Low energy signaling scheme for beacon fencing applications

• US 9,276,630 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lacatus, Catalin, Parikh, Hemish, Gill, Harleen Kaur
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khai
• Application Number:
  US14/623,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 375/133, 375/130, 375/132, 375/138, 370/329, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0428 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7156 Arrangements for sequence synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments provide modified frequency hopping patterns that enable synchronization of a wireless tracking device with a beacon signal that defines a predetermined area (i.e., beacon fence). In an embodiment, a beacon may transmit a beacon signal according to a modified frequency hopping pattern and a wireless tracking device may receive the beacon signal by tuning a receiver according to the frequency hopping pattern. In an embodiment, the modified frequency hopping pattern may include a reference frequency generated at a high redundancy pattern multiplexed with a pseudo random sequence of frequencies. In an embodiment, the packets of the beacon signal transmitted at the reference frequency may include an indication of the next frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless tracking device, comprising:

determining a state of the wireless tracking device or synchronizing the wireless tracking device based at least in part on a modified frequency hopping pattern comprising a high redundancy pattern of a reference frequency multiplexed with a pseudo random sequence of frequencies wherein each frequency of the pseudo random sequence of frequencies is different than the reference frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a state of the wireless tracking device comprises determining whether the wireless tracking device is inside a predetermined area defined by a reception range of a beacon, the method further comprising:

receiving a beacon signal in the wireless tracking device by tuning a receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

determining whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at a current frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

incrementing a failure counter and tuning the receiver circuit to a next frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the current frequency;

determining whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at the next frequency;

incrementing the failure counter in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the next frequency;

determining whether the failure counter exceeds a failure threshold value; and

determining whether the wireless tracking device is outside the predetermined area in response to determining that the failure counter exceeds the failure threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the wireless tracking device comprises:

tuning a receiver circuit of the wireless tracking device to a reference frequency;

determining a next frequency to tune the receiver circuit to based on an indication of a next frequency in a reference data packet;

comparing a sequence of the reference frequency and the determined next frequency to the modified frequency hopping pattern to identify a current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern; and

tuning the receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern from the current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern.

4. A wireless tracking device, comprising:

a receiver circuit; and

a device processor coupled to the receiver circuit, wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to determine a state of the wireless tracking device or to synchronize the wireless tracking device based at least in part on a modified frequency hopping pattern comprising a high redundancy pattern of a reference frequency multiplexed with a pseudo random sequence of frequencies wherein each frequency of the pseudo random sequence of frequencies is different than the reference frequency.

5. The wireless tracking device of claim 4, wherein:

the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to determine a state of the wireless tracking device such that the device processor is configured to determine whether the wireless tracking device is inside a predetermined area defined by a reception range of a beacon; and

the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to;

receive a beacon signal in the wireless tracking device by tuning the receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

determine whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at a current frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

increment a failure counter and tuning the receiver circuit to a next frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the current frequency;

determine whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at the next frequency;

increment the failure counter in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the next frequency;

determine whether the failure counter exceeds a failure threshold value; and

determine whether the wireless tracking device is outside the predetermined area in response to determining that the failure counter exceeds the failure threshold value.

6. The wireless tracking device of claim 4, wherein the device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to synchronize the wireless tracking device such that the device processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

tune the receiver circuit of the wireless tracking device to a reference frequency;

determine a next frequency to tune the receiver circuit to based on an indication of a next frequency in a reference data packet;

compare a sequence of the reference frequency and the determined next frequency to the modified frequency hopping pattern to identify a current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern; and

tune the receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern from the current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern.

7. A wireless tracking device, comprising:

means for determining a state of the wireless tracking device or synchronizing the wireless tracking device based at least in part on a modified frequency hopping pattern comprising a high redundancy pattern of a reference frequency multiplexed with a pseudo random sequence of frequencies wherein each frequency of the pseudo random sequence of frequencies is different than the reference frequency.

8. The wireless tracking device of claim 7, wherein means for determining a state of the wireless tracking device comprises means for determining whether the wireless tracking device is inside a predetermined area defined by a reception range of a beacon, the wireless tracking device further comprising:

means for receiving a beacon signal in the wireless tracking device by tuning a receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

means for determining whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at a current frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

means for incrementing a failure counter and tuning the receiver circuit to a next frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the current frequency;

means for determining whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at the next frequency;

means for incrementing the failure counter in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the next frequency;

means for determining whether the failure counter exceeds a failure threshold value; and

means for determining whether the wireless tracking device is outside the predetermined area in response to determining that the failure counter exceeds the failure threshold value.

9. The wireless tracking device of claim 7, wherein means for synchronizing the wireless tracking device comprises:

means for tuning a receiver circuit of the wireless tracking device to a reference frequency;

means for determining a next frequency to tune the receiver circuit to based on an indication of a next frequency in a reference data packet;

means for comparing a sequence of the reference frequency and the determined next frequency to the modified frequency hopping pattern to identify a current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern; and

means for tuning the receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern from the current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern.

10. A non-transitory processor readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a wireless tracking device to determine a state of the wireless tracking device or to synchronize the wireless tracking device based at least in part on a modified frequency hopping pattern comprising a high redundancy pattern of a reference frequency multiplexed with a pseudo random sequence of frequencies wherein each frequency of the pseudo random sequence of frequencies is different than the reference frequency.

11. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein:

the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a wireless tracking device to determine a state of the wireless tracking device such that the processor is further configured to determine whether the wireless tracking device is inside a predetermined area defined by a reception range of a beacon; and

the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a wireless tracking device to;

receive a beacon signal in the wireless tracking device by tuning a receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

determine whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at a current frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern;

increment a failure counter and tuning the receiver circuit to a next frequency according to the modified frequency hopping pattern in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the current frequency;

determine whether decoding of the beacon signal was successful at the next frequency;

increment the failure counter in response to determining that decoding of the beacon signal was not successful at the next frequency;

determine whether the failure counter exceeds a failure threshold value; and

determine whether the wireless tracking device is outside the predetermined area in response to determining that the failure counter exceeds the failure threshold value.

12. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a wireless tracking device to perform operations such that the processor is further configured to:

tune a receiver circuit of the wireless tracking device to a reference frequency;

determine a next frequency to tune the receiver circuit to based on an indication of a next frequency in a reference data packet;

compare a sequence of the reference frequency and the determined next frequency to the modified frequency hopping pattern to identify a current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern; and

tune the receiver circuit according to the modified frequency hopping pattern from the current point in the modified frequency hopping pattern.