Mobile Transceiver with Adaptive Monitoring and Reporting

Abstract

A method and mobile transceiver with adaptive monitoring are provided. According to one embodiment, a method of operating a mobile transceiver is provided, comprising: waking the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining a waypoint in a travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event, the travel itinerary defining a plurality of waypoints including a start endpoint and a destination endpoint; performing an action associated with the wake-up event; determining a wake-up frequency associated with the determined waypoint; and setting a wake-up frequency for one or more subsequent wake-up events based on the determined wake-up frequency.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with Chinese national application number 201710005909.X and invention name “MOBILE TRANSCEIVER WITH ADAPTIVE MONITORING AND REPORTING”, which claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 14 / 987,928, entitled “MOBILE TRANSCEIVER WITH ADAPTIVE MONITORING AND REPORTING”, filed on January 5, 2016. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to mobile transceivers and, more particularly, to methods and mobile transceivers with adaptive monitoring and reporting. Background Art

[0004] A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tracking device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device, is a device carried by an object or person ("carrier") that uses GNSS to periodically measure the carrier's position and typically stores the position in internal memory. Examples of types of GNSS tracking devices include: data loggers, data pushers, and data extractors. A data logger may store measured location data in internal memory for subsequent download and analysis. A data pusher (also known as a beacon) may send location data stored in internal memory to a server or other device according to predefined parameters. A data extractor (also known as a transponder) may store location data in internal memory and provide location data in response to queries from a server or other device. GNSS tracking devices may have limited power and / or limited processing resources. Therefore, methods for efficiently operating and deploying GNSS tracking devices may be needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: waking a mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining a waypoint corresponding to the wake-up event in a pre-programmed travel itinerary, the travel itinerary being stored in a memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along a planned route and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each of the waypoints defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; performing an action associated with the wake-up event; and setting a wake-up frequency for one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint.

[0006] According to a second aspect, a mobile transceiver is provided. The mobile transceiver includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, a satellite receiver coupled to the processor, and a cellular transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the mobile transceiver is configured to: wake up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determine a waypoint corresponding to the wake-up event in a pre-programmed travel itinerary, the travel itinerary being stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along a planned route and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each of the waypoints defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; perform an action associated with the wake-up event; and set a wake-up frequency for one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is provided. The non-transitory machine-readable medium tangibly stores executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver, cause the mobile transceiver to: wake up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determine a waypoint corresponding to the wake-up event in a pre-programmed travel itinerary, the travel itinerary being stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along a planned route and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each waypoint defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; perform an action associated with the wake-up event; and set a wake-up frequency for one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication system suitable for operating a mobile transceiver according to the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile transceiver according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless communication subsystem according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating a mobile transceiver according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of performing data logging and / or data reporting actions associated with a determined waypoint according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present disclosure is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. However, many different embodiments may be used, and therefore the description should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure comprehensive and complete. Similar reference numerals always refer to similar elements, and primary symbols are used to indicate similar elements, operations, or steps in alternative embodiments. The separate boxes or illustrated separations of the functional units of the illustrated systems and devices do not necessarily require the physical separation of these functions, because the communication between these units can occur through message passing, function calls, shared memory spaces, etc., without any such physical separation. Therefore, there is no need to implement these functions in physically or logically separated platforms, although they are shown separately in this article for ease of explanation. Different devices may have different designs, such that some devices implement some functions in fixed-function hardware, while other devices can implement such functions in a programmable processor using code obtained from a machine-readable medium.

[0014] The present disclosure provides a mobile transceiver that enables global and long-distance tracking applications, in which assets in transit can be tracked globally and over long distances, even if the assets cross wireless carrier and network coverage boundaries during transit. In global and long-distance tracking applications, the mobile transceiver and the tracked assets may cross wireless carrier and network coverage boundaries during transit. For example, it is not uncommon for a container to originate in China, circumvent South Africa, and ultimately reach North America.

[0015] According to an example embodiment of one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a mobile transceiver is provided, comprising: waking the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining a waypoint in a travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event, the travel itinerary defining a plurality of waypoints including a start endpoint and a destination endpoint; performing an action associated with the wake-up event; determining a wake-up frequency associated with the determined waypoint; and setting a wake-up frequency for one or more subsequent wake-up events based on the determined wake-up frequency.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile transceiver comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor; and a satellite receiver coupled to the processor; wherein the mobile transceiver is configured to perform the methods described above and below. The mobile transceiver may be a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tracking device.

[0017] According to an example embodiment of yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory machine-readable medium having executable instructions tangibly stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a mobile transceiver, causes the mobile transceiver to perform the methods described above and below, the mobile transceiver comprising a memory, a wireless transceiver, and a satellite receiver, all coupled to the processor.

[0018] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , an example embodiment of a mobile transceiver 102 of the present disclosure will be described. The mobile transceiver 102 includes at least one processor 104 that controls the overall operation of the mobile transceiver 102. The processor 104 is coupled to a plurality of components via a communication bus (not shown), which provides a communication path between the components and the processor 104. The mobile transceiver 102 also includes random access memory (RAM) 108, read-only memory (ROM) 110, persistent (non-volatile) memory 112 (which may be flash erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) ("Flash") or other suitable form of memory), a data port 122 (e.g., a serial data port (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) data port)), and a plurality of environmental sensors 130 for sensing the environment of the mobile transceiver 102. Sensors 130 may include a light sensor 131 , a temperature sensor 132 , a pressure sensor 133 , a humidity sensor 134 , a gyroscope 135 , an accelerometer 136 , one or more time-of-flight (ToF) sensors 137 , and possibly other sensors such as a door touch switch (not shown).

[0019] The mobile transceiver 102 also includes a satellite receiver 120 for receiving satellite signals from a satellite network 180, which includes a plurality of satellites as part of a global or regional satellite navigation system. In some embodiments, a satellite transceiver capable of both receiving and transmitting satellite signals may be provided, rather than a satellite receiver capable only of receiving satellite signals.

[0020] The mobile transceiver 102 can determine its position using signals received by the satellite receiver 120 from a plurality of satellites in the satellite network 180. In at least some embodiments, the satellite network 180 includes a plurality of satellites that are part of at least one global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that provides autonomous geospatial positioning with global coverage. For example, the satellite network 180 can be a constellation of GNSS satellites. Example GNSSs include the U.S. NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). Other satellite navigation systems that have been deployed or are under development include the European Union's Galileo positioning system, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), India's regional satellite navigation system, and Japan's satellite navigation system.

