

classifying an asset location relative to the badge based on the signal strength; and

when the asset location is classified as immediate relative to the badge;

associating the location assigned to the badge to the asset; and

incrementing a confidence score associated with the asset location.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the asset location engine is to, in response to a determination that the asset location is classified as near relative to the badge:

compare the current location associated with the asset to the location badge;

increment the confidence score associated with the asset location when the current location associated with the asset matches the location of the badge; and

decrement the confidence score associated with the asset location when the current location associated with the asset is different than the location of the badge.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the asset location engine is to:

compare the decremented confidence score to a confidence threshold; and

in response to a determination that the decremented confidence score fails to satisfy the confidence threshold;

update the current location of the asset to the location assigned to the badge; and

reset the confidence score associated with the asset location.

20. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive messages collected by a badge in an environment, the received messages to include signal strength and a timestamp;

assign a location in the environment to the badge based on a first subset of the messages that correspond to a timestamp interval by;

identifying a proximate beacon tag relative to the badge based on the signal strength; and

assigning a fixed-location associated with the proximate beacon tag to the badge;

identify an asset in a second subset of the messages that correspond to mobile-location assets; and

update a current location associated with the asset based on a relative proximity of the asset to the badge by;

classifying an asset location relative to the badge based on the signal strength;

in response to classifying the asset location as immediate relative to the badge;

associating the location assigned to the badge to the asset; and

incrementing a confidence score associated with the asset; and

in response to classifying the asset location as near relative to the badge;

incrementing the confidence score associated with the asset when the current location associated with the asset matches the location of the badge; and

decrementing the confidence score associated with the asset location when the current location associated with the asset is different from the location of the badge,

wherein the current location is to correspond to a first time and the updated location is to correspond to a second time, and a change in location between the current location and the updated location is to indicate movement of the asset in the environment.