Systems and methods for power efficient tracking
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
- a monitoring device including;
a power status sensor operable to indicate a power status of the monitoring device;
a GPS based location determination circuit operable to identify a GPS based location of the monitoring device using GPS signals;
a Wi-Fi based location determination circuit operable to identify a Wi-Fi access point and a corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; and
a controller circuit operable to;
selectively disable one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit based upon both;
(a) the power status, and (2) a financial cost of resolving the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from the Wi-Fi signal; and
transmit a transmission data set derived from one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit to a central monitoring controller, wherein the transmission data set includes the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device, and wherein the central monitoring controller is operable to resolve the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device by;
transmitting the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a service provider; and
receiving the Wi-Fi based location from the service provider.
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Abstract
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and method for power efficient tracking.
50 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
a monitoring device including; a power status sensor operable to indicate a power status of the monitoring device; a GPS based location determination circuit operable to identify a GPS based location of the monitoring device using GPS signals; a Wi-Fi based location determination circuit operable to identify a Wi-Fi access point and a corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; and a controller circuit operable to; selectively disable one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit based upon both;
(a) the power status, and (2) a financial cost of resolving the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from the Wi-Fi signal; andtransmit a transmission data set derived from one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit to a central monitoring controller, wherein the transmission data set includes the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device, and wherein the central monitoring controller is operable to resolve the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device by; transmitting the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a service provider; and receiving the Wi-Fi based location from the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for location determination, the method comprising:
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providing a monitoring device including a plurality of location determination circuits, determining a condition set, the condition set including at least a power status and a financial cost of determining a location of the monitoring device based upon identifying a Wi-Fi access point and a corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; selectively disabling one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit based upon the condition set; and transmitting a transmission data set derived from one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit to a central monitoring controller, wherein the transmission data set includes the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device, and wherein the central monitoring controller is operable to resolve the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device by; transmitting the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a service provider; and receiving the Wi-Fi based location from the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising:
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a GPS based location determination circuit operable to identify a GPS based location of the monitoring device using GPS signals; a Wi-Fi based location determination circuit operable to identify a Wi-Fi access point and a corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; a cellular based location determination circuit operable to identify a cellular access point; and a controller circuit operable to; determine a condition set, wherein the condition set includes at least two elements selected from a group consisting of;
a power status of the monitoring device, a financial cost of determining the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal, an indication that the monitoring device is indoors, a rate at which the monitoring device is moving, and an indication of a number of issued resolution requests; andselectively disable at least one of the GPS based location determination circuit, the cellular based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit based upon at least two elements of the condition set, wherein at least one element of the at least two elements of the condition set is the financial cost of determining the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; and transmit a transmission data set derived from one of the GPS based location determination circuit, the cellular based location determination circuit, or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit to a central monitoring controller, wherein the transmission data set includes the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength, and wherein the central monitoring controller is operable to resolve the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device by; transmitting the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a service provider; and receiving the Wi-Fi based location from the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
a monitoring device including; a GPS based location determination circuit operable to identify a GPS based location of the monitoring device using GPS signals; a Wi-Fi based location determination circuit operable to identify a Wi-Fi access point and a corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; and a controller circuit operable to; determine a condition set, wherein the condition set includes at least two elements selected from a group consisting of;
a power status of the monitoring device, a cost of determining the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from the Wi-Fi signal, an indication that the monitoring device is indoors, a rate at which the monitoring device is moving, and an indication of a number of issued resolution requests;selectively disable one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit based upon a combination of at least two elements of the condition set, wherein at least one element of the at least two elements of the condition set is the financial cost of determining the location of the monitoring device based upon the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength from a Wi-Fi signal; and transmit a transmission data set derived from one of the GPS based location determination circuit or the Wi-Fi based location determination circuit to a central monitoring controller, wherein the transmission data set includes the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device, and wherein the central monitoring controller is operable to resolve the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a Wi-Fi based location of the monitoring device by; transmitting the Wi-Fi access point and the corresponding signal strength to a service provider; and receiving the Wi-Fi based location from the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
Specification