[0021] The mobile transceiver 102 also includes one or more wireless transceivers for exchanging at least data communications. The wireless transceivers include at least a cellular (RF) transceiver 114 for communicating with a plurality of different radio access networks (RANs) (e.g., a cellular network 160) using different wireless data communication protocols and standards. The mobile transceiver 102 can communicate with a plurality of fixed transceiver base stations (e.g., a cellular network 160) of the cellular network 160. Figure 1 1 and 2. The mobile transceiver 102 can transmit and receive signals over the cellular network 160 after the required network registration and / or activation procedures are completed.

[0022] The cellular transceiver 114 is a multi-band transceiver, such as the TOBY-L2 series of wireless transceivers from u-blox Holding, Switzerland, that supports multiple radio frequency bands, which may include, for example, multiple 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced bands and global 3G and 2G bands. In other embodiments, multiple dedicated transceivers may be provided to support different wireless services, such as 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G wireless services.

[0023] Examples of technologies that may be used by the cellular transceiver 114 include LTE, LTE-Advanced, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Mobitex TM and Data TAC TM . Other example technologies that can be used by the cellular transceiver 114 include: Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Personal Communications Service (PCS), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA), Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), etc. Other types of communication networks, whether separate or integrated, can also be used with the mobile transceiver 102. The mobile transceiver 102 can also comply with other communication standards, such as 3GSM, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 4G, etc. The above technologies are provided for example only and are not exhaustive. The described embodiments do not depend on any specific characteristics or capabilities of the RAN.

[0024] The wireless transceiver may also include a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver 116 for communicating with a WLAN 150 via a WLAN access point (AP). The WLAN 150 may include a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver 116 that complies with the IEEE 802.11x standard (sometimes referred to as ) of the Wi-Fi wireless network. In other embodiments, other communication protocols may be used for WLAN 104.

[0025] The wireless transceiver may also include a short-range wireless transceiver for communicating with the computer 240, such as Transceiver 118. Alternatively, mobile transceiver 102 may communicate with computer 240 using a physical link, such as data port 122 (e.g., a USB port). Bluetooth transceiver 118 may conform to any suitable version of the Bluetooth protocol, including Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart). Alternatively or in addition, other short-range wireless communication technologies may be provided, including but not limited to near field communication (NFC), IEEE802.15.3a (also known as ultra-wideband (UWB)), Z-wave, ZigBee, ANT / ANT+, or infrared (e.g., Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication).

[0026] Data received by the mobile transceiver 102 may be decompressed and decrypted by a decoder (not shown). The communication subsystem of the mobile transceiver 102 also includes one or more antennas, a processor (e.g., a digital signal processor (DSP)), and a local oscillator (LO). The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem depends on the wireless communication technology implemented by the mobile transceiver 102.

[0027] Network access requirements vary depending on the type of cellular network 160. The mobile transceiver 102 includes a smart card interface 140 for receiving a smart card 142 for storing and reading data such as subscriber identity data by the processor 104. The smart card 142 can be a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card used in GSM networks or other types of smart cards used in related wireless network types that provide wireless network access. The smart card 142 can be a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that contains at least a SIM and a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application. The UICC is a smart card technology used in most contemporary GSM and UMTS networks. Although a SIM card for a GSM network has been described as an example, the term "smart card" is intended to cover all types of smart cards and other similar technologies used to provide a USIM, a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM), or a CDMA Subscriber Identity Module (CSIM), or other similar technologies used in UMTS and CDMA networks.

[0028] The mobile transceiver 102 also includes a battery 146 as a power source. The battery 146 can be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The battery 146 provides power to at least some of the components of the mobile transceiver 102. A battery interface 144 provides mechanical and electrical connections for the battery 146. The battery interface 144 can be coupled to a regulator (not shown) that provides power V+ to the circuits of the mobile transceiver 102. In some embodiments, the battery 146 is a large-capacity, non-rechargeable, sealed battery that is expected to have a relatively long service life, such as 5-7 years of active service. It should be understood that the mobile transceiver 102 is intended to operate continuously, although one or more components (e.g., the cellular transceiver 114, the satellite receiver 120, and / or the sensor 130) may be periodically placed in a low-power mode to conserve battery life. The date and time of the first power-up can be determined using an initialization date or a similar date when the mobile transceiver 102 is first powered on (e.g., when the battery 146 is first installed). Because uninterrupted operation is desired, it is contemplated that in some embodiments the mobile transceiver 102 may not have a power button (on / off button).

[0029] The mobile transceiver 102 may also include a power interface (e.g., a power port) for connecting to an external power source 152, such as an alternating current (AC) power adapter. The mobile transceiver 102 may use the external power source 152 instead of the battery 146. If the battery 146 is rechargeable, the external power source 152 may be used to recharge the battery 146.

[0030] Reference again Figure 1 , an example communication system 100 in which the mobile transceiver 102 of the present disclosure may operate will be described. The mobile transceiver 102 typically uses a cellular network 160 to access an asset tracking service (or fleet management server) 200. The asset tracking service 200 may be implemented as one or more server modules and typically resides behind a firewall 210. The asset tracking service 200 provides supervisory control and management capabilities for a plurality of managed mobile transceivers 102. The asset tracking service 200 may be embodied in various configurations of hardware or software, including server-based systems, application programming interfaces (APIs), and / or endpoints that provide access to and abstraction of functionality of the asset tracking server 200 such that no hardware or configuration information is required to access functionality other than the API location and function definitions.

[0031] The asset tracking service 200 provides secure transmission of data exchanged between the asset tracking service 200 and a plurality of managed mobile transceivers 102. Communications between the asset tracking service 200 and the mobile transceivers 102 may be encrypted, for example, using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple DES) encryption.

[0032] Mobile transceiver 102 determines its location using signals received by satellite receiver 120 from multiple satellites in satellite network 180. For example, mobile transceiver 102 may determine its location using satellite receiver 120 in response to an alarm. An alarm is a configurable wakeup event that causes mobile transceiver 102 or a subsystem of mobile transceiver 102 (e.g., satellite receiver 120 or one or more sensors 130) to wake up from a low-power mode, such as sleep mode, and perform configured actions (e.g., perform location and sensor measurements), which are then logged and / or reported to asset tracking service 200. Alarms may be time-based alarms, in which a subsystem wakes up at regular intervals according to a predefined schedule or other means. The frequency or schedule for determining location may be fixed or configurable. Mobile transceiver 102 stores the determined location (typically expressed as latitude and longitude) and the time at which the location was determined in a data log stored in memory 112 of mobile transceiver 102. Thus, the data log provides an asset tracking log.

[0033] As described above, the mobile transceiver 102 can also sense or measure the environment of the mobile transceiver 102 using one or more of the sensors 130 in response to an alarm. For example, the sensors 130 can be used to measure temperature, pressure, and humidity, as well as door opening or movement events, etc. The sensor data acquired by the sensors 130 and the time at which the sensor data was acquired are also stored in a data log (i.e., an asset tracking log), which is stored in the memory 112. As with location data, the data transceiver 102 can collect sensor data at regular intervals, according to a predefined schedule, or in response to an alarm. The frequency or schedule for acquiring sensor data can be fixed or configurable.

[0034] The mobile transceiver 102 attempts to connect to the asset tracking service 200 at regular intervals, according to a predefined schedule, or in response to an alert, to report location and / or sensor data stored in the asset tracking log. The frequency or schedule at which the mobile transceiver 102 attempts to connect to the asset tracking service 200 can be fixed or configurable. The mobile transceiver 102 typically uses a wireless transceiver, such as a cellular transceiver 114, to attempt to connect to the asset tracking service 200. The mobile transceiver 102 can access multiple wireless services provided by multiple wireless transceivers, each of which provides access to one or more wireless services. In the depicted embodiment, the multiple wireless transceivers include a cellular transceiver 114, a WLAN transceiver 116, and a Bluetooth transceiver 118. In some embodiments, the wireless transceivers may include multiple cellular transceivers 114, which may be multi-band cellular transceivers 114. The mobile transceiver 102 may also attempt to connect to the asset tracking service 200 directly using a physical link or indirectly via the computer 240. Each wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver 102 may be defined by a standard or specification. Non-limiting examples of wireless services described elsewhere in this disclosure include 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G and 2G, WLAN, and Bluetooth.

[0035] When the mobile transceiver 102 is connected to the cellular network 160, WLAN 150, or computer 240 via Bluetooth and / or USB, the mobile transceiver 102 can send the data log or a portion of the data log (i.e., the unreported portion of the data log) to the asset tracking service 200 using the communication network 230 through the firewall 210. The data log information can be sent using any suitable message format, including, for example, a proprietary message format. The mobile transceiver 102 data log typically includes an indicator of which data in the data log has been reported and which data in the data log has not been reported. For example, in some embodiments, the data log includes a series of records that include and are identified by a record identifier (ID). Each record also includes the time the record was made, location data and / or sensor data, and a reporting status indicating whether the record has been reported to the asset tracking service 200. After an unreported record is reported to the asset tracking service 200, its corresponding reporting status field in the data log is updated.

[0036] When not in use, the mobile transceiver 102 powers down certain device components to conserve battery power. For example, the mobile transceiver 102 initiates a low-power mode for the cellular transceiver 114 after the reporting time / period. The low-power mode can be an off mode (also known as an off state, in which the cellular transceiver 114 is not powered) or a sleep mode (also known as a standby mode or suspended operating mode) with low power consumption. The cellular transceiver 114 is then activated from the low-power mode at the next reporting time / period. Any other wireless transceivers are similarly placed in low-power mode after the reporting time / period. The satellite receiver 120 and the sensor 130 may also be placed in low-power mode when not acquiring position or sensor data, and then activated from the low-power mode at the next measurement time / period.

[0037] The data logging and data reporting cycles are typically distinct and non-overlapping, but the cycles can overlap to varying degrees. For example, each reporting cycle typically involves reporting several records in the data log, each record including location data and / or sensor data. These cycles can overlap because location data and / or sensor data may be captured at certain times as part of a common process, or may be captured as part of a separate process executed just before reporting the logged data to the asset tracking service 200. For example, the wireless transceiver may be awakened for reporting at the same time that the satellite receiver 120 and / or sensor 130 are awakened and the location data and / or sensor data are captured, or may be awakened for reporting immediately after the satellite receiver 120 and / or sensor 130 are awakened and the location data and / or sensor data are captured.

[0038] The communication system 100 is provided for illustration purposes only. The communication system 100 is only one possible configuration of many possible communication network configurations for use with the mobile transceiver 102. Those skilled in the art will understand suitable variations, and these suitable variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although a single network is shown for convenience, it should be understood that multiple networks of each type can be provided, as well as intermediate networks connected to the shown networks. In addition, public networks and / or private networks can be used to implement Figure 1 The public and / or private networks may communicate using packet data technology such as X.25-based or Internet Protocol (IP)-based addressing and routing technology. Some connections may be implemented as secure connections, for example, using Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology.

[0039] Now refer to Figure 3, a wireless communication subsystem 300 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The wireless communication subsystem 300 includes a digital baseband processor 304, which manages functions requiring an antenna, and a plurality of wireless transceivers and / or receivers 306, which are represented by reference numerals 306a, 306b, ..., 306n, respectively. Each wireless transceiver / receiver 306 is coupled to a switch 308, which is represented by reference numerals 308a, 308b, ..., 308n, respectively. The switches 308 are coupled to internal antennas 310, which are represented by reference numerals 310a, 310b, ..., 310n, respectively, and external antennas 312, which are represented by reference numerals 312a, 312b, ..., 312n, respectively. The external antennas 312 are typically used as primary antennas due to the reduced RF interference associated with being located outside the container 400, while the internal antennas 310 are typically used as auxiliary antennas due to the increased RF interference associated with being located inside the container 400.

[0040] In at least some embodiments, the external antennas 312 are provided in a common external antenna module, and a ground pin of the external antenna module is connected to a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) pin of the processor 104, which can be monitored, for example, when the mobile transceiver 102 wakes up. When the ground pin of the external antenna module is not detected, this can be an indication that the external antenna module is disconnected, an electronic fault has occurred in the external antenna module, or the external antenna 312 and / or the external housing module 504 has been otherwise damaged or tampered with. In other embodiments, the ground pin of each external antenna 312 can be connected to a GPIO pin of the processor 104.

[0041] As described above, the wireless transceiver / receiver 306 includes at least one cellular transceiver 114, for example, a multi-band cellular transceiver supporting multiple radio frequency bands (which may include, for example, multiple 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE Advanced bands and global 3G and 2G bands), and at least one satellite receiver 120.

[0042] While a common baseband processor 304 has been described for the cellular transceiver 114 and the satellite receiver 120, in other embodiments, separate baseband processors may be provided for the satellite receiver 120 and the cellular transceiver 114. In the wireless communication subsystem 300, the cellular transceiver 114 and the satellite receiver 120 are individually switched and can operate independently. Thus, the satellite receiver 120 can use an external antenna 312 while the cellular transceiver 114 uses an internal antenna 310, or vice versa, both the satellite receiver 120 and the cellular transceiver 114 can use an external antenna 312, or both the satellite receiver 120 and the cellular transceiver 114 can use an internal antenna 310. The baseband processor 304 or the host processor 104 selects the internal antenna 310 or the external antenna 312 for the satellite receiver 120 and the cellular transceiver 114 based on factors such as signal quality and auxiliary information from the sensor 130. Each of the wireless transceivers / receivers 306 (eg, satellite receiver 120 and cellular transceiver 114) may also be individually powered up, powered down, or placed in a sleep mode.

[0043] Although not shown, each wireless transceiver / receiver 306 has an RF front-end circuit (also called a transceiver module / receiver module), which typically includes all components between the antenna and the digital baseband processor 304. For example, the RF front-end circuit of a cellular transceiver includes a receiver, a transmitter, and a local oscillator (LO). The receiver performs common receiver functions such as signal amplification, down-conversion, filtering, channel selection, and analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). The ADC of the received signal allows more complex communication functions, such as demodulation and decoding, which are performed by the digital baseband processor 304. In a similar manner, the signal to be transmitted is processed by the digital baseband processor 304, including modulation and encoding. The processed signal is input to the transmitter for digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), up-conversion, filtering, amplification, and transmission via the antenna. Receivers that lack transmit functionality typically omit the components required for transmission.

[0044] The mobile transceiver 102 is intended to be attached to or incorporated into a movable asset to track its location using a satellite receiver 120 and to sense or measure other conditions using sensors 130, such as temperature, humidity, general operating conditions, average speed, maximum speed, contents status, door open or closed status, etc. The asset tracked by the mobile transceiver 102 can be a container, a truck, a railcar, an automobile, etc. The tracking requirements of the tracked asset can vary depending on the mode of transportation (e.g., ship, rail, automobile, and possibly aviation). For example, if the mobile transceiver 102 is attached to an asset that is being moved by rail, logging and / or reporting can have longer intervals than if the asset is being moved by truck through city streets. In addition, different sensors 130 can be monitored depending on the mode of transportation. For example, when the mobile transceiver 102 is being moved by ship, it may not be necessary to check the door open or closed status.

[0045] The mobile transceiver 102 has a device configuration that defines an alarm (e.g., a wakeup or trigger event) that wakes the mobile transceiver 102 from an inactive mode (e.g., sleep mode) to determine the device status (including the location and / or environmental conditions at a specific time) and report the device status to the asset tracking service 200. Alarm events can be scheduled events, such as those based on the time of day or frequency, or unscheduled events that asynchronously wake up the mobile transceiver 102 to report the device status. The mobile transceiver 102 is in sleep mode most of the time to conserve power and wakes up in response to an alarm. For example, the mobile transceiver 102 may wake up only at predetermined time intervals or in response to detection or measurement by the sensor 130. When mobile transceiver 102 awakens from sleep mode, it typically determines its location using satellite receiver 120 and / or measures one or more environmental conditions using one or more sensors 130, stores the measured data in a data log in memory 112, and then reports the device status to asset tracking service 200, for example, by sending at least a portion of the data log to asset tracking service 200 via cellular transceiver 114 over the Internet. For example, mobile transceiver 102 may awaken once every hour to determine and report the device status, or mobile transceiver 102 may awaken when the door of the container to which it is attached is opened. When mobile transceiver 102 awakens, mobile transceiver 102 may determine the cause of the alarm. Mobile transceiver 102 may then determine its location using satellite receiver 120 and / or measure one or more environmental conditions based on the type of alarm. Mobile transceiver 102 may then send the measured data to asset tracking service 200. Mobile transceiver 102 then returns to sleep mode until it awakens in response to another alarm.

[0046] Each alarm is defined by multiple parameters, including an identifier (ID) (e.g., a unique number used to identify the alarm), an alarm type identifying the type of alarm, one or more conditional parameters that must be met to trigger the alarm, and one or more actions to take when the alarm is triggered. Alarm types are typically based on time or sensor data. There are two subtypes of time-based alarms. The first type of time-based alarm is frequency (which specifies how often data is measured), a conditional parameter for the alarm to be checked and reported to the asset tracking service 200. An example value for a frequency alarm is every 15 minutes. The second type of time-based alarm is time (or date), which specifies the time and / or date when the conditional parameter of the alarm is checked. An example value for a frequency alarm is 12:00 PM daily. Sensor-based alarms are defined based on the capabilities of the mobile transceiver 102 (i.e., the onboard sensors 130). Sensor-based alarms can include temperature, humidity, pressure, motion detection, location, location within or relative to a specific geo-fence, door open or closed status, and so on. Alarm types can also be based on other factors, such as location or location history. A geofence is a virtual perimeter defined by a specific geographic area using geospatial coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) used by satellite receiver 120. A geofence can be fixed or dynamically generated, such as a radius around a specific point location. A geofence can be a predefined set of boundaries, or it can be a set of regions or areas, where the regions or areas do not need to be contiguous. Alarm actions can include the type of sensor data to be measured and transmitted to asset tracking service 200, as well as possible other things such as running diagnostics, changing equipment status, location data, etc.

[0047] Dynamic adaptive monitoring and reporting methods

[0048] In tracking applications (e.g., global and long-distance tracking), the tracked asset may travel over land, water, and possibly air along well-established, long-distance routes. For example, in North America, it is not uncommon for a truck to originate in Mexico and travel through the United States to Canada. Similarly, a container may originate in China and circumvent South Africa, with its final destination in North America.

[0049] A travel itinerary for the tracked asset and mobile transceiver 102 is provided by a user (e.g., a transportation company) who knows the intended route. The travel itinerary defines a number of waypoints, including at least a starting endpoint, a destination endpoint, and possibly intermediate waypoints along the intended route. Each waypoint corresponds to a location or geographic area along the intended route. The travel itinerary can be input by the user or otherwise provided to the asset tracking service 200. To improve power and processing resource conservation, the asset tracking service 200 determines and pre-programs one or more wake-up events, during which the mobile transceiver 102 powers up from a low-power mode after a period of inactivity based on the waypoints defined by the travel itinerary. The wake-up events can be time-based, periodically waking up the mobile transceiver 102 at predetermined intervals and / or frequencies. At these predetermined intervals and / or frequencies, the mobile transceiver 102 can determine its location and / or sense environmental conditions using sensors 130, and optionally report the location and / or sensor data to the asset tracking service 200. The travel itinerary also includes the wake-up frequency and, optionally, the type of environment and / or the positioning technology used to determine the location. Table 1 below provides a sample travel itinerary.

[0050]

[0051]

[0052] Table 1 Example travel itinerary

[0053] In the example travel itinerary in Table 1, the travel itinerary includes multiple wake-up events, each of which includes multiple parameters, including a wake-up event identifier or descriptor, a waypoint descriptor, an environment, a positioning technology, and a wake-up frequency. Although not shown in Table 1, in other embodiments, the travel itinerary may also include an expected time at each waypoint, for example, based on the mode of transportation.

[0054] Depending on the embodiment, the wake-up frequency can be a reporting frequency, a measurement (or acquisition) frequency, or both. Alternatively, different reporting frequencies and measurement frequencies can be defined. The reporting frequency specifies the frequency with which the location and / or sensor data acquired by the mobile transceiver 102 is reported. The measurement frequency specifies the frequency with which the location and / or sensor data is acquired. In other words, the reporting frequency is the frequency with which data reporting events are performed, and the measurement frequency is the frequency with which data logging events (e.g., location fix and / or sensor data acquisition) are performed. Furthermore, it should be understood that the frequency with which a location fix is performed (i.e., when location data is acquired) and the frequency with which sensor data is acquired from the sensor can be different. Similarly, each sensor 130 can have its own measurement frequency or no measurement frequency at all. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the travel itinerary can specify available wireless coverage for waypoints and / or specific geographic locations and / or preferred wireless carriers.

[0055] The travel itinerary is provided to the mobile transceiver 102 by the asset tracking service 200. For example, the travel itinerary can be downloaded to the mobile transceiver 102 from the asset tracking service 200 at the beginning of the trip or in advance. The asset tracking service 200 also sends instructions / commands to the mobile transceiver 102 that configure time-based wake-up events on the mobile transceiver 102, which wake the mobile transceiver 102 from a low-power mode at a predetermined time and / or at a predetermined frequency. If there is no wireless (cellular) coverage en route, the mobile transceiver 102 can be configured to not activate the cellular transceiver 114, thereby conserving computing and power resources. In long-distance applications where the mobile transceiver 102 may lose wireless coverage for an extended period of time, one or more pre-programmed wake-up events for data logging using only other means (e.g., satellite receiver 120 for obtaining a position fix and / or sensor 130 for obtaining environmental data) can also be provided spaced along the route.

[0056] The waypoint descriptor indicates the name or description of the waypoint. In the example shown, the waypoint descriptors displayed are the starting point, the en route point, and the destination point. However, in other embodiments, more detailed waypoints and waypoint descriptors may include, for example, "railway," "ship," "street," "dock," "home," "warehouse," "distribution center," "outside," "inside," or a specific geographic location. Alternatively, a specific geographic location for each waypoint may be provided separately from the waypoint descriptor. The specific geographic location may be a city name, a country, or a region (e.g., Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), North America, South America, etc.).

[0057] The environmental parameter indicates the type of environment. In the example shown, the type of environment is one of urban, suburban, or rural. The urban, suburban, and rural environment types represent high-density, medium-density, and low-density areas, respectively. In other embodiments, the type of environment can be one of high-density, medium-density, or low-density, where density reflects population and / or physical infrastructure (e.g., roads, buildings). Other environment types can be used in other embodiments.

[0058] The positioning technology parameter indicates the type of positioning technology to be used to determine the location of the mobile transceiver 102. The positioning technology can be GNSS only (e.g., GPS using satellite receiver 120), GNSS enhanced by one or more alternative positioning technologies, or an alternative positioning technology that is only an alternative to GNSS. Alternative positioning technologies are useful in locations where GNSS may not be sufficient due to problems including multipath effects (in which radio signals reflect off the surrounding environment such as buildings, canyon walls, hard surfaces, etc.) and indoor signal blockage, among other potential causes. Therefore, the alternative positioning technology may include an indoor positioning system. The alternative positioning technology may include one or more of a cellular positioning system or a Wi-Fi-based positioning system (WFPS), as well as other possibilities. Cellular positioning systems typically perform positioning using multilateration, trilateration, or triangulation of radio signals between several radio towers of a RAN.

[0059] WFPS positioning technologies include received signal strength indication ("RSSI") positioning technology, RSSI fingerprinting technology, angle of arrival (AoA)-based technology, and ToF-based technology. Each Wi-Fi access point is identified using its service set identifier (SSID) and media access control address (MAC address). RSSI positioning technology measures the RSSI from the mobile transceiver 102 to several different Wi-Fi access points, and uses a propagation model to determine the distance between the mobile transceiver 102 and the different Wi-Fi access points, for example using multi-lateration, trilateration, or triangulation technology. In RSSI fingerprinting technology, a database of RSSI measurements from several different Wi-Fi access points is used along with the coordinates of the mobile transceiver 102. Using AoA-based technology, using a Wi-Fi access point with multiple antennas and a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Wi-Fi interface, the AoA of the multipath signals received at the antenna array in the Wi-Fi access point can be estimated. Based on this estimate, triangulation technology can be used to calculate the position of the mobile transceiver 102. Using ToF-based techniques, the time stamps provided by the wireless interfaces of the mobile transceiver 102 and the Wi-Fi access point are used to calculate the ToF of the signal, and then this information is used to estimate the distance and relative position of the mobile transceiver 102 with respect to the Wi-Fi access point.

[0060] The wake-up frequency is shown in Table 1 as one of a low frequency, a medium frequency, or a high frequency. Although three different reporting frequencies are described, a greater or fewer number of reporting frequencies may be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the reporting frequencies described are qualitative, and the mobile transceiver 102 may include a mapping between these qualitative reporting frequencies and quantitative reporting frequencies, such as an internal frequency specified in minutes. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the reporting frequency may be specified in a quantitative manner, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes.

[0061] Although the travel itinerary has been described as including certain data items and having a certain data structure, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the described data structure. Any data structure that provides the described data items and that associates the described data items with each other may be used, whether the data items are stored in the travel itinerary or elsewhere.

[0062] The mobile transceiver 102 can change the frequency based on the current waypoint or the next waypoint. For example, when the mobile transceiver 102 approaches the destination endpoint specified in the travel itinerary, the mobile transceiver 102 can change the wake-up frequency. In some embodiments, the mobile transceiver 102 can increase the reporting frequency as it approaches the destination endpoint to provide the asset tracking service 200 with a more accurate estimate of the arrival time. The increase can occur at a specific waypoint before the destination endpoint or at a predetermined number of waypoints before the destination endpoint, and can include other possibilities. The increase can be performed periodically and gradually as the mobile transceiver 102 approaches the destination endpoint. For example, after the increase has begun, the wake-up frequency can be increased after each waypoint or after a specific number of waypoints (e.g., every 2 or 3 waypoints).

[0063] For another example, the mobile transceiver 102 may change the wake-up frequency based on the type of environment it is traveling through. In some embodiments, when the mobile transceiver 102 is in a high-density area, the mobile transceiver 102 may increase the wake-up frequency to provide finer granularity in location when the mobile transceiver 102 is in a densely populated area (e.g., an urban area). A low frequency (e.g., 30 minutes) may be used in a low-density area (e.g., a rural area), a medium frequency (e.g., 10 to 15 minutes) may be used in a medium-density area (e.g., a suburban area), and a high frequency (e.g., 1 to 5 minutes) may be used in a high-density area.

[0064] The mobile transceiver 102 may change its frequency based on the distance of the mobile transceiver 102 from an associated waypoint and / or an intended route. For example, when the distance of the mobile transceiver 102 from an associated waypoint and / or an intended route (after obtaining a position fix) is determined to be greater than a threshold distance, the frequency may be increased. The increase may be gradual based on the determined distance from the associated waypoint and / or intended route. For example, the frequency may be increased in steps based on the threshold distance. Conversely, when the mobile transceiver 102 is determined to be less than a threshold distance from the associated waypoint and / or intended route, the frequency may be decreased, for example, where the frequency was previously increased when the mobile transceiver 102 was determined to be greater than a threshold distance from the associated waypoint and / or intended route. The decrease may be gradual based on the determined distance from the associated waypoint and / or intended route. For example, the frequency may be decreased in steps based on the threshold distance. In other embodiments, the frequency may depend on (and possibly be proportional to) the distance of the mobile transceiver 102 from an associated waypoint and / or from an expected route. The wakeup frequency of one or more subsequent wakeup events may be decreased or increased based on the distance from the determined waypoint and / or the expected route.

[0065] The mobile transceiver 102 can group a series of data acquisitions (e.g., location fixes and / or sensor data) to be reported to the asset tracking service 200 at a later time. For example, location fixes may be acquired five minutes apart, but may be reported together fifteen minutes apart. As an alternative to or in addition to varying the reporting frequency, grouping of data acquisitions can also occur. Conversely, to improve accuracy when the mobile transceiver 102 is near a densely populated area, the fifteen-minute reporting interval may be increased to three location fixes five minutes apart.

[0066] In a manner similar to changing the reporting frequency, the mobile transceiver 102 can change the measurement frequency based on the current waypoint or the next waypoint. In some embodiments, while the reporting frequency remains unchanged as described above, the measurement frequency can be increased in response to one of the above triggers (e.g., a change in the type of environment, a change in the distance to the associated waypoint and / or the expected route, etc.).

[0067] Figure 4A flow chart is shown of a method 400 for operating a mobile transceiver 102 (e.g., a GNSS tracking device) according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method can be performed by software executed by a processor of the mobile transceiver 102. Coding of software for performing this method 400 is within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art, given the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the method 400 may include additional or fewer processes than those shown and / or described, and the method 1200 may be performed in a different order. Machine-readable code executable by the processor to perform the method 400 may be stored in a machine-readable medium, such as a memory of the mobile transceiver 102.

[0068] The mobile transceiver 102 wakes up from a low power mode after a period of inactivity at 402. For example, the mobile transceiver 102 may wake up from a sleep mode in response to a wake-up event (also referred to herein as an alarm).

[0069] At 404, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether the wake-up event corresponds to a time-based wake-up event. When the wake-up event does not correspond to a time-based wake-up event, the wake-up event corresponds to a sensor-based alarm, and operations proceed to 414, where the mobile transceiver 102 performs one or more actions associated with the sensor-based wake-up event. Depending on the embodiment, the one or more actions may include data logging, data reporting, or both. Data logging includes acquiring location data and / or acquiring sensor data via one or more sensors, and storing the acquired location data and / or sensor data in a data log in a memory of the mobile transceiver 102. Data reporting includes sending at least a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service 200. Data reporting is typically performed after data logging. However, data reporting may include sending at least a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service 200 without performing data logging or acquiring prior to reporting.

[0070] In some embodiments, the wake-up event can be a data logging event, in which location and / or sensor data is acquired and stored in a data log in the memory of the mobile transceiver 102 but not reported, or a data reporting event, in which at least a portion of the data log is reported to the asset tracking service 200. The data reporting event is typically performed after the data logging event.

[0071] If the wake-up event corresponds to a time-based wake-up event, the operation proceeds to 406, where the mobile transceiver 102 determines a waypoint in the travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event. The waypoints may be determined by correlating pre-programmed wake-up events with waypoints in the travel itinerary. Each wake-up event may be identified by a wake-up event ID or the time at which the wake-up event occurred, among other possible identification methods.

[0072] In 407, the mobile transceiver 102 performs one or more actions associated with the time-based wake-up event. As with the actions of the sensor-based alarm, the one or more actions may include data logging, data reporting, or both.

[0073] When the one or more actions include determining the location of the mobile transceiver 102, in some embodiments, the mobile transceiver 102 may determine one or more positioning technologies associated with the waypoint corresponding to the wake-up event, and then use the one or more positioning technologies associated with the waypoint to determine the location of the mobile transceiver 102. The positioning technology is one of: GNSS only, GNSS enhanced with an alternative positioning technology, or only the alternative positioning technology. The alternative positioning technology includes one or more of a cellular positioning system or a Wi-Fi-based positioning system. In some embodiments, the alternative positioning technology can be used whenever the alternative positioning technology is available, for example, to enhance GNSS or provide positioning services when GNSS is not available (for example, because the asset is indoors or satellite signals are blocked).

[0074] In 408 , the mobile transceiver 102 determines a wake-up frequency associated with the determined waypoint.

[0075] In some embodiments, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether the determined waypoint is within a threshold of the destination endpoint and increases the wakeup frequency of one or more subsequent wakeup events when the determined waypoint is determined to be within the threshold of the destination endpoint. As described above, after the determined waypoint is determined to be within the threshold of the destination endpoint, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events may be periodically increased.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the determined waypoint is associated with an environment having a higher density than the previous waypoint, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is increased. Conversely, when the determined waypoint is associated with an environment having a lower density than the previous waypoint, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is decreased.

[0077] In some embodiments, when the determined waypoint is associated with a high-density environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a high frequency, when the determined waypoint is associated with a medium-density environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a medium frequency, and when the determined waypoint is associated with a low-density environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a low frequency. In other embodiments, when the determined waypoint is associated with an urban environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a high frequency, when the determined waypoint is associated with a suburban environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a medium frequency, and when the determined waypoint is associated with a rural environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more subsequent wakeup events is a low frequency.

[0078] In embodiments where the wake-up event can be a data logging event or a data reporting event, the wake-up event can be a reporting frequency or a measurement frequency. The measurement frequency is the frequency at which the data logging event is performed. The reporting frequency is the frequency at which the data reporting event is performed. When different data logging events and data reporting events are performed, determining the frequency associated with the determined waypoint includes determining the measurement frequency and the reporting frequency associated with the determined waypoint. In some embodiments, the measurement frequency can be greater than the reporting frequency, such that multiple data logging events are reported in each data reporting event. For example, the reporting interval can be a multiple (e.g., an integer multiple) of the measurement interval, such that multiple data logging events are reported in each data reporting event. In some embodiments, when different data logging events and data reporting events are performed, the measurement frequency can be increased while the reporting frequency remains unchanged.

[0079] In 410, the mobile transceiver 102 sets a wakeup frequency for one or more subsequent wakeup events (e.g., a next wakeup event) according to the determined wakeup frequency. When performing different data logging events and data reporting events, the frequency of the data logging event is set according to the determined measurement frequency associated with the determined waypoint, and the frequency of the data reporting event is set according to the determined reporting frequency associated with the determined waypoint.

[0080] At 412, the mobile transceiver 102 initiates a low power mode until the next wake-up event / alarm (e.g., data logging and / or data reporting event). The low power mode may affect the processor 104, the cellular transceiver 114, the satellite receiver 120, and the sensor 130 until the next alarm (e.g., logging and / or reporting cycle). In addition to the cellular transceiver 114 and / or the satellite receiver 120, one or both of the processor 104 and the sensor 130 may also enter a low power mode.

[0081] Figure 5A flow chart of a method 500 for performing data logging and / or data reporting actions associated with a determined waypoint is shown, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 can be performed by software executed by a processor of the mobile transceiver 102. Coding of software for performing this method 500 is within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art, given the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the method 500 can include additional or fewer processes than those shown and / or described, and the method 1200 can be performed in a different order. Machine-readable code executable by the processor to perform the method 500 can be stored in a machine-readable medium, such as a memory of the mobile transceiver 102.

[0082] Method 500 includes a data logging action, indicated by reference numeral 530, and a data reporting action, indicated by reference numeral 550. In other embodiments, only one of data logging action 530 or data reporting action 550 may be performed.

[0083] At 502, the mobile transceiver 102 determines its location. Depending on the embodiment and / or whether an alternative positioning technology is available at a particular waypoint, the location may be determined by a satellite receiver 120, the alternative positioning technology described above, or a satellite receiver 120 enhanced by one or more alternative positioning technologies. The mobile transceiver 102 may select a positioning technology to use based on the available positioning technologies at the particular waypoint and the capabilities of the mobile transceiver 102. The mobile transceiver 102 may also store the available alternative positioning technologies associated with the respective waypoints along the route for subsequent use in selecting a positioning technology to use in determining its location. The determined location and the time associated with the determined location are stored in a data log in the memory of the mobile transceiver 102.

[0084] At 504 , the mobile transceiver 102 senses the environment of the mobile transceiver 120 via the one or more sensors 130 . Sensor data acquired via the one or more sensors and the time at which the sensor data was acquired are stored in a data log in the memory of the mobile transceiver 102 .

[0085] At 506, the mobile transceiver 102 activates the cellular transceiver 114 from the low power mode.

[0086] At 508, the cellular transceiver 114 searches for wireless services. The cellular transceiver 114 may search for available wireless signals based on a preferred wireless carrier from a list of available carriers or a list of supported wireless services. For example, when the mobile transceiver 102 carries a wireless transceiver including a multi-band cellular transceiver 114 that supports 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G, the cellular transceiver 114 may search for (e.g., scan for) cellular data services, such as 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G.

[0087] In 510, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether wireless service is available based on whether any response to the scan is received, for example, from a base station or node in the cellular network 160. When wireless service is not available, the operation ends.

[0088] When wireless services are available, operation proceeds to 512 where the mobile transceiver 102 accesses or connects to a wireless service among the available wireless services.

[0089] At 514, the mobile transceiver 102 reports the measured and / or recorded data to the asset tracking service 200 via the cellular transceiver. Depending on the embodiment, the data may include the determined location and / or sensory data acquired via one or more sensors 130. In embodiments where data reporting follows data logging, the mobile transceiver 102 transmits at least a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service 200 using a wireless service. The data log includes a plurality of determined locations and associated times at which the locations were determined and / or a plurality of sensor data acquisitions and associated times at which the sensor data were acquired.

[0090] The above-described method provides a global and long-distance tracking method that dynamically adapts location and / or sensor monitoring and reporting based on the geographic region in which the mobile transceiver 102 is located. The above-described method is particularly advantageous when the mobile transceiver 102 is configured with a non-rechargeable battery. Typically, tracking devices are periodically powered up at predetermined intervals to obtain a GPS position fix and report their location. The above-described method eliminates the need to repeatedly power up the satellite receiver along a well-established, long-distance route (generating only latitude / longitude coordinates with minimal deviation from the route), thereby avoiding many of the disadvantages of high current draw that would otherwise significantly reduce the expected battery life. The above-described method also adapts to the environment in which the mobile transceiver 102 is located by performing data logging (e.g., position fix) and data reporting less frequently in rural or low-density environments and more frequently in urban or high-density environments. The above-described method also increases the frequency of data logging and data reporting as the mobile transceiver approaches its destination, where a more accurate estimate of arrival time is desired.

[0091] The steps and / or operations in the flowcharts and figures described herein are for illustrative purposes only. Many variations of these steps and / or operations may exist without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. For example, the steps may be performed in a different order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.

[0092] Although the present disclosure is described at least in part in terms of methods, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure also relates to various components for performing at least some aspects and features of the described methods, which components may be hardware components, software, or any combination of the two, or may be implemented in other ways. Furthermore, the present disclosure also relates to pre-recorded storage devices or other similar machine-readable media including program instructions stored thereon for performing the methods described herein.

[0093] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the subject matter of the claims. The exemplary embodiments described should be considered in all respects as merely illustrative and not restrictive. The present disclosure is intended to cover and encompass all suitable changes in technology. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments described in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising: waking the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining, if the wake-up event corresponds to a time-based wake-up event, a waypoint in a travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event, the travel itinerary being stored in a memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along the travel itinerary and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each of the waypoints defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; Executing an action related to the wake-up event; as well as The wake-up frequency of one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events is set based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the waypoint in the travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event is determined based on the location of the mobile transceiver at the time of the wake-up event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the waypoint in the travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event is determined by correlating pre-programmed wake-up events with waypoints in the travel itinerary, the wake-up events being identified by the time at which the wake-up events occur. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is increased when the determined waypoint is determined to be within a threshold distance of the destination endpoint. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is periodically increased after the determined waypoint is determined to be within a threshold distance of the destination endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is increased when the mobile transceiver is determined to be more than a threshold distance from the determined waypoint and / or the travel trip. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is increased when the determined waypoint is associated with an environment having a higher density than a previous waypoint. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is reduced when the determined waypoint is associated with an environment having a lower density than a previous waypoint.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the determined waypoint is associated with a high-density environment, the wake-up frequency of the one or more time-based wake-up events is a high frequency, when the determined waypoint is associated with a medium-density environment, the wake-up frequency of the one or more time-based wake-up events is a medium frequency, and when the determined waypoint is associated with a low-density environment, the wake-up frequency of the one or more time-based wake-up events is a low frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is a high frequency when the determined waypoint is associated with an urban environment, the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is a medium frequency when the determined waypoint is associated with a suburban environment, and the wakeup frequency of the one or more time-based wakeup events is a low frequency when the determined waypoint is associated with a rural environment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more time-based wake-up events are data logging events in which location and / or sensor data is acquired and stored in a data log in a memory of the mobile transceiver but not reported, and at least some of the one or more time-based wake-up events are data reporting events in which at least a portion of the data log is reported to an asset tracking service, wherein the data logging event has a measurement frequency at which the data logging event is performed, and the data reporting event has a reporting frequency at which the data logging event is reported, wherein determining a frequency associated with the determined waypoint comprises determining a measurement frequency and a reporting frequency associated with the determined waypoint, wherein the frequency of the data logging events is set according to the determined measurement frequency associated with the determined waypoint, and The frequency of the data reporting events is set according to the determined reporting frequency associated with the determined waypoint.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the measurement frequency is increased in response to a trigger, while the reporting frequency remains unchanged.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the measurement frequency is greater than the reporting frequency such that multiple data logging events are reported in each data reporting event.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises determining a location of the mobile transceiver.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: determining one or more positioning technologies associated with the waypoint corresponding to the time-based wake-up event; wherein the position of the mobile transceiver is determined using the one or more positioning techniques determined to be associated with the waypoint.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the positioning technology is one of: GNSS only, GNSS augmented with an alternative positioning technology, or alternative positioning technology only, wherein the alternative positioning technology comprises one or more of: a cellular positioning system or a Wi-Fi based positioning system (WFPS).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises one or both of data logging and data reporting.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises data logging and data reporting subsequent to the data logging.

19. A mobile transceiver comprising: processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a satellite receiver coupled to the processor; as well as a cellular transceiver coupled to the processor; wherein the mobile transceiver is configured to: waking the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining, if the wake-up event corresponds to a time-based wake-up event, a waypoint in a travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event, the travel itinerary being stored in a memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along the travel itinerary and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each of the waypoints defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; Executing an action related to the wake-up event; as well as The wake-up frequency of one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events is set based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having executable instructions tangibly stored thereon, the executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver, causing the mobile transceiver to: waking the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wake-up event; determining, if the wake-up event corresponds to a time-based wake-up event, a waypoint in a travel itinerary corresponding to the wake-up event, the travel itinerary being stored in a memory of the mobile transceiver and defining a plurality of waypoints along the travel itinerary and a wake-up frequency for each of the waypoints, wherein each of the waypoints defines a location, and wherein the waypoints include a start endpoint, a destination endpoint, and intermediate locations between the start endpoint and the destination endpoint; performing an action associated with the wake-up event; and The wake-up frequency of one or more subsequent time-based wake-up events is set based on the determined wake-up frequency of the waypoint.

